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Jeremiah 4:22-27 - Compare All Versions

Jeremiah 4:22-27 NIV (New International Version)

“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away. I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. This is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely.

Jeremiah 4:22-27 ESV (English Standard Version 2025)

“For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.” I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. For thus says the LORD, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

Jeremiah 4:22-27 NLT (New Living Translation)

“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the LORD. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!” I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light. I looked at the mountains and hills, and they trembled and shook. I looked, and all the people were gone. All the birds of the sky had flown away. I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The towns lay in ruins, crushed by the LORD’s fierce anger. This is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.

Jeremiah 4:22-27 CSB (Christian Standard Bible)

“For my people are fools; they do not know me. They are foolish children, without understanding.  They are skilled in doing what is evil, but they do not know how to do what is good.”  I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty.  I looked to the heavens, and their light was gone.  I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking;  all the hills shook. I looked, and there was no human being,  and all the birds of the sky had fled.  I looked, and the fertile field  was a wilderness.  All its cities were torn down because of the  LORD and his burning anger.  For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be a desolation,  but I will not finish it off.

Jeremiah 4:22-27 KJV (King James Version)

For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

Jeremiah 4:22-27 NKJV (New King James Version)

“For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.” I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger. For thus says the LORD: “The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end.

Jeremiah 4:22-28 MSG (The Message)

“What fools my people are! They have no idea who I am. A company of half-wits, dopes and donkeys all! Experts at evil but klutzes at good.” I looked at the earth— it was back to pre-Genesis chaos and emptiness. I looked at the skies, and not a star to be seen. I looked at the mountains— they were trembling like aspen leaves, And all the hills rocking back and forth in the wind. I looked—what’s this! Not a man or woman in sight, and not a bird to be seen in the skies. I looked—this can’t be! Every garden and orchard shriveled up. All the towns were ghost towns. And all this because of GOD, because of the blazing anger of GOD. Yes, this is GOD’s Word on the matter

Jeremiah 4:22-27 NASB2020 (New American Standard Bible - NASB)

“For My people are foolish, They do not know Me; They are foolish children And have no understanding. They are skillful at doing evil, But they do not know how to do good.” ¶I looked at the earth, and behold, it was a formless and desolate emptiness; And to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills jolted back and forth. I looked, and behold, there was no human, And all the birds of the sky had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the LORD, before His fierce anger. ¶For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction.

Jeremiah 4:22-27 AMP (Amplified Bible)

“For My people are stupid and foolish,” [says the LORD to Jeremiah]; “They do not know Me; They are foolish children And have no understanding. They are shrewd [enough] to do evil, But they do not know [how] to do good.” ¶I looked at the earth [in my vision], and behold, it was [as at the time of creation] formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were trembling, And all the hills moved back and forth. I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and behold, the fertile land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the [presence of the] LORD, before His fierce anger. ¶Therefore says the LORD, “The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not cause total destruction. [Jer 5:10, 18; 30:11; 46:28]

Jeremiah 4:22-27 NET (New English Translation)

The LORD answered, “This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do good.” “I looked at the land and saw that it was an empty wasteland. I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished. I looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking. All the hills were swaying back and forth! I looked and saw that there were no more people, and that all the birds in the sky had flown away. I looked and saw that the fruitful land had become a desert and that all of the cities had been laid in ruins. The LORD had brought this all about because of his blazing anger. All this will happen because the LORD said, “The whole land will be desolate; however, I will not completely destroy it.