Jeremiah 16:11 Then you are to answer them: 'It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction.

Bible > Jeremiah > Chapter 16 > Verse 11

◄ Jeremiah 16:11 ►

New International Version
then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law.

New Living Translation
“Then you will give them the LORD’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word.

English Standard Version
then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law,

Berean Standard Bible
Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction.

King James Bible
Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

New King James Version
then you shall say to them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ says the LORD; ‘they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law.

New American Standard Bible
Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have abandoned Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and have followed other gods, and served and worshiped them; but they have abandoned Me and have not kept My Law.

NASB 1995
“Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law.

NASB 1977
“Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and have walked after other gods and served them and worshiped them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law.

Amplified Bible
Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your fathers have abandoned (rejected) Me,’ says the LORD, ‘and have walked after other gods and have served them and bowed down to the handmade idols and have abandoned (rejected) Me and have not kept My law,

Christian Standard Bible
Then you will answer them, ‘Because your ancestors abandoned me —this is the LORD’s declaration—and followed other gods, served them, and bowed in worship to them. Indeed, they abandoned me and did not keep my instruction.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then you will answer them: Because your fathers abandoned Me"—this is the LORD’s declaration—"and followed other gods, served them, and worshiped them. Indeed, they abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction.

American Standard Version
then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith Jehovah, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

Contemporary English Version
Then tell them I have said: People of Judah, your ancestors turned away from me; they rejected my laws and teachings and started worshiping other gods.

English Revised Version
Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then say to them, 'It's because your ancestors abandoned me, declares the LORD. They followed other gods, served them, worshiped them, and abandoned me. They didn't obey my teachings.

Good News Translation
Then tell them that the LORD has said, 'Your ancestors turned away from me and worshiped and served other gods. They abandoned me and did not obey my teachings.

International Standard Version
Then say to them, 'It is because your ancestors abandoned me,' declares the LORD. 'They followed other gods, served them, worshipped them, abandoned me, and didn't keep my Law.

Majority Standard Bible
Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction.

NET Bible
Then tell them that the LORD says, 'It is because your ancestors rejected me and paid allegiance to other gods. They have served them and worshiped them. But they have rejected me and not obeyed my law.

New Heart English Bible
Then you shall tell them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken me, says the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshiped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

Webster's Bible Translation
Then shalt thou say to them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshiped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

World English Bible
then you shall tell them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me,’ says Yahweh, ‘and have walked after other gods, have served them, have worshiped them, have forsaken me, and have not kept my law.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Then you have said to them: Because that your fathers have forsaken Me, "" A declaration of YHWH, "" And go after other gods, and serve them, "" And they bow themselves to them, "" And have forsaken Me, and not kept My law,

Young's Literal Translation
Then thou hast said unto them: Because that your fathers have forsaken Me, An affirmation of Jehovah, And go after other gods, and serve them, And they bow themselves to them, And Me have forsaken, and My law not kept,

Smith's Literal Translation
And say to them, Because your fathers forsook me, says Jehovah, and went after other gods, and they will serve them and worship to them, and they forsook me, and my law they watched not;

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt say to them: Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord: and went after strange gods, and served them, and adored them: and they forsook me, and kept not my law.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And you shall say to them: It is because your fathers abandoned me, says the Lord. And they went after strange gods, and they served them and adored them. And they abandoned me, and they did not keep my law.

New American Bible
you shall answer them: It is because your ancestors have forsaken me—oracle of the LORD—and followed other gods that they served and worshiped; but me they have forsaken, and my law they did not keep.

New Revised Standard Version
then you shall say to them: It is because your ancestors have forsaken me, says the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law;

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
That you shall say to them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, says the LORD, and have walked after other gods and have served them and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Say to them: “Why have your fathers forsaken me, says LORD JEHOVAH, and they went after other gods and served them and bowed to them, and they left me and they did not keep my law

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
then shalt thou say unto them: 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then thou shalt say to them, Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord, and went after strange gods and served them, and worshipped them, and forsook me, and kept not my law;

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Disaster Predicted
…10When you tell these people all these things, they will ask you, ‘Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? What is our guilt? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?’ 11Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction. 12And you have done more evil than your fathers. See how each of you follows the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying Me.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 29:25-26
And the people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. / They went and served other gods, and they worshiped gods they had not known—gods that the LORD had not given to them.

Judges 2:12-13
Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

2 Kings 22:17
because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be kindled against this place and will not be quenched.’

2 Chronicles 34:25
because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be quenched.’

Isaiah 1:4
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Isaiah 65:11-12
But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, / I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Jeremiah 7:9-10
Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, / and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’?

Jeremiah 11:10
They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.

Jeremiah 19:4
because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

Ezekiel 20:18-21
In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. / I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. / Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’ ...

Hosea 4:12-13
My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God. / They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

Hosea 11:2
But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images.

Matthew 15:3-6
Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? / For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ / But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ ...

Mark 7:9-13
He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition. / For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ / But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), ...

Treasury of Scripture

Then shall you say to them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, said the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

Because.

Jeremiah 2:8
The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

Jeremiah 5:7-9
How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses…

Judges 2:12,13
And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger…

walked.

Jeremiah 8:2
And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

Jeremiah 9:14
But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:

Ezekiel 11:21
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

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Jeremiah 16

1. The prophet, under the types of abstaining from marriage,
8. from houses of mourning and feasting, foreshows the utter ruin of the Jews;
10. because they were worse than their fathers.
14. Their return from captivity shall be stranger than their deliverance out of Egypt.
16. God will doubly recompense their idolatry.

Berean Study Bible

then you are to answer them
This phrase indicates a direct command from God to the prophet Jeremiah. The Hebrew root for "answer" is עָנָה (anah), which implies a response or reply, often with a sense of humility or submission. In the context of a prophet, this response is not merely personal but divinely inspired, reflecting God's authority and message. Jeremiah is instructed to communicate God's words faithfully, emphasizing the role of a prophet as a mouthpiece for divine truth.

It is because your fathers
The phrase points to the generational aspect of sin and disobedience. The Hebrew word for "fathers" is אָבוֹת (avot), which refers to ancestors or forefathers. This highlights the continuity of behavior and the impact of ancestral actions on the present generation. Biblically, this underscores the importance of understanding history and the consequences of past actions, as well as the need for repentance and change.

have forsaken Me
The term "forsaken" comes from the Hebrew root עָזַב (azab), meaning to leave, abandon, or desert. This word conveys a deep sense of betrayal and neglect. In the biblical context, forsaking God is a grave sin, as it involves turning away from the covenant relationship established with Him. This phrase serves as a reminder of the seriousness of apostasy and the call to remain faithful to God.

declares the LORD
This phrase is a common prophetic formula, affirming the authority and authenticity of the message. The Hebrew word for "declares" is נְאֻם (ne'um), which is often used in prophetic literature to introduce a divine pronouncement. "LORD" is the translation of the tetragrammaton YHWH, the personal name of God, emphasizing His sovereignty and covenantal relationship with Israel. This declaration assures the audience that the message is not Jeremiah's own but is directly from God.

and have followed other gods
The act of following other gods is a direct violation of the first commandment. The Hebrew word for "followed" is הָלַךְ (halak), meaning to walk or go after. This implies a deliberate choice and lifestyle of idolatry. Historically, Israel's temptation to worship the gods of surrounding nations was a recurring issue, leading to spiritual adultery. This phrase serves as a warning against the allure of false gods and the importance of exclusive devotion to the one true God.

and served them
The word "served" is translated from the Hebrew עָבַד (avad), which means to work or serve, often in the context of worship or slavery. Serving other gods indicates a shift in allegiance and devotion, which is both a spiritual and practical betrayal of God. This highlights the concept of worship as service, where one's actions and life are dedicated to the object of worship.

and worshiped them
"Worshiped" comes from the Hebrew שָׁחָה (shachah), meaning to bow down or prostrate oneself. This physical act of worship signifies reverence and submission. In the biblical context, worship is reserved for God alone, and to worship other gods is to commit idolatry. This phrase underscores the importance of true worship and the dangers of misdirected reverence.

and they have forsaken Me
This repetition of "forsaken" emphasizes the gravity and persistence of Israel's sin. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing nature of their rebellion and the need for repentance. The repetition also highlights God's patience and the seriousness of the covenant breach.

and not kept My law
The phrase "not kept" is derived from the Hebrew שָׁמַר (shamar), meaning to guard, keep, or observe. The "law" refers to the Torah, God's instructions and commandments given to Israel. Failure to keep the law signifies disobedience and a breach of the covenant relationship. This phrase calls attention to the importance of obedience to God's word as a reflection of faithfulness and love for Him.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then you are to answer them:
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ (wə·’ā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘[It is] because
עַל֩ (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your fathers
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֤ם (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father

have forsaken
עָזְב֨וּ (‘ā·zə·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

Me,’
אוֹתִי֙ (’ō·w·ṯî)
Direct object marker | first person common singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

declares
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD,
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

‘and followed
וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ (way·yê·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

other
אֲחֵרִ֔ים (’ă·ḥê·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

gods,
אֱלֹהִ֣ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

and served
וַיַּעַבְד֖וּם (way·ya·‘aḇ·ḏūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

and worshiped them.
וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ (way·yiš·ta·ḥă·wū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

They abandoned Me
עָזָ֔בוּ (‘ā·zā·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

and did not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

keep
שָׁמָֽרוּ׃ (šā·mā·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

My instruction.
תּוֹרָתִ֖י (tō·w·rā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 16:11 Then you shall tell them Because your (Jer.)