Jeremiah 4:14
New International Version
Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?

New Living Translation
O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?

English Standard Version
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?

Berean Standard Bible
Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?

King James Bible
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

New King James Version
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?

New American Standard Bible
Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem, So that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?

NASB 1995
Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?

NASB 1977
Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?

Legacy Standard Bible
Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?

Amplified Bible
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked and immoral thoughts Lodge within you?

Christian Standard Bible
Wash the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you will be delivered. How long will you harbor malicious thoughts?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Wash the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you will be delivered. How long will you harbor malicious thoughts within you?

American Standard Version
O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?

Contemporary English Version
But Jerusalem, there is still time for you to be saved. Wash the evil from your hearts and stop making sinful plans,

English Revised Version
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart so that you may be rescued. Don't continue making evil plans.

Good News Translation
Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart, so that you may be saved. How long will you go on thinking sinful thoughts?

International Standard Version
Jerusalem, wash your evil from your heart so that you may be delivered. How long will you harbor evil schemes within you?

Majority Standard Bible
Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?

NET Bible
"Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to harbor up wicked schemes within you?

New Heart English Bible
Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?

Webster's Bible Translation
O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

World English Bible
Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Wash evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, "" That you may be saved, "" Until when do you lodge in your heart "" Thoughts of your strength?

Young's Literal Translation
Wash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?

Smith's Literal Translation
O Jerusalem, wash from evil to thy heart so that thou shalt be saved. How long shall purposes of thy vanity lodge in the midst of thee?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Wash thy heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayst be saved: how long shall hurtful thoughts abide in thee?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Wash your heart from malice, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will harmful thoughts abide in you?

New American Bible
Cleanse your heart of evil, Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will you entertain wicked schemes?

New Revised Standard Version
O Jerusalem, wash your heart clean of wickedness so that you may be saved. How long shall your evil schemes lodge within you?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts remain in you?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem, so that you may be saved! How long will your evil intentions stay within you?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, That thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy baleful thoughts Lodge within thee?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Cleanse thine heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved: how long will thy grievous thoughts be within thee?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Disaster from the North
13Behold, he advances like the clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined! 14Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you? 15For a voice resounds from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.…

Cross References
Isaiah 1:16
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?

Matthew 23:26
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

Joel 2:13
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Lamentations 3:40
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.


Treasury of Scripture

O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?

wash

Isaiah 1:16-19
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; …

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

how long

Jeremiah 13:27
I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?

Psalm 66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Psalm 119:113
SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

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Clean Evil Harbor Heart Jerusalem Lodge Mayest Purposes Salvation Saved Strength Thoughts Vain Wash Wicked Wickedness Within
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Clean Evil Harbor Heart Jerusalem Lodge Mayest Purposes Salvation Saved Strength Thoughts Vain Wash Wicked Wickedness Within
Jeremiah 4
1. God calls Israel by his promise
3. He exhorts Judah to repentance by fearful judgments
19. A grievous lamentation for Judah














O Jerusalem
The address to "Jerusalem" is significant, as it represents not just the city itself but the heart of the nation of Judah. Jerusalem was the center of religious, political, and cultural life for the Israelites. Historically, it was the site of the Temple, the dwelling place of God's presence among His people. The call to Jerusalem is a call to the entire nation to heed the warning and return to God. The use of "O" conveys a sense of urgency and deep emotion, reflecting God's earnest desire for His people to repent.

wash the evil from your heart
The imagery of "washing" is deeply rooted in the Hebrew tradition of purification. In the Hebrew context, the heart is the center of thought, emotion, and will. The call to "wash" suggests a need for thorough cleansing, not just of outward actions but of inner motives and desires. This reflects the biblical theme that true repentance involves a transformation of the heart, aligning with passages like Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God." The emphasis is on personal responsibility to remove sin and seek purity.

so that you may be saved
The phrase "so that you may be saved" underscores the conditional nature of salvation in this context. Salvation here is not merely physical deliverance from impending judgment but also spiritual restoration and reconciliation with God. The Hebrew concept of salvation encompasses wholeness, peace, and well-being. This reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, where obedience and repentance lead to divine favor and protection.

How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?
The rhetorical question "How long" indicates God's patience and long-suffering with His people, yet it also serves as a warning that His patience is not infinite. The word "harbor" suggests an active choice to entertain or dwell on "wicked thoughts," highlighting the internal nature of sin. This phrase calls attention to the importance of the mind and thoughts in the spiritual life, echoing the biblical principle that sin begins in the heart and mind before manifesting in actions. The call is for introspection and a turning away from evil intentions, aligning with the New Testament teaching in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

(14) O Jerusalem.--The prophet's answer to the cry that comes from the city. In that "washing of the heart" which had seemed impossible before (Jeremiah 2:22), but is thought of now as "possible with God," is the one hope of salvation. (Comp. Isaiah 1:16.)

Vain thoughts.--The Hebrew has a force which the English does not reproduce, thoughts of vanity, thoughts of aven, i.e., of the word which had been specially applied, as in Beth-aven for Beth-el (the "house of vanity" for the "house of God") to the idols which Israel and Judah worshipped (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 10:5; Amos 5:5). . . .

Verse 14. - Thy vain thoughts. The phrase specially belongs to sins against one's neighbor - such sins as are described in Jeremiah 7:5-9 (Keil). "Vain" should rather be "wicked" (immoral); the root-meaning of the noun is "a breath" (the symbol of material or moral emptiness).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Wash
כַּבְּסִ֨י (kab·bə·sî)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 3526: To trample, to wash

the evil
מֵרָעָ֤ה (mê·rā·‘āh)
Preposition-m | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

from your heart,
לִבֵּךְ֙ (lib·bêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

O Jerusalem,
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

so that
לְמַ֖עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

you may be saved.
תִּוָּשֵׁ֑עִי (tiw·wā·šê·‘î)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor

How long
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

will you harbor
תָּלִ֥ין (tā·lîn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3885: To stop, to stay permanently, to be obstinate

wicked
אוֹנֵֽךְ׃ (’ō·w·nêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 205: Strictly nothingness, trouble, vanity, wickedness, an idol

thoughts
מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת (maḥ·šə·ḇō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4284: A contrivance, a texture, machine, intention, plan

within you?
בְּקִרְבֵּ֖ךְ (bə·qir·bêḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 4:14 Jerusalem wash your heart from wickedness that (Jer.)
Jeremiah 4:13
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