Jeremiah 7:1-11
Expanded Bible
Jeremiah’s Temple Message
7 This is the word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah: 2 “Stand at the gate of the ·Temple [L house of God] and ·preach [proclaim] this ·message [L word] there:
“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of the nation of Judah! All you who come through these gates to ·worship [bow down to] the Lord, listen to this message! 3 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ·Change your lives and do what is right [L Reform/Amend your ways/paths and your deeds]! Then I will ·let you live [or live with you] in this place. 4 Don’t ·trust [put confidence in] ·the lies of people who say [L false words], “This is the Temple of the Lord. This is the Temple of the Lord. This is the Temple of the Lord [C presumptuously thinking that God will not destroy the city as long as his house is there]!” 5 You must ·change your lives and do what is right [L reform/amend your ways/paths and your deeds]. Be fair to each other. 6 You must not ·be hard on [oppress] ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows [Deut. 10:18]. Don’t ·kill [L spill the blood of] innocent people in this place! Don’t ·follow [L go after] other gods, or they will ·ruin [harm; hurt] your lives. 7 If you do these things, I will ·let you live [or live with you] in this land that I gave to your ·ancestors [fathers] ·to keep forever [L forever and ever].
8 “‘But look, you ·are trusting [have confidence in] ·lies [L false words], which is useless. 9 Will you steal and murder and be guilty of adultery? Will you falsely ·accuse other people [take oaths; swear]? Will you ·burn incense [make offerings] to the god Baal and ·follow [L go after] other gods you have not known? 10 If you do that, do you think you can come before me and stand in this ·place [L house] ·where I have chosen to be worshiped [L which is called by my name]? Do you think you can say, “We are safe!” when you do all these ·hateful things [abominations]? 11 This ·place [L house] ·where I have chosen to be worshiped [L that is called by my name] is nothing more to you than a ·hideout [den] for robbers [Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46]. I have been watching you, says the Lord.
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Jeremiah 7:1-11
Amplified Bible
Message at the Temple Gate
7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter by these gates to worship the Lord.’” 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Change your ways and your behavior, and I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in the deceptive and lying words [of the false prophets who claim that Jerusalem will be protected by God because of the temple], saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ 5 For if you thoroughly change your ways and your behavior, if you thoroughly and honestly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the transient and the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood [by oppression and by unjust judicial murders] in Jerusalem, nor follow after other gods to your own ruin, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers [to live in] forever and ever.
8 “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive and useless words that bring no benefit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear [oaths] falsely, offer sacrifices or burn incense to Baal, and follow after other gods that you have not known, 10 and [then dare to] come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My [a]Name, and say, ‘We are protected and set free [by this act of religious ritual]!’—only to go on with this wickedness and these disgusting and loathsome things? 11 Has this house, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes [a place of retreat for you between acts of violence]? Behold, I Myself have seen it,” says the Lord.
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- Jeremiah 7:10 The “Name” of God is equivalent to His gracious presence in passages such as this one. The place where God puts His Name is the place where He chooses to dwell.
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