Focused Passage

Jeremiah 5:1-6

Search Jerusalem: No Truth, No Justice, and No Fear of the LORD

The chapter moves from a citywide search for one just and truthful person, to the exposure of stubborn rebellion among poor and great alike, to the announcement of enemy judgment, to charges of unbelief and false prophecy, to creation-based rebuke for lacking fear of the LORD, and finally to social injustice, leadership corruption, and the terrifying fact that the people love it so.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.

2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”

3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

4 Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.

5 I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.

6 Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Go up and down שׁוֹטְט֞וּ H7751 Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural the streets בְּחוּצ֣וֹת H2351 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct of Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular Look וּרְאוּ־ H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural now נָ֤א H4994 Interjection and take note וּדְעוּ֙ H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural search וּבַקְשׁ֣וּ H1245 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural her squares בִרְחוֹבוֹתֶ֔יהָ H7339 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular If אִם־ H518 Conjunction you can find תִּמְצְא֣וּ H4672 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural a single person אִ֔ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction . . . יֵ֛שׁ H3426 Adverb [anyone] who acts עֹשֶׂ֥ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular justly מִשְׁפָּ֖ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular [anyone] who seeks מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ H1245 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular the truth אֱמוּנָ֑ה H530 Noun - feminine singular then I will forgive וְאֶסְלַ֖ח H5545 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular [the city] לָֽהּ׃ Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

Although וְאִ֥ם H518 Conjunction they say יֹאמֵ֑רוּ H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . לָכֵ֥ן H3651 Adverb As surely as the LORD יְהֹוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular lives חַי־ H2416 Noun - masculine singular they are swearing falsely יִשָּׁבֵֽעוּ׃ H7650 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . לַשֶּׁ֖קֶר H8267 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

O LORD יְהֹוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular do not הֲל֣וֹא H3808 Adverb - Negative particle Your eyes [look] עֵינֶיךָ֮ H5869 Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular for truth לֶאֱמוּנָה֒ H530 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular You struck them הִכִּ֤יתָה H5221 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular - אֹתָם֙ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural but they felt no וְֽלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle pain חָ֔לוּ H2342 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural You finished them off כִּלִּיתָ֕ם H3615 Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural but they refused מֵאֲנ֖וּ H3985 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural to accept קַ֣חַת H3947 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct discipline מוּסָ֑ר H4148 Noun - masculine singular They have made their faces פְנֵיהֶם֙ H6440 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural harder חִזְּק֤וּ H2388 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural than stone מִסֶּ֔לַע H5553 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular and refused מֵאֲנ֖וּ H3985 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural to repent לָשֽׁוּב׃ H7725 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 4

Original words

Then I וַאֲנִ֣י H589 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular said אָמַ֔רְתִּי H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular They הֵ֑ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural are only אַךְ־ H389 Adverb the poor דַּלִּ֖ים H1800 Adjective - masculine plural construct they have played the fool נוֹאֲל֕וּ H2973 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural for כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction they do not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle know יָדְעוּ֙ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the way דֶּ֣רֶךְ H1870 Noun - common singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the justice מִשְׁפַּ֖ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular construct of their God אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 5

Original words

I will go אֵֽלֲכָה־ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the powerful הַגְּדֹלִים֙ H1419 Article | Adjective - masculine plural and speak וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה H1696 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular to them אוֹתָ֔ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural Surely כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction they הֵ֗מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural know יָדְעוּ֙ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the way דֶּ֣רֶךְ H1870 Noun - common singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the justice מִשְׁפַּ֖ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular construct of their God אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural But אַ֣ךְ H389 Adverb they too הֵ֤מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural with one accord יַחְדָּו֙ H3162 Adverb had broken שָׁ֣בְרוּ H7665 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the yoke עֹ֔ל H5923 Noun - masculine singular and torn off נִתְּק֖וּ H5423 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural the chains מוֹסֵרֽוֹת׃ H4147 Noun - feminine plural
Verse 6

Original words

Therefore עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּן֩ H3651 Adverb a lion אַרְיֵ֜ה H738 Noun - masculine singular from the forest מִיַּ֗עַר H3293 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular will strike them down הִכָּ֨ם H5221 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural a wolf זְאֵ֤ב H2061 Noun - masculine singular construct from the desert עֲרָבוֹת֙ H6160 Noun - feminine plural will ravage them יְשָׁדְדֵ֔ם H7703 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural A leopard נָמֵ֤ר H5246 Noun - masculine singular will lie in wait שֹׁקֵד֙ H8245 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular near עַל־ H5921 Preposition their cities עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם H5892 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural [and] everyone כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct who ventures out הַיּוֹצֵ֥א H3318 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular . . . מֵהֵ֖נָּה Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person feminine plural will be torn to pieces יִטָּרֵ֑ף H2963 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular For כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction their rebellious acts פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֔ם H6588 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural are many רַבּוּ֙ H7231 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural [and] their unfaithful deeds מְשֻׁבוֹתֵיהֶם׃ H4878 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural are numerous עָצְמ֖וּ H6105 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.