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.

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

3O 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.

4Then 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.

5I 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.

6Therefore 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 downשׁוֹטְט֞וּH7751Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine pluralthe streetsבְּחוּצ֣וֹתH2351Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural constructof Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֗םH3389Noun - proper - feminine singularLookוּרְאוּ־H7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralnowנָ֤אH4994Interjectionand take noteוּדְעוּ֙H3045Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralsearchוּבַקְשׁ֣וּH1245Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine pluralher squaresבִרְחוֹבוֹתֶ֔יהָH7339Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularIfאִם־H518Conjunctionyou can findתִּמְצְא֣וּH4672Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plurala single personאִ֔ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular. . .אִם־H518Conjunction. . .יֵ֛שׁH3426Adverb[anyone] who actsעֹשֶׂ֥הH6213Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularjustlyמִשְׁפָּ֖טH4941Noun - masculine singular[anyone] who seeksמְבַקֵּ֣שׁH1245Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singularthe truthאֱמוּנָ֑הH530Noun - feminine singularthen I will forgiveוְאֶסְלַ֖חH5545Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular[the city]לָֽהּ׃Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

Althoughוְאִ֥םH518Conjunctionthey sayיֹאמֵ֑רוּH559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .לָכֵ֥ןH3651AdverbAs surely as the LORDיְהֹוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularlivesחַי־H2416Noun - masculine singularthey are swearing falselyיִשָּׁבֵֽעוּ׃H7650Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .לַשֶּׁ֖קֶרH8267Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

O LORDיְהֹוָ֗הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singulardo notהֲל֣וֹאH3808Adverb - Negative particleYour eyes [look]עֵינֶיךָ֮H5869Noun - cdc | second person masculine singularfor truthלֶאֱמוּנָה֒H530Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singularYou struck themהִכִּ֤יתָהH5221Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular-אֹתָם֙H853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralbut they felt noוְֽלֹא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlepainחָ֔לוּH2342Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralYou finished them offכִּלִּיתָ֕םH3615Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralbut they refusedמֵאֲנ֖וּH3985Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralto acceptקַ֣חַתH3947Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructdisciplineמוּסָ֑רH4148Noun - masculine singularThey have made their facesפְנֵיהֶם֙H6440Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralharderחִזְּק֤וּH2388Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralthan stoneמִסֶּ֔לַעH5553Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularand refusedמֵאֲנ֖וּH3985Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralto repentלָשֽׁוּב׃H7725Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 4

Original words

Then Iוַאֲנִ֣יH589Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singularsaidאָמַ֔רְתִּיH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularTheyהֵ֑םH1992Pronoun - third person masculine pluralare onlyאַךְ־H389Adverbthe poorדַּלִּ֖יםH1800Adjective - masculine plural constructthey have played the foolנוֹאֲל֕וּH2973Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralforכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctionthey do notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particleknowיָדְעוּ֙H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralthe wayדֶּ֣רֶךְH1870Noun - common singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularthe justiceמִשְׁפַּ֖טH4941Noun - masculine singular constructof their Godאֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃H430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 5

Original words

I will goאֵֽלֲכָה־H1980Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singulartoאֶל־H413Prepositionthe powerfulהַגְּדֹלִים֙H1419Article | Adjective - masculine pluraland speakוַאֲדַבְּרָ֣הH1696Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularto themאוֹתָ֔םH853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralSurelyכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctiontheyהֵ֗מָּהH1992Pronoun - third person masculine pluralknowיָדְעוּ֙H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralthe wayדֶּ֣רֶךְH1870Noun - common singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularthe justiceמִשְׁפַּ֖טH4941Noun - masculine singular constructof their Godאֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑םH430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralButאַ֣ךְH389Adverbthey tooהֵ֤מָּהH1992Pronoun - third person masculine pluralwith one accordיַחְדָּו֙H3162Adverbhad brokenשָׁ֣בְרוּH7665Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralthe yokeעֹ֔לH5923Noun - masculine singularand torn offנִתְּק֖וּH5423Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralthe chainsמוֹסֵרֽוֹת׃H4147Noun - feminine plural
Verse 6

Original words

Thereforeעַל־H5921Preposition. . .כֵּן֩H3651Adverba lionאַרְיֵ֜הH738Noun - masculine singularfrom the forestמִיַּ֗עַרH3293Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularwill strike them downהִכָּ֨םH5221Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plurala wolfזְאֵ֤בH2061Noun - masculine singular constructfrom the desertעֲרָבוֹת֙H6160Noun - feminine pluralwill ravage themיְשָׁדְדֵ֔םH7703Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralA leopardנָמֵ֤רH5246Noun - masculine singularwill lie in waitשֹׁקֵד֙H8245Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularnearעַל־H5921Prepositiontheir citiesעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔םH5892Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural[and] everyoneכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructwho ventures outהַיּוֹצֵ֥אH3318Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular. . .מֵהֵ֖נָּהPreposition-m | Pronoun - third person feminine pluralwill be torn to piecesיִטָּרֵ֑ףH2963Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularForכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctiontheir rebellious actsפִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֔םH6588Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralare manyרַבּוּ֙H7231Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural[and] their unfaithful deedsמְשֻׁבוֹתֵיהֶם׃H4878Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine pluralare numerousעָצְמ֖וּH6105Verb - 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.