Focused Passage

Jeremiah 6:16-21

Stand at the Crossroads: False Peace and Rejected Silver

The chapter moves from urgent flight before northern invasion, to Jerusalem's ripeness for siege, to the LORD's grief over a people who refuse warning, to the rejection of false peace and empty worship, and finally to the image of Judah as rejected silver after failed refining.

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

16This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’

17I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’ But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’

18Therefore hear, O nations, and learn, O congregations, what will happen to them.

19Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.

20What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”

21Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I will lay stumbling blocks before this people; fathers and sons alike will be staggered; friends and neighbors will perish.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

This is whatכֹּ֣הH3541Adverbthe LORDיְהוָ֡הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֣רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularStandעִמְדוּ֩H5975Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralatעַל־H5921Prepositionthe crossroadsדְּרָכִ֨יםH1870Noun - common pluraland lookוּרְא֜וּH7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralAskוְשַׁאֲל֣וּ׀H7592Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralfor the ancientעוֹלָ֗םH5769Noun - masculine singularpathsלִנְתִב֣וֹתH5410Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural constructWhereאֵי־H335Interrogative. . .זֶ֨הH2088Pronoun - masculine singular[is] the goodהַטּוֹב֙H2896Article | Adjective - masculine singularwayדֶ֤רֶךְH1870Noun - common singular constructThen walkוּלְכוּ־H1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralin itבָ֔הּPreposition | third person feminine singularand you will findוּמִצְא֥וּH4672Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralrestמַרְגּ֖וֹעַH4771Noun - masculine singularfor your soulsלְנַפְשְׁכֶ֑םH5315Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine pluralBut they saidוַיֹּאמְר֖וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralWe will notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlewalk in itנֵלֵֽךְ׃H1980Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Verse 17

Original words

I appointedוַהֲקִמֹתִ֤יH6965Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularwatchmenצֹפִ֔יםH6822Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralover you [and said]עֲלֵיכֶם֙H5921Preposition | second person masculine pluralListenהַקְשִׁ֖יבוּH7181Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralfor the soundלְק֣וֹלH6963Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructof the ram’s hornשׁוֹפָ֑רH7782Noun - masculine singularBut they answeredוַיֹּאמְר֖וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralWe will notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlelistenנַקְשִֽׁיב׃H7181Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common plural
Verse 18

Original words

Thereforeלָכֵ֖ןH3651Adverbhearשִׁמְע֣וּH8085Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralO nationsהַגּוֹיִ֑םH1471Article | Noun - masculine pluraland learnוּדְעִ֥יH3045Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularO congregationsעֵדָ֖הH5712Noun - feminine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerwhat will happenאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeto themבָּֽם׃Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 19

Original words

Hearשִׁמְעִ֣יH8085Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularO earthהָאָ֔רֶץH776Article | Noun - feminine singular-הִנֵּ֨הH2009InterjectionIאָנֹכִ֜יH595Pronoun - first person common singularam bringingמֵבִ֥יאH935Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singulardisasterרָעָ֛הH7451Adjective - feminine singularonאֶל־H413Prepositionthisהַזֶּ֖הH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularpeopleהָעָ֥םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularthe fruitפְּרִ֣יH6529Noun - masculine singular constructof their own schemesמַחְשְׁבוֹתָ֑םH4284Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine pluralbecauseכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctionthey have paid noלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleattentionהִקְשִׁ֔יבוּH7181Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common pluraltoעַל־H5921PrepositionMy wordדְּבָרַי֙H1697Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularand have rejectedוַיִּמְאֲסוּ־H3988Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralMy instructionוְתוֹרָתִ֖יH8451Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 20

Original words

What useלָמָּה־H4100Preposition-l | Interrogative. . .זֶּ֨הH2088Pronoun - masculine singularto Meלִ֤יPreposition | first person common singularis frankincenseלְבוֹנָה֙H3828Noun - feminine singularfrom Shebaמִשְּׁבָ֣אH7614Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .תָב֔וֹאH935Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularor sweetהַטּ֖וֹבH2896Article | Adjective - masculine singularcaneוְקָנֶ֥הH7070Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularfrom a distantמֶרְחָ֑קH4801Noun - masculine singularlandמֵאֶ֣רֶץH776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular constructYour burnt offeringsעֹלֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙H5930Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine pluralare not acceptableלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particle. . .לְרָצ֔וֹןH7522Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularyour sacrificesוְזִבְחֵיכֶ֖םH2077Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine pluraldo notלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlepleaseעָ֥רְבוּH6149Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralMeלִֽי׃סPreposition | first person common singular
Verse 21

Original words

Thereforeלָכֵ֗ןH3651Adverbthis is whatכֹּ֚הH3541Adverbthe LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .הִנְנִ֥יH2005Interjection | first person common singularsaysאָמַ֣רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularI will layנֹתֵ֛ןH5414Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularstumbling blocksמִכְשֹׁלִ֑יםH4383Noun - masculine pluralbeforeאֶל־H413Prepositionthisהַזֶּ֖הH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularpeopleהָעָ֥םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularfathersאָב֨וֹתH1Noun - masculine pluraland sonsוּבָנִ֥יםH1121Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine pluralalikeיַחְדָּ֛וH3162Adverbwill be staggeredוְכָ֣שְׁלוּH3782Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralfriendsוְרֵע֖וֹH7453Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularand neighborsשָׁכֵ֥ןH7934Noun - masculine singularwill perishיֹאבֵדוּ׃פH6Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive 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.