Jeremiah 4 · Verse 14

Jeremiah 4:14

O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
Jeremiah 4:14, King James Version

Jeremiah 4:14 in other translations

BSBWash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?
WEBJerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?
ASVO Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?
YLTWash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?
DARBYWash thy heart, Jerusalem, from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
BBEO Jerusalem, make your heart clean from evil, so that you may have salvation. How long are evil purposes to have a resting-place in you?
WebsterO Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

What does Jeremiah 4:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
14. Only one means of deliverance is left to the Jews--a thorough repentance. vain thoughts--namely, projects for deliverance, such as enlisting the Egyptians on their side. Gesenius translates, "How long wilt thou harbor vain thoughts?"

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart - Why do ye not put away your wickedness, that ye may be saved from these tremendous judgments? How long shall thy vain thoughts of safety and prosperity lodge within thee? Whilst thou continuest a rebel against God, and provokest him daily by thy abominations!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 4:5-18

The fierce conqueror of the neighbouring nations was to make Judah desolate. The prophet was afflicted to see the people lulled into security by false prophets. The approach of the enemy is described. Some attention was paid in Jerusalem to outward reformation; but it was necessary that their hearts should be washed, in the exercise of true repentance and faith, from the love and pollution of sin. When lesser…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 4:5-18 →

Jeremiah 4:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כַּבְּסִ֨יka.be.SiwashH3526
מֵרָעָ֤הme.ra.'Ahfrom evilH7451
לִבֵּךְ֙li.beKhheart yourH3820
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םye.Ru.sha.LimO JerusalemH3389
לְמַ֖עַןle.Ma.'anso thatH4616
תִּוָּשֵׁ֑עִיti.va.She.'iyou may be savedH3467
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
מָתַ֛יma.Taiwhen?H4970
תָּלִ֥יןta.Linwill it remainH3885
בְּקִרְבֵּ֖ךְbe.kir.Bekhin inner being yourH7130
מַחְשְׁב֥וֹתmach.she.Vot[the] thoughts ofH4284
אוֹנֵֽךְ\׃'o.Nekhwickedness yourH205

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 4:14

  • James 4:8

    Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

  • 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.

  • Acts 8:22

    Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

  • Romans 1:21

    Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

  • Luke 11:39

    And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:20

    And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

  • Proverbs 1:22

    How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

  • Matthew 12:33

    Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

  • Isaiah 1:16-19

    Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

  • Psalms 66:18

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

  • 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?

  • Psalms 119:113

    ס SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
wash.
Isa 1:16-19; 55:7; Eze 18:31; Mt 12:33; 15:19,20; 23:26,27
Lu 11:39; Jas 4:8
How long.
13:27; Ps 66:18; 119:113; Pr 1:22; Ac 8:22; Ro 1:21; 1Co 3:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 4:13

    Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

  • Jeremiah 4:14

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

  • Jeremiah 4:15

    For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

Read all of Jeremiah 4

Jeremiah 4:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Lava de la malicia tu corazón, oh Jerusalem, para que seas salva. ¿Hasta cuándo dejarás estar en medio de ti los pensamientos de iniquidad?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Lave ton cœur de l’iniquité, Jérusalem, afin que tu sois sauvée! Jusques à quand tes vaines pensées demeureront-elles au-dedans de toi?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wasche dein Herz rein von Bosheit, Jerusalem, damit du gerettet werdest! Wie lange sollen deine heillosen Anschläge in deinem Innern weilen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Lava a malitia cor tuum, Jerusalem, ut salva fias: usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxiæ?