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Read the Bible

King James Version

Jeremiah 2:33

Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Titles and Names of the Wicked;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Evil;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Sin;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jeremiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jeremiah (2);   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Trim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Calamolalus;   How;   Trim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
How skillfully you pursue love;you also teach evil women your ways.
Hebrew Names Version
How trimmest you your way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women have you taught your ways.
English Standard Version
"How well you direct your course to seek love! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways.
New American Standard Bible
"How well you prepare your way To seek love! Therefore even to the wicked women You have taught your ways.
New Century Version
You really know how to chase after love. Even the worst women can learn evil ways from you.
Amplified Bible
"How well you prepare your path To seek and obtain [adulterous] love! Even the most wicked of women Have learned [indecent] ways from you.
World English Bible
How trimmest you your way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women have you taught your ways.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Why doest thou prepare thy way, to seeke amitie? euen therefore will I teach thee, that thy waies are wickednesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
How well you prepare your wayTo seek love!Therefore even the wicked womenYou have taught your ways.
Berean Standard Bible
How skillfully you pursue love; even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.
Contemporary English Version
You are so clever at finding lovers that you could give lessons to a prostitute.
Complete Jewish Bible
You are so clever in your search for love that the worst of women can learn from you!
Darby Translation
How dost thou trim thy way to seek love! Therefore hast thou also accustomed thy ways to wickedness.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Judah, you have become so good at finding lovers. Even the worst women could learn some evil ways from you.
George Lamsa Translation
Why do you deck yourself to induce love? For behold you have also learned evil by means of your conduct.
Good News Translation
You certainly know how to chase after lovers. Even the worst of women can learn from you.
Lexham English Bible
How well you do on your way to seek love! Therefore even to the wicked woman you can teach your ways.
Literal Translation
What? Do you trim your ways to seek love? For this reason you have even taught the evil women your ways.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Why boostest thou thy wayes so hylie, (to optayne fauoure there thorow) when thou hast yet stained them wt blasphemies?
American Standard Version
How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways.
Bible in Basic English
With what care are your ways ordered when you are looking for love! so ••• Three dots are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic English. your ways.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! Therefore--even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways;
King James Version (1611)
Why trimmest thou thy way to seeke loue? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy wayes.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Why beautifiest thou thy wayes so hyely, to obteyne fauour therthrough? therfore also hast thou taught wickednesse through thy wayes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What fair device wilt thou yet employ in thy ways, so as to seek love? it shall not be so; moreover thou has done wickedly in corrupting thy ways;
English Revised Version
How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What enforsist thou to schewe thi weie good to seke loue, which ferthermore bothe hast tauyt thi malices thi weies,
Update Bible Version
How you trim your way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women you have taught your ways.
Webster's Bible Translation
Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.
New English Translation
"My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two!
New King James Version
"Why do you beautify your way to seek love? Therefore you have also taught The wicked women your ways.
New Living Translation
"How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!
New Life Bible
How you dress yourself and go after lovers! You have taught your ways even to the sinful women.
New Revised Standard
How well you direct your course to seek lovers! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How thou dost make winsome thy way, to seek love! Therefore, even unto wicked women, hast thou taught thy ways.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Why dost thou endeavour to shew thy way good to seek my love, thou who hast also taught thy malices to be thy ways,
Revised Standard Version
"How well you direct your course to seek lovers! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways.
Young's Literal Translation
What -- dost thou make pleasing thy ways to seek love? Therefore even the wicked thou hast taught thy ways.
THE MESSAGE
"What an impressive start you made to get the most out of life. You founded schools of sin, taught graduate courses in evil! And now you're sending out graduates, resplendent in cap and gown— except the gowns are stained with the blood of your victims! All that blood convicts you. You cut and hurt a lot of people to get where you are. And yet you have the gall to say, ‘I've done nothing wrong. God doesn't mind. He hasn't punished me, has he?' Don't look now, but judgment's on the way, aimed at you who say, ‘I've done nothing wrong.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"How well you prepare your way To seek love! Therefore even the wicked women You have taught your ways.

Contextual Overview

29 Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord . 30 In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. 31 O generation, see ye the word of the Lord . Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? 32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. 33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. 34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. 35 Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned. 36 Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. 37 Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why: Jeremiah 2:23, Jeremiah 2:36, Jeremiah 3:1, Jeremiah 3:2, Isaiah 57:7-10, Hosea 2:5-7, Hosea 2:13

hast: 2 Chronicles 33:9, Ezekiel 16:27, Ezekiel 16:47, Ezekiel 16:51, Ezekiel 16:52

Reciprocal: Job 21:31 - declare Proverbs 7:12 - General Ecclesiastes 7:17 - not Isaiah 1:4 - children Jeremiah 5:28 - overpass 1 Corinthians 5:1 - and

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love?.... To seek the love, and gain the affections and esteem, of the idolatrous nations; as a lascivious woman dresses herself out in the best manner to excite the lust and move the affections of her lovers; and as Jezebel, who painted her face, and tired her head, 2 Kings 9:30 or dressed it in the best manner, where the same word is used as here; so the Targum,

"why dost thou make thy way beautiful, to procure loves (or lovers) to be joined to the people?''

or the sense is, why art thou so diligent and industrious to make thy way, which is exceeding bad, look a good one, by sacrifices and ceremonies, oblations and ablutions, in order to seek and obtain my love and favour, which is all in vain? it is not to be gained by such methods:

therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways; the wicked idolatrous nations, to whom they joined themselves; these they taught their ways of sacrificing, their rites, ceremonies, and superstitions; or, as Jarchi interprets it, thou hast taught thyself the worst way among them all; that is, thou hast used thyself to it: there is a double reading in this clause. The Cetib, or writing, is למדתי, "I have taught"; as if they were the words of God, saying, "wherefore I have taught"; or, "will teach"; that is, by punishing thee;

that thy ways are evil; or, as Kimchi explains it,

"I have taught thee by thy ways that they are evil, and evil shall come unto thee because of them.''

The Keri, or reading, is למדת, "thou hast taught"; which is confirmed by the Targum; and is followed by the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and other versions. It is by some rendered, "seeing thou hast taught others thy evil ways" p; not content to sin themselves, but taught others to do so, and yet would be thought good.

p "Quandoquidem etiam (alios) malas docuisti vias tuas", Noldius, p. 507. vid. No. 1998.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Why trimmest thou thy way - literally, “Why makest thou thy way good,” a phrase used here of the pains taken by the Jews to learn the idolatries of foreign nations.

The wicked ones ... - Or, “therefore thou hast taught” thy ways wickednesses.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 2:33. Why trimmest thou thy way — Ye have used a multitude of artifices to gain alliances with the neighbouring idolatrous nations.

Hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. — Ye have made even these idolaters worse than they were before. Dr. Blayney translates, "Therefore have I taught calamity thy ways." A prosopopoeia: "I have instructed calamity where to find thee." Thou shalt not escape punishment.


 
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