Jeremiah 5:21

King James Version

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Hear this,you foolish and senseless people.They have eyes, but they don’t see.They have ears, but they don’t hear.

Hebrew Names Version
Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don't see; who have ears, and don't hear:

English Standard Version
"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

New American Standard Bible
'Now hear this, you foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear.

New Century Version
Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense. They have eyes, but they don't really see. They have ears, but they don't really listen.

Amplified Bible
'Now hear this, O foolish people without heart, Who have eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear.

World English Bible
Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don't see; who have ears, and don't hear:

Geneva Bible (1587)
Heare nowe this, O foolish people, and without vnderstanding, which haue eyes and see not, which haue eares and heare not.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘Now hear this, O people who are simpleminded fools and without a heart of wisdom,Who have eyes but do not see,Who have ears but do not hear.

Berean Standard Bible
Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Contemporary English Version
You fools! Why don't you listen when I speak? Why can't you understand

Complete Jewish Bible
‘Hear this, stupid, brainless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:

Darby Translation
Hear now this, O foolish and heartless people, who have eyes and see not; who have ears, and hear not.

Easy-to-Read Version
Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense. You have eyes, but you don't see! You have ears, but you don't listen!

George Lamsa Translation
Hear now this, O foolish people who have no understanding, who have eyes and see not, who have ears and hear not:

Good News Translation
Pay attention, you foolish and stupid people, who have eyes, but cannot see, and have ears, but cannot hear.

Lexham English Bible
‘Hear this please, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.'

Literal Translation
Now hear this, O foolish people, even you without heart, who have eyes and do not see, who have ears and do not hear.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Heare this (thou folish and vndiscrete people.) Ye haue eyes, but ye se not: eares haue ye, but ye heare not.

American Standard Version
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; that have eyes, and see not; that have ears, and hear not:

Bible in Basic English
Give ear now to this, O foolish people without sense; who have eyes but see nothing, and ears without the power of hearing:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding, that have eyes, and see not, that have ears, and hear not:

King James Version (1611)
Heare now this, O foolish people, and without vnderstanding, which haue eyes and see not, which haue eares and heare not.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Heare this thou foolishe and vndiscreete people, ye haue eyes but ye see not, eares haue ye but ye heare not.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Hear ye now these things, O foolish and senseless people; who have eyes, and see not; and have ears, and hear not:

English Revised Version
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Here, thou fonned puple, that hast noon herte; whiche han iyen, and seen not, and eeris, and heren not.

Update Bible Version
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; that have eyes, and don't see; that have ears, and don't hear:

Webster's Bible Translation
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and see not; who have ears, and hear not:

New English Translation
Tell them: ‘Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding, who have eyes but do not discern, who have ears but do not perceive:

New King James Version
"Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:

New Living Translation
Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.

New Life Bible
‘Hear this, O foolish people without understanding, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

New Revised Standard
Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but do not see, who have ears, but do not hear.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Hear this, I pray you ye people - foolish and without heart, - Eyes, have they, and see not, Ears, have they, and hear not!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Hear, O foolish people, and without understanding: who have eyes, and see not: and ears, and hear not.

Revised Standard Version
"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

Young's Literal Translation
Hear ye, I pray you, this, O people, foolish and without heart, Eyes they have, and they see not, Ears they have, and they hear not.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear.

Contextual Overview

²⁰ Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, ²¹ Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: ²² Fear ye not me? saith the Lord : will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? ²³ But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. ²⁴ Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

O foolish: Jeremiah 5:4, Jeremiah 4:22, Jeremiah 8:7, Jeremiah 10:8, Deuteronomy 29:4, Deuteronomy 32:6, Psalms 94:8, Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 27:11, Isaiah 44:18, Ezekiel 12:2, Matthew 13:13-15, John 12:40, Acts 28:26, Romans 11:8

understanding: Heb. heart, Proverbs 17:16, Hosea 7:11

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 16:9 - Herein Proverbs 6:32 - lacketh Isaiah 42:19 - Who is blind Isaiah 43:8 - General Isaiah 48:8 - thou heardest Jeremiah 2:4 - Hear ye Hosea 4:6 - for Joel 1:2 - Hear Amos 8:4 - Hear Mark 4:12 - That seeing Mark 8:18 - see Luke 8:10 - that seeing Luke 11:34 - but Luke 11:40 - fools John 3:3 - he cannot 2 Corinthians 3:14 - their 1 Timothy 4:2 - lies

Cross-References

Luke 3:37
Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding,.... or, "heart" a; :-:

which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not; like the idols they served, Psalms 115:4. this is an upbraiding of them with their folly and stupidity, their want of common sense, their blindness and ignorance; notwithstanding they had the means of light and knowledge, the law, and the prophets.

a ואין לב "et non cor", Pagninus, Montanus; "qui non habes cor", V. L. "excors", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "cui cor non est", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Against the God

(1) of Creation Jeremiah 5:22, and

(2) of Providence Jeremiah 5:24,

They sin, not merely by apostasy, but by a general immorality extending to all classes Jeremiah 5:25-28. It is in this immorality that their idolatry has its root.

Jeremiah 5:22

The sea is the symbol of restless and indomitable energy, chafing against all resistance, and dashing to pieces the works whereby man endeavors to restrain its fury. Yet God has imposed upon it laws which it must obey, and keeps it in its appointed place, not by barriers of iron but by a belt of sand. Modern science has shown that the resisting power of sand is enormous. A wave which would shatter rocks fails powerless upon sand.

Can they not prevail - The opposite of “thou couldest” Jeremiah 3:5. The sea, the mightiest of God’s works, cannot prevail, cannot break God’s laws, because He has not endowed it with free-will. Man, physically impotent, can prevail, because, being made in God’s image, he is free.

Jeremiah 5:23

The heart, or will of the Jews was first “revolting,” literally a will that “drew back” from God, because it disliked His service; and secondly it was “rebellious,” a will that actively resisted Him. Compare Deuteronomy 21:18, Deuteronomy 21:20.

Jeremiah 5:24

As God’s Providence addresses itself chiefly to the thoughtful, Jeremiah says in their heart. By the intelligent study of God’s dealings men perceive that they are not merely acts of power but also of love.

The appointed weeks - literally, He guardeth, maintaineth, for us the weeks which are the statutes or settled laws “of the harvest.” These were the seven weeks from the Passover to Pentecost, and were as important for the ingathering of the crops as the rainy seasons for their nourishment.

Jeremiah 5:25

It was not that the rains did not fall, or that the harvest weeks were less bright; the good was there, but the wickedness of the community blocked up the channels, through which it shou d have reached the people. The lawlessness and injustice of the times kept the mass of the people in poverty.

Jeremiah 5:26

Rather, he spieth about like the crouching down of fowlers; they have set the fatal snare; “they catch men.”

Trap - literally, “The destroyer;” it was probably a gin, which strangled the birds caught in it.

Jeremiah 5:27

Deceit - The wealth gained by deceit and fraud.

Jeremiah 5:28

Fatness is admired in the East as a sign of wealth.

They shine - This word is used of the sleekness of the skin, soft and smooth as ivory.

They overpass the deeds of the wicked - literally, “They have overpassed words of wickedness,” i. e., they go to excess in wickedness.

Yet they prosper - Or, that they (the orphans) may prosper, enjoy their rights.

Jeremiah 5:30

Rather, A terrible “and horrible thing” has happened “in the land.”

Jeremiah 5:31

Bear rule by their means - Rather, “The priests” rule at their hands, i. e., govern according to their false prophecies, guidance, and directions.

My people love to have it so - False teaching lightens the yoke of God’s Law, and removes His fear from the conscience: and with this, man is ready to be content.