Jeremiah 19:4

New Living Translation

"‘For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods—idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
because they have abandoned me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in it to other gods that they, their fathers, and the kings of Judah have never known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

Hebrew Names Version
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods, that they didn't know, they and their fathers and the kings of Yehudah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

King James Version
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

English Standard Version
Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

New American Standard Bible
"Since they have abandoned Me and have made this place foreign, and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and since they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent

New Century Version
The people of Judah have quit following me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people.

Amplified Bible
"Because the people [of Jerusalem] have abandoned (rejected) Me and have made this an alien and profaned place by burning sacrifices and incense in it to other gods, that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent

World English Bible
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods, that they didn't know, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Because they haue forsaken me, and prophaned this place, and haue burnt incense in it vnto other gods, whome neyther they, nor their fathers haue knowen, nor the Kings of Iudah (they haue filled this place also with the blood of innocents,

Legacy Standard Bible
Because they have forsaken Me and have made this a foreign place and have burned incense in it to other gods, that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent

Berean Standard Bible
because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in it to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

Contemporary English Version
The people of Judah stopped worshiping me and made this valley into a place of worship for Baal and other gods that have never helped them or their ancestors or their kings. And they have committed murder here, burning their young, innocent children as sacrifices to Baal. I have never even thought of telling you to do that.

Complete Jewish Bible
This is because they have abandoned me and alienated this place. In it they have offered to other gods that neither they nor their ancestors have known, nor the kings of Y'hudah. They have filled this place with the blood of innocent people.

Darby Translation
because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place [from me], and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

Easy-to-Read Version
I will do these things because the people of Judah have stopped following me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. The people of Judah have burned sacrifices in this place to other gods. The people long ago did not worship those gods. Their ancestors did not worship them. These are new gods from other countries. The kings of Judah filled this place with the blood of innocent children.

George Lamsa Translation
Because they have forsaken me and have polluted this place and have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents;

Good News Translation
I am going to do this because the people have abandoned me and defiled this place by offering sacrifices here to other gods—gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah have known anything about. They have filled this place with the blood of innocent people,

Lexham English Bible
Because they have forsaken me, and they have defaced this place, and they have made smoke offerings in it to other gods whom they have not known, they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah, and they have filled up this place with the blood of the innocent,

Literal Translation
Because they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And that because they haue forsake me, and vnhalowed this place, and haue offred in it vnto straunge goddes: who nether they, their fathers, ner the kinges off Iuda haue knowne. They haue filled this place also wt the bloude of innocentes,

American Standard Version
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, that they knew not, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

Bible in Basic English
Because they have given me up, and made this place a strange place, burning perfumes in it to other gods, of whom they and their fathers and the kings of Judah had no knowledge; and they have made this place full of the blood of those who have done no wrong;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
because they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have offered in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

King James Version (1611)
Because they haue forsaken mee, and haue estranged this place, and haue burnt incense in it vnto other gods, whom neither they, nor their fathers haue knowen, nor the kings of Iudah, and haue filled this place with the blood of innocents.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And that because they haue forsaken me, and vnhalowed this place, and haue offered in it vnto straunge gods, whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kynges of Iuda haue knowen: they haue filled this place also with the blood of innocentes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Because they forsook me, and profaned this place, and burnt incense in it to strange gods, which they and their fathers knew not; and the kings of Juda have filled this place with innocent blood,

English Revised Version
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom they knew not, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thei han forsake me, and maad alien this place, and offriden sacrifices to alien goddis ther ynne, whiche thei, and the fadris of hem, and the kingis of Juda, knewen not; and thei filliden this place with the blood of innocentis,

Update Bible Version
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods, that they didn't know, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with innocent blood,

Webster's Bible Translation
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

New English Translation
I will do so because these people have rejected me and have defiled this place. They have offered sacrifices in it to other gods which neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah knew anything about. They have filled it with the blood of innocent children.

New King James Version
"Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents

New Life Bible
The people have left Me and have made this a strange place. They have burned special perfume in it to other gods that they and their fathers and the kings of Judah had never known. They have filled this place with the blood of those who were not guilty.

New Revised Standard
Because the people have forsaken me, and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah have known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Because they have forsaken me, And have treated this as a foreign place, And have burned incense therein to other gods, which neither they, nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah, have known; And have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because they have forsaken me, and have profaned this place:and have sacrificed therein to strange gods, whom neither they nor their fathers knew, nor the kings of Juda: and they have filled this place with the blood of innocents.

Revised Standard Version
Because the people have forsaken me, and have profaned this place by burning incense in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

Young's Literal Translation
because that they have forsaken Me, and make known this place, and make perfume in it to other gods, that they knew not, they and their fathers, and the kings of Judah, and they have filled this place [with] innocent blood,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent

Contextual Overview

¹ This is what the Lord said to me: "Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you. ² Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and give them this message. ³ Say to them, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord , you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will bring a terrible disaster on this place, and the ears of those who hear about it will ring! ⁴ "‘For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods—idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children. ⁵ They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! ⁶ So beware, for the time is coming, says the Lord , when this garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. ⁷ "‘For I will upset the careful plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will allow the people to be slaughtered by invading armies, and I will leave their dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals. ⁸ I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there. ⁹ I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they have: Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 2:17, Jeremiah 2:19, Jeremiah 2:34, Jeremiah 5:6, Jeremiah 15:6, Jeremiah 16:11, Jeremiah 17:13, Deuteronomy 28:20, Deuteronomy 31:16-18, Deuteronomy 32:15-23, 2 Kings 22:16, 2 Kings 22:17, Isaiah 65:11, Daniel 9:5-15

estranged: 2 Kings 21:4, 2 Kings 21:5, 2 Kings 21:7, 2 Kings 23:11, 2 Kings 23:12, 2 Chronicles 33:4-7

burned: Jeremiah 7:9, Jeremiah 11:13, Jeremiah 18:15, Jeremiah 32:29-35, Deuteronomy 13:6, Deuteronomy 13:13, Deuteronomy 28:36, Deuteronomy 28:64, Deuteronomy 32:17

filled: Jeremiah 2:30, Jeremiah 2:34, Jeremiah 7:31, Jeremiah 7:32, Jeremiah 22:17, Jeremiah 26:15, Jeremiah 26:23, 2 Kings 21:6, 2 Kings 21:16, 2 Kings 24:4, Isaiah 59:7, Lamentations 4:13, Matthew 23:34, Matthew 23:35, Luke 11:50, Revelation 16:6

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 18:10 - maketh Deuteronomy 32:27 - lest their Jeremiah 1:16 - who have Jeremiah 44:3 - of their Jeremiah 51:5 - though Ezekiel 8:17 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 13:13
But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord .

Genesis 18:20
So the Lord told Abraham, "I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.

Genesis 19:1
That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.

Genesis 19:6
So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.

Genesis 19:20
See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved."

Genesis 19:25
He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation.

Exodus 16:2
There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 23:2
"You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.

Proverbs 4:16
For evil people can't sleep until they've done their evil deed for the day. They can't rest until they've caused someone to stumble.

Proverbs 6:18
a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because they have forsaken me,.... My worship, as the Targum; they had apostatized from God, relinquished his service, neglected and despised his word and ordinances, and left the religion they had been brought up in, and was agreeable to the will of God. This, with what follows, contain reasons of the Lord's threatening them to bring evil upon them, as before:

and have estranged this place; or made a strange place of it, so that it could scarcely be known to be the same, nor would the Lord own it as his; meaning either the city of Jerusalem, to which the prophet was near, and could point to it; or the temple, which was in sight, and which they had strangely abused, by offering strange sacrifices to strange gods; or the valley of Hinnom, the spot he was upon, and which they had alienated from its original use:

and have burnt incense in it unto other gods; to strange gods, the gods of the Gentiles; and this they did both in the city of Jerusalem and in the temple, and very probably in the valley of Hinnom, where they sacrificed their children: gods

whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah; of whose wisdom, power, and goodness, neither they nor their fathers before them, nor any of their kings, had had any instance; and whose help and assistance, in times of danger and difficulty, they had had no experience of; and, till now, neither they nor their ancestors had ever owned them, or acknowledged them; nor scarce had heard of their names; nor any of their pious kings, as David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah:

and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; young children that were sacrificed here to idols, as they were in the valley of Hinnom, which seems to be the place principally intended; so that they were not only guilty of idolatry, but of murder; and of the murder of innocent creatures, and even, of their own babes; which was shocking and unheard of cruelty!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Have estranged this place - They have not recognized the sanctity of this place, but have treated it as a strange place, by worshipping in it strange gods.

Innocents - i. e., guiltless persons.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 19:4. Estranged this place — Ye have devoted my temple to a widely different purpose from that for which it was erected.