Jeremiah 4:1

A Plea to Return · Jeremiah 4:1–4
Read Jeremiah 4

Translations

Modern
“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,
Traditional
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
Literal
“If you would return, O Israel, a declaration of YHWH, to Me you must return!” And if you will put away your abominations from My sight, and no longer waver,
Latin
Si reverteris, Israël, ait Dominus, ad me convertere: si abstuleris offendicula tua a facie mea, non commoveberis.

Original

Hebrew
English
“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,

Notes

The Lord noticed that even though the people prayed beautifully, they did not plan to discard their idols or change their way of living (Jeremiah 15:19; Joel 2:12).

The people, held captive in Assyria, claimed they had repented of their sins. However, their words were insincere, and the Lord rejected their plea. God told his people that if they truly wanted to return to him, they had to abandon the hilltop altars where they worshiped idols and remove all traces of idolatry from their religion.

The Lord asked Israel to repent, return, and reconcile with him (contrast Jeremiah 2:1–3:10). Israel had sinned and faced punishment. Now, the people of Judah sinned even more openly than their northern relatives, ignoring the lesson the Lord taught Israel (Ezekiel 16:51–52). However, it was still not too late to repent and become the blessing to the nations (Jeremiah 4:1–2) that God intended them to be (Genesis 12:3).

Events

People

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Glossary

Abomination Book of Jeremiah Conversion Hosea, Book of Jeremiah (Person)

Topics

Backsliders: Promises To Condescension of God: Expostulates with Backsliding Israel Repentance: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To