Jeremiah Prays for Understanding
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"Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying:
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'Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, p You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. q There is nothing too hard for You.
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'You show r lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, s the Mighty God, whose name is t the LORD of hosts.
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'You are u great in counsel and mighty in work, for your v eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, w to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.
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'You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, to this day, and in Israel and among other men; and You have made Yourself x a name, as it is this day.
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'You y have brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror;
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'You have given them this land, of which You swore to their fathers to give them - z "a land flowing with milk and honey."
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'And they came in and took possession of it, but a they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them.
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'Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of b the sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it!
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'And You have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy the field for money, and take witnesses"! - yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.' "
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Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
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"Behold, I am the LORD, the c God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
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"Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it.
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'And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and d set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses e on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger;
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'because the children of Israel and the children of Judah f have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,' says the LORD.
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'For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; g so I will remove it from before My face
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'because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger - h they, their kings, their princes, their priests, i their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
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'And they have turned to Me the j back, and not the face; though I taught them, k rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction.
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'But they l set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it.
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'And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to m cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to n Molech, o which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.'
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Cross References
2 Kings 19:15
Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: "O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
Psalms 102:25
Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Isaiah 40:26 - 29
Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
Jeremiah 27:5
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.
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Cross References
Genesis 18:14
"Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appo...
Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is...
Zechariah 8:6
Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'If it is marvelou...
Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "Wit...
Mark 10:27
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it...
Luke 18:27
But He said, "The things which are impossible w...
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Cross References
Exodus 20:6
But showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 34:7
"keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation."
Deuteronomy 5:9
You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.
Deuteronomy 5:10
But showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
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Cross References
Psalms 50:1
The Mighty One, God the LORD, Has spoken and called the earth From the rising of the sun to its going down.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Jeremiah 20:11
But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 10:16
The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name.
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Cross References
Isaiah 28:29
This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.
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Cross References
Job 34:21
For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps.
Psalms 33:13
The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
Proverbs 5:21
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths.
Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.
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Cross References
Psalms 62:12
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.
Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
John 5:29
And come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
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Cross References
Exodus 9:16
But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.
1 Chronicles 17:21
And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people - to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt?
Isaiah 63:12
Who led them by the right hand of Moses, With His glorious arm, Dividing the water before them To make for Himself an everlasting name.
Jeremiah 13:11
'For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,' says the LORD, 'that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.'
Daniel 9:15
And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day - we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
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Cross References
Exodus 6:6
Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
2 Samuel 7:23
And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name - and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land - before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods?
1 Chronicles 17:21
And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people - to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt?
Psalms 136:11
And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever.
Psalms 136:12
With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever.
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Cross References
Exodus 3:8
So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
Exodus 3:17
"and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey."'
Deuteronomy 1:8
'See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers - to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - to give to them and their descendants after them.'
Psalms 105:9 - 11
The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac.
Jeremiah 11:5
"that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them 'a land flowing with milk and honey,' as it is this day." ' " And I answered and said, "So be it, LORD."
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Cross References
Nehemiah 9:26
Nevertheless they were disobedient And rebelled against You, Cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets, who testified against them To turn them to Yourself; And they worked great provocations.
Jeremiah 11:8
'Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.'"
Daniel 9:10 - 14
We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 14:12
"When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence."
Ezekiel 14:21
For thus says the Lord GOD: "How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem - the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence - to cut off man and beast from it?
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Cross References
Numbers 16:22
Then they fell on their faces, and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 36:19
Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
Jeremiah 21:10
"For I have set My face against this city for adversity and not for good," says the LORD. "It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire."'
Jeremiah 37:8
"And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire."'
Jeremiah 37:10
'For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.'"
Jeremiah 52:13
He burned the house of the LORD and the king's house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 19:13
"And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods." '"
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 9:7 - 12
Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the LO...
Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; ...
Jeremiah 2:7
I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat ...
Jeremiah 3:25
We lie down in our shame, And our reproach cove...
Jeremiah 7:22 - 26
For I did not speak to your fathers, or command...
Ezekiel 20:28
When I brought them into the land concerning wh...
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Cross References
2 Kings 23:27
And the LORD said, "I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, 'My name shall be there.'
2 Kings 24:3
Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done.
Jeremiah 27:10
For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.
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Cross References
Ezra 9:7
Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day.
Isaiah 1:4
Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.
Isaiah 1:6
From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.
Daniel 9:8
O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 23:14
Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 2:27
Saying to a tree, 'You are my father,' And to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, 'Arise and save us.
Jeremiah 7:24
Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 7:13
And now, because you have done all these works," says the LORD, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer.
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Cross References
2 Kings 21:1 - 7
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became ki...
Jeremiah 7:10 - 12
And then come and stand before Me in this house...
Jeremiah 7:30
For the children of Judah have done evil in My ...
Jeremiah 23:11
For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, i...
Ezekiel 8:5
Then He said to me, "Son of man, lift your eyes...
Ezekiel 8:6
Furthermore He said to me, "Son of man, do you ...
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 28:2
For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals.
2 Chronicles 28:3
He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:6
Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
Jeremiah 7:31
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
Jeremiah 19:5
(they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind).
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Cross References
Leviticus 18:21
And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
1 Kings 11:33
Because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David.
2 Kings 23:10
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.
Acts 7:43
You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 7:31
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.