The big picture
Jeremiah 5 opens in verse 1 with “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 16 with “Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.”, and closes in verse 31 with “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, nation, full, people, house. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Jeremiah · King James Version · 31Jeremiah 5:1-8
1–8: Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and…
Jeremiah 5:1–8 opens with “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad…” and reaches “They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 5 develops its own movement around LORD, nation, full, people, house, with particular weight carried by LORD, judgment, know.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye…” Naming Jerusalem and Run keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“O LORD , are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD , and the judgment…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.
Jeremiah 5:1-8
King James Version1Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
2And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.
3O LORD , are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
4Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD , nor the judgment of their God.
5I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD , and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
6Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
7How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.
Jeremiah 5:9-16
9–16: Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD : and shall not my…
Jeremiah 5:9–16 opens with “Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD : and shall not my soul be avenged on such a…” and reaches “Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 5 develops its own movement around LORD, nation, full, people, house, with particular weight carried by LORD, nation, house.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD : and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD .” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Jeremiah 5:9-16
King James Version9Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD : and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD’s .
11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD .
12They have belied the LORD , and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
13And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
14Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD : it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
Jeremiah 5:17-24
17–24: They shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy…
Jeremiah 5:17–24 opens with “And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat…” and reaches “Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 5 develops its own movement around LORD, nation, full, people, house, with particular weight carried by LORD, fear, harvest.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear…” Naming Hear keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Jeremiah 5:17-24
King James Version17And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.
18Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD , I will not make a full end with you.
19And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22Fear 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?
23But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24Neither 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.
Jeremiah 5:25-31
25–31: Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have…
Jeremiah 5:25–31 opens with “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from…” and reaches “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 5 develops its own movement around LORD, nation, full, people, house, with particular weight carried by cause, full, judge.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” Naming Your keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Jeremiah 5:25-31
King James Version25Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
26For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
27As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
29Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD : shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Jeremiah 5:1 begins with “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that…”
Where the chapter turns
Jeremiah 5:19 forms a natural hinge: “And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have…”
The final note
Jeremiah 5:31 leaves the reader with “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, nation, full, people, house, judgment help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does the repeated ending make readers feel?
Death becomes the chapter's persistent refrain, even as generation follows generation.
What two interruptions offer hope?
Enoch's walk with God and Lamech's hope attached to Noah.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.