Chapter 1

1:5 - Christians often cite this verse as biblical proof that a fetus is a person. Their rationale is if God knows us in the womb, then we must be a person. Of course, they often overlook these verses that illustrate God's willingness to kill both the born and unborn.

* God knows us before we are born.  God is the giver and taker of life, too.  The laws that God has given humans are not necessarily laws that God has to follow.

* There is a lot of biblical proof that abortion is wrong.  If you'd like to see the scriptures that address abortion, please click here.  Note: You'll need to be connected to the internet to view that site on abortion.

1:14-15 - God plans to send enemy nations against his "chosen people." If this is his way of blessing them, I hope he never decides to bless America -- or any other country, for that matter.

* God loves His "chosen people."  However, this still doesn't make Him accepting of their sins.  Verse 16 explains some of the reasons for God's judgment.  It reads, "I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands."

1:16 - The worshipping of other gods is called wickedness.

* This is correct.  Worshiping other gods is futile.  It is an abomination to God and a detriment to the sinner.

Chapter 2

2:20 - Jeremiah insults people by calling them "harlots", saying that they have sex on every hill and under every tree.

* This harlotry is probably spiritual fornication.  They were chasing after idols.

2:24 - God compares Jerusalem's sinful ways to a promiscuous woman, or a wild donkey in heat.

* This is correct.  Loving God is what they were created to do.  Loving other idols more than God is spiritual adultery or fornication.

2:30 - God tries, but in vain, to "correct" his people by killing their children.

* This verse indicates that God chastened their children, but they would not repent.  This verse also indicates that "your sword has devoured your prophets."

2:32 - "Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?" This is meant to be a rhetorical question with an obvious answer: Of course not; women think only about their clothes.

* Jeremiah 2:32 reads, "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?  Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number."  This verse is simply indicating that God's people, like the virgins who remember their outward beauty, have forgotten God.

Chapter 3

3:1 - A divorced woman is "polluted" when she remarries. The man, of course, remains perfectly clean through it all, even though he was the one who "put her away" in the first place.

* This verse is a rhetorical question.  This is why the man's sin and/or pollution is not mentioned.  God is indicating that His people have played the harlot with many others and forgotten Him.

3:2 - "In the ways thou hast sat for them ..." A woman can't even sit anymore without being condemned by God.

* God is explaining to His people how they have rejected Him.  This is not a condemning verse to women.

3:3 - Jeremiah loves to insult people. His favorite insult is to call someone a whore. In this verse he accuses Jedah of having a "whore's forehead."

* There is no indication that Jeremiah loves to insult people.  Jeremiah uses the phrase "whore's forehead" to indicate that God's people were unashamed of their spiritual harlotry.

3:6 - More talk of harlots who have sex under every tree.

* This harlotry is probably spiritual fornication.  They were chasing after idols.

3:8 - God gives Judah "a bill of divorce."

* This verse indicates how God removed His hand of protection and allowed His people to be oppressed by the Assyrians.  His people were rejecting Him, so He judged them.

3:9 - Judah commits adultery with "stocks and stones."

* This is correct.  This phrase makes it obvious that they were embracing idols and this "harlotry" isn't just literal, but spiritual.

3:12 - Is God merciful? And How long does his anger last?.

* The perfect Creator is both merciful and just.  He owns the right to judge His creation that turned sinful.  His multi-faceted character is awesome and consists of mercy, grace, love, wrath, judgment, etc.  Therefore, God can be both merciful and angry (and these qualities can last as long as He wishes).

3:13 - Jeremiah just can't quit talking about sex under the trees.

* Jeremiah is God's prophet to His people.  He is relaying the message of repentance for their spiritual harlotry.

3:17 - Jeremiah prophesies that all nations of the earth will embrace Judaism. This has not happened.

* This verse is referring to the Millennial reign of Christ.  Incidentally, it does not mention Judaism.  Christianity is included.

3:20 - "As a wife treacherously departeth from her husband ..." If a woman leaves her husband, she is "treacherous," but a man is blameless when he "puts her away" for no reason.

* Jeremiah 3:20 reads, "'Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,' says the LORD."  Men are not mentioned because God is comparing Israel with a wife who leaves her husband.

Chapter 4

4:2 - This verse tells us to swear, but swearing is forbidden in Mt.5:34-37 and Jas.5:12.

* This Hebrew word for "swear" refers to making a declaration or testifying.

4:4 - Circumcise the foreskin of your heart or God will burn you to death.

* God is giving the people of Judah and Jerusalem a stern warning.  He is telling them to repent and turn to Him.  Jeremiah 4:4 reads, "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings."

4:6-7 - God will bring evil to destroy cities and wipe out all of the inhabitants.

* God is indicating the way of His judgment.

4:10 - God has "greatly deceived this people."

* When Jeremiah saw the destruction that was allowed by God, he exclaimed that God had deceived His people with promises of peace and prosperity.  However, God's promises of peace and prosperity were dependent on Israel's obedience.

4:25-28 - What was once fruitful is now barren. Birds have fled, people are gone, towns are in ruins. All "by his (God's) fierce anger."

* God's judgment will even effect the land.

Chapter 5

5:3 - God sends plagues and violence to correct his people, but they still won't repent.

* Verse 2 indicates the widespread unrighteousness of God's people.  Verse 3 indicates God's judgments on them.

5:4 - Those who don't follow or know God are "poor" and "foolish." 5:4

* People who don't follow or know God are surely, spiritually bankrupt.  Unless they are unknowingly following God's principles (which rarely happens for any length of time), they are also behaving foolishly.

5:6 - God will send lions and leopards to tear people into little bitty pieces.

* God can use animals to fulfill His judgments.  Since He made them, they are at His disposal.

5:8 - "As fed horses in the morning: everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife."

* Jeremiah pens an analogy regarding spiritual adultery.

5:12-13 - God will kill those who believe and preach the wrong doctrines.

* In verses 11-13, God is warning belligerent people (of Israel and Judah) who claim the prophets are "full of hot air" and God is not serious about obedience and judgment.

5:15-17 - God again talks of bringing a foreign nation to destroy his chosen ones and their lands.

* This is correct.  God is warning His people about the coming judgment for their sins.

5:22 - God gets off on our fear of him. Even though, elsewhere, we're told that we don't have to fear God.

* God is powerful, just, and righteous.  Therefore, we should fear Him.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

5:31 - "The prophets prophesy falsely." Unfortunately, we're not told how to differentiate between the true and false prophets.

* These false prophets were promising the people good things and neglecting to preach repentance.  False prophets contradict the Word of God.

* The New Testament tells us to use the Word of God like a litmus test and test the spirits.  This involves testing the words of prophets.

Chapter 6

6:10 - "Behold, their ear is uncircumcised."

* This phrase refers to people not listening to God.

6:11-12 - "I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary of holding it in." He's anxious to "pour it out" on children, young men, husbands, wives, and old people.

* God is simply saying that He is tired of waiting for people to repent and He is about to judge them for their sins.

6:12 - God threatens to punish the men by taking away all of their property, including their wives, and giving them to others.

* The perfect Creator loved His people so much that He gave them the law, watched them disobey it and gave them warnings before judging them for their sins.

6:19 - God "will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts" because they refuse to do whatever the hell he asks them to do.

* Disobedience deserves punishment.

6:20 - This verse says that God doesn't like burnt offerings. Then why did he waste the first nine chapters of Leviticus on instructions for animal sacrifices?

* This verse is simply indicating how these, particular sacrifices were unacceptable to God because the people offering them did not love Him and were unrepentant sinners.  They were half-heartedly participating in a ritual and this did not please God.

6:21 - God plans to kill pretty much everyone: Fathers and sons, family, friends, and neighbors. God plans to kill them all after laying a stumbling block before them, just to make sure.

* This verse is simply referring to God's judgment on these people.  They were wicked, so God was warning them.

6:22-23 - God will send soldiers from the north that will kill everyone and have no mercy.

* These verses don't indicate that these soldiers were going to kill everyone.  However, they do indicate that God was going to remove His hand of protection from those that were rejecting Him.

Chapter 7

7:16 - God says that there are some people that you just shouldn't bother praying for. And if you do he won't listen anyway.

* In verse 13, God indicates that He spoke and called His people, but they did not hear or listen.  Therefore, He admits that He has chosen to judge them and prayers to the contrary would have no effect.

7:18 - God is angered by children who gather wood, fathers who make fires, and women that make bread for the "queen of heaven" (Mary?) and other gods.

* This verse likely refers to a Mesopotamian goddess named Ishtar that the Israelites were worshiping.  Essentially, this verse is stating how the Israelites were using their energy and resources to worship other gods and idols.

7:20 - God will pour out his anger on both man and beast. Not even the trees will be spared from his wrath. And the ground itself will burn forever.

* God's judgment effects people, animals and the earth.

7:22 - Did God command the Israelites to make him burnt offerings?

* God is telling His people that they may as well eat meat instead of offer it to Him.  He is also telling them that He required obedience from their forefathers and He is requiring obedience from them.  God was growing tired of the people disobeying and rejecting Him, then offering sacrifices that had no meaning.

7:33 - God will feed the people to the birds and the beasts, "and none shall fray them away."

* God tells the people that "the corpses of these people will be food for the birds . . . and beasts."  After God judges them with death, animals will eat their carcasses.

Chapter 8

8:2 - God will cover the earth with dead bodies that will not be buried. "They shall be for dung upon the face of the earth."

* This is correct.  These particular, dead bodies would not be buried.

8:3 - People will choose to kill themselves, rather than be killed by their vicious God.

* When people realize that God is for real and has decided to judge them, they will want to take their own lives.

8:10 - To punish men, God will "give their wives unto others."

* Part of the judgment on these husbands was either death and/or their wives leaving them.

8:17 - God says: "I will send serpents, cockatrices among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you." (A cockatrice is "a legendary serpent with a deadly glance said to be hatched by a reptile from a cock's egg on a dunghill." -- Webster's Dictionary)

* This Hebrew word for "cockatrice" is also translated "viper" or "adder."

Chapter 9

9:4-6 - Don't trust anyone. Not even your neighbors, family, or friends. Those who believe differently than you are all liars and evil doers.

* God is warning people that there will be a time of great deception where they shouldn't trust their acquaintances because they will be lying to them.  Verse 5 indicates, "everyone will deceive his neighbor and will not speak the truth."

9:11 - God will make Jerusalem "a den of dragons."

* This Hebrew word for "dragons" can also be translated "jackals."

9:15-16 - God will give the people bad food and water, and then kill them with a sword.

* God had provided for His people and they rejected Him.  Therefore, He was going to stop giving them certain blessings and let them have bad food and water.

9:21-22 - God will kill children and young men, and the dead bodies "shall fall as dung .... and none shall gather them."

* The perfect God can judge sinners with death.

9:25 - "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised." I guess that'd include just about everyone -- well, all the men anyway.

* God is simply indicating that His judgment would fall on the pagans, too.  He lists them in verse 26: "Egypt, Edom, Moab and Ammon."

Chapter 10

10:2 - "Learn not the way of the heathen" and don't look for signs from heaven.

* This verse tells the Israelites to: "not be dismayed at the signs of heaven."  This verse tells them to be unafraid of them.

10:2 - Does the Bible condemn astrology?

* Astrology involves manipulating God by predicting things without His supervision or blessing. We don't see this condoned anywhere in the Bible.

* In Jeremiah 10:2, the scriptures are telling the Israelites to avoid the ways of the heathen and being dismayed at the signs from heaven as the heathen are.

10:3-4 - Sounds like God doesn't much like Christmas trees.

* These people were making idols from the trees.  This verse isn't about Christmas trees.

10:10 - When God gets angry, the earth trembles.

* The Creator God can move the Earth.

10:11 - God says that these other gods will perish.

* God will destroy other gods.

10:22 - Judah will become a desolate den of dragons.

* This Hebrew word for "dragons" can also be translated "jackals."

10:23 - According to Jeremiah, humans lack free will.

* In this verse, Jeremiah is simply indicating how God is in control of all things.  It is His story and He guides people.  Humans don't always control their surroundings and their available choices.

10:25 - Jeremiah prays for the destruction of the people that don't know God or call on his name.

* Jeremiah wants God to avenge His people.  Jeremiah does not take revenge into his own hands.  He asks God to judge the pagans for their sins.  Perhaps, in their judgment, there will be some that turn to God.

Chapter 11

11:3 - Those who don't follow the Old Testament laws are cursed by God.

* God speaks to Jeremiah and sums up "the covenant."  He says, "The man is cursed who doesn't obey God and the man is blessed who does."

11:11 - God "will bring evil upon" people from which they will not be able to escape. And if they cry out to him for help, he will not help them.

* This Hebrew word that was translated "evil" in the KJV can also be translated "calamity."  God is indicating that He was going to judge these people and it was past time for them to cry for help.

11:14 - God forbids others from praying for his victims. Such prayers would go unanswered anyway, he says, because he "will not hear them in their time of trouble."

* God indicates that He has decided to judge their wicked, idol worship and it was futile to pray against His judgment.

11:17 - "For the Lord of hosts ... hath pronounced evil against thee ..."

* This Hebrew word for "evil" can also be translated "doom."  Jeremiah 11:17 reads, "For the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal."

11:22 - God will punish them by killing their young men in war and starving their children to death.

* The Creator God owns the right to judge sinners with death.

Chapter 12

12:1 - Jeremiah asks God why wicked people are so happy and prosperous. But Ps.34:21 says that wicked people are desolate.

* Neither passage of scripture gives an absolute statement.  Sometimes wicked people prosper and sometimes they don't.  Both passages allow for this.  At any rate, wicked people will not be rewarded or prosperous in the afterlife.

12:3 - Jeremiah asks God to drag away his enemies like "sheep for the slaughter."

* Jeremiah is hoping that God would judge their oppressors.

12:12 - God's sword will "devour" everyone until "no flesh shall have peace."

* The Creator God owns the right to judge sinners with death.

12:16 - God rewards those who swear by his name.

* God is stating how He wants His people to declare He is God.  He wants them to testify of Him.

* Matthew 5:34 and James 5:12 deal with integrity.  They teach that people should be people of their word, so they can let there "no be no" and their "yes be yes."  This isn't talking about testifying or declaring God's righteousness like Jeremiah 12:16 does.

12:17 - If any nation does not listen to God, he "will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation."

* God owns the right to judge wicked nations.

Chapter 13

13:1-7 - God gives Jeremiah some divine instructions about a girdle. He tells him not to wash it, but to hide it in a rock. Jeremiah does as he's told. But, alas, when he goes to retrieve it, it was ruined. Darn!

* This sash represented the unrepentant people of God.  God explains this in verses 6-11.  There was a purpose behind God's instructions regarding the girdle (sash).

13:10 - Apparently, the point of the girdle story (13:1-7) was to say that worshipping other gods "is good for nothing."

* This is clearly part of the analogy.

13:13-14 - God plans to make everyone in the kingdom drunk and then "dash the fathers and the sons together." The merciful God of Peace vows to "not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them." What a guy.

* The Creator God holds the right to judge His creation that turned sinful and wicked with death.

13:22 - God compares the destruction of Jerusalem to the rape of a woman who deserves to be raped because she has sinned.

* God never compares the destruction of Jerusalem to "the rape of a woman who deserves to be raped because she has sinned."  This isn't even implied here.  However, God does use an idiom for "rape and pillage" concerning the Israelites because their judgment would include their land and things being pillaged.  Literal rape is not implied.

13:26-27 - God plans to expose Jerusalem's private parts to the world by lifting her skirt over her head, so to speak. He's seen her commit whoredoms and abominations and whatnot on the hills, and he's getting darned sick of it!

* God is simply indicating that He would expose their shame and sinfulness.  Literal nudity is not implied.

Chapter 14

14:6 - The wild asses "snuffed up the wind like dragons."

* This Hebrew word for "dragons" can also be translated "jackals."

14:12 - God will ignore the peoples' prayers and their animal and other kinds of sacrifices, promising to kill them all instead by war, starvation, and disease.

* This verse is simply indicating how these, particular sacrifices were unacceptable to God because the people offering them did not love Him and were unrepentant sinners.  They were half-heartedly participating in a ritual and this did not please God.  God promises to severely judge their sin.

14:14 - God complains that "the prophets prophesy lies" in his name. Does this mean that Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah were all prophesying lies?

* God is upset at wicked, false prophets that are telling lies.  Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah were not false prophets.  Incidentally, many of their prophesies have already come true and can be verified.

14:15-16 - God will destroy by famine and sword those who a misled by the prophets, as well as the prophets themselves.

* People are required to test the things that are spoken by others; even by prophets.  People are held accountable for the things they believe and do.  Furthermore, God holds the right to judge sinners.

Chapter 15

15:2-4 - God plans to do three things to his people: 1) kill them with swords, 2) tear their flesh with dogs, and 3) have the birds, and the beasts eat their bodies. Why will he do these terrible things? Because of something some former king did.

* God mentions one reason for His judgment.  There are surely multiple reasons, though.  Manasseh was a wicked king.  However, many people chose to follow Him and reject God.  God holds the right to judge any sinner for any of their sins.  In addition to following a wicked king, these people also, personally rejected God.

15:6 - God is weary of repenting. But in other places the Bible says that God never repents and never gets weary.

* This Hebrew word for "repenting" is also translated "relenting."  God was simply tired of doing nothing and watching people reject Him.  He was tired of delaying His judgment.  He was not literally tired.

15:7-9 - God again threatens Jerusalem with mass destruction. Here are some of the highlights: He will kill children, make more widows than there are grains of sand, terrorize cities, and then kill the survivors.

* People who reject God will be judged for it.  Sin carries serious consequences.

15:14 - God will have you enslaved and, if you make him mad enough, he will burn you to death.

* This phrase can be translated, "My anger burns like fire and it will consume you."  This passage is obviously figurative and not literal.  God's anger is being compared to fire.

Chapter 16

16:3-7 - God has ordained that everyone (mothers and daughters, fathers and sons) "shall die of grievous deaths," and that they shall neither "be lamented" nor even buried, but "they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth." For he has removed peace, "lovingkindness," and mercy from the people.

* God's judgment was coming.  However, He also promised restoration.  See verses 14 and 15.

16:10-11 - After God has killed everyone, those who remain will say, "Wherefore hath the Lord pronounce this great evil against us?" God answers saying, "Because your fathers have forsaken me." So the children will be punished with agonizing deaths for something that their parents did, in this case, worshipping other gods.

* This isn't the only reason God gives for their punishment.  Verse 12 reads, "And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me."

16:17 - Can God see everything?

* Yes, God can see everything.  There are no definitive, biblical statements about God's lack of knowledge (or sight).  Simply because we read God asking someone a question about their whereabouts, this doesn't mean He didn't know where they were.  They were simply rhetorical questions and the wording was used to try and understand an omnipotent God.  Incidents like these are in Job 1:7 and 2:2 and Numbers 22:9.

* At times, Bible writers tried to understand God by relating to Him with human terms.  Therefore, they wrote that He "went" somewhere.  This doesn't mean that He wasn't already omnipresent.  It simply relayed a fact about God's actions.  Situations like these are in Genesis 11:5 and Genesis 18:20 and 21.

* When we read that a Bible character "hid" from God, we can rest assured that they simply tried to hide.  God still saw them.  These circumstances can be found in Genesis 3:8 and Genesis 4:14.

* In Genesis 22:12, Deuteronomy 8:2, Deuteronomy 13:3, and 2 Chronicles 32:31, we read about God "knowing" something.  He would sometimes make people show what was in their heart.  He would have them "prove" their love for Him.  By the context, it is not apparent that God did not know their heart.  In fact, we read that God looks at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).  Therefore, we know that He knew their heart. He simply wanted their heart to be revealed to themselves and others.

* In Hosea 8:4, the Hebrew word for "know" is also translated "recognized."  God didn't recognize the gods they worshiped.  He did not heed or respect them.  He surely saw and knew what they were doing.

Chapter 17

17:4 - God will enslave the people of Judah because they worshipped the wrong gods. And his anger will last forever.

* Judah's sin caused God to become angry.

* This Hebrew word translated "forever" also means "the vanishing point is concealed."

17:5 - God tells us not to trust anyone, not even our family or friends, by saying: "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man."

* In order to understand this statement, the entire verse needs to be quoted.  It reads, "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD."  God is obviously warning people that it is dangerous to trust in humans instead of Him.

17:10 - Will God reward every person according to his works?

* People who do good are blessed for it.  However, this verse doesn't indicate that a person is saved because of their good deeds.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

17:10 - What must you do to be saved? Do the right things.

* This is another verse about eternal rewards for the saved believers.

17:18 - Jeremiah asks God to bring evil upon his enemies and to "destroy them with double destruction."

* Verse 18 indicates Jeremiah's persecution.  He is hoping God would hurry and judge His oppressors.

17:27 - If you don't honor the Sabbath, God will burn you to death unquenchable fire.

* God tells the ancient Israelites that they are to honor Him and keep the Sabbath.

Chapter 18

18:8-10 - Does God ever repent?

* God never repents from a sin because He cannot be tempted and cannot sin.  This Hebrew word for "repent" is also translated "relent."  There are times when God "relents" and chooses to give more mercy and grace and withhold His judgment.

18:11 - God admits that he does evil things to people.

* God warns the people that He is plotting their judgment for their sins.  He tells them they should repent and do good.

18:21 - Jeremiah asks God to kill the young men in war and the children with starvation.

* Jeremiah asks God to judge the Israelites because they were plotting to kill him.

Chapter 19

19:3, 15 - God says he will do so much evil to the people that whoever hears of it will have their ears tingle.

* God loves people so much that He warns them, in no uncertain terms, of His wrath and judgment.

19:4, 7-9 - For worshipping "other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known," God will make parents eat their own children, and friends each other. Then he'll feed whoever's left over to the birds. This will make everyone that passes by hiss with astonishment.

* God simply judged these people for their sins. Their sins are listed in this chapter. God didn't literally make these people eat human flesh, but He allowed them to be judged for their sins by others and the result was a variety of hardships that included cannibalism.

19:7-9 - God will make parents eat their own children, and friends each other. Then he'll feed whoever's left over to the birds. This will make everyone that passes by hiss with astonishment.

* This verse does not indicate that God literally made these people eat one another.  However, God did promise judgment for their wickedness.  He also told them that they would resolve to eat human flesh because of their desperate and dire circumstances.  As the Romans besieged Jerusalem, this was fulfilled.

19:11-13 - God will break those who worship other gods as though they were made of clay, killing so many that there will not be enough room to bury them all.

* God hates idol worship.  He promises judgment to those that worship other gods.  This slaughter that Jeremiah predicted happened in 70 A.D.

Chapter 20

20:4 - After Jeremiah is roughed up and arrested on the orders of Pashur the priest, he threatens Pashur and his friends, family and all of Judah with captivity and slaughter. Because of the actions of one man.

* God warns Pashur about his judgment for his actions.  However, all of his sinful actions were not listed.  Likewise, all of the other sinners who were going to be punished did not have their sins listed.  This didn't mean that they did not sin, though.  Saying that everyone was going to suffer for Pashur's sin is simply an argument from silence, so it is no argument at all.

20:7 - Can God deceive others?

* God does not tempt people to sin.  However, He sometimes commands spirits to be instruments of His judgments.  The spirits are under His control, so He utilizes them for His will.

Chapter 21

21:5-6 - God will fight and kill everyone in fury, both man and beast, with a strong arm and a great pestilence.

* These verses are referring to the righteous judgment of God.

21:7 - God will deliver Zedekiah and those that survive the famine, disease, and war into Nebuchadrezzar's hand, and "he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy."

* The Babylonian captivity was part of Israel's judgment for their wickedness.

21:9-13 - God tells the Judeans to either surrender to the Babylonians and become their slaves or die. "Behold, I am against thee." No kidding.

* The Babylonian captivity was part of Israel's judgment for their wickedness.

Chapter 22

22:3 - How should strangers be treated? Be kind to them.

* In this verse, God told the king of Judah to avoid doing wrong to strangers.

22:5 - God swears to himself.

* This language is simply used to add emphasis to God's threat.

22:13 - Pay a fair wage to your employees. Does this mean we can't own slaves?

* This verse doesn't mention anything about slaves. Nonetheless, the Bible never condones owning slaves. It only gives laws to curtail it and eventually end it. See 1 Corinthians 13 for God's will regarding the ethical treatment of other humans.

22:18-19 - Where did Jehoiakim die?

* 2 Chronicles 36:5 and 6 don't tells us that Jehoiakim was taken captive to Babylon.  Jeremiah 22:19 is a prophecy that tells us he would be, "dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem."  Consequently, there is no contradiction and the prophecy in Jeremiah actually alludes to what happened to Jehoiakim!

22:25-30 - God will have Jeconiah's enemies kill him and his mother and then ensure that he die without leaving any sons? Which seems a bit strange since Jeconiah is listed as an ancestor of Jesus in Mt.1:12.

* The word "write," in the phrase "write this man as childless," is also translated "record."  It is obvious, even by reading verse 30, that Jeconiah was not literally childless.  However, this prophecy came true because he had no successor.

* Verse 30 indicates that his descendants would not "sit on David's throne and rule any more in Judah."  None of his descendants sat on this earthly throne.

Chapter 23

23:11 - God finds some wicked prophets and priests. Like Jeremiah, maybe?

* God announces that some wicked prophets and priests were going to receive His judgment.  Jeremiah wasn't wicked and he didn't make false prophecies.

23:12 - God promises to bring more evil upon his chosen people.

* God announces that some wicked prophets and priests were going to receive His judgment.

23:24 - Does God see and know everything?

* Yes, God can see everything.  There are no definitive, biblical statements about God's lack of knowledge (or sight).  Simply because we read God asking someone a question about their whereabouts, this doesn't mean He didn't know where they were.  They were simply rhetorical questions and the wording was used to try and understand an omnipotent God.  Incidents like these are in Job 1:7 and 2:2 and Numbers 22:9.

* At times, Bible writers tried to understand God be relating to Him with human terms.  Therefore, they wrote that He "went" somewhere.  This doesn't mean that He wasn't already omnipresent.  It simply relayed a fact about God's actions.  Situations like these are in Genesis 11:5 and Genesis 18:20 and 21.

* When we read that a Bible character "hid" from God, we can rest assured that they simply tried to hide.  God still saw them.  These circumstances can be found in Genesis 3:8 and Genesis 4:14.

* In Genesis 22:12, Deuteronomy 8:2, Deuteronomy 13:3 and 2 Chronicles 32:31, we read about God "knowing" something.  He would sometimes make people show what was in their heart.  He would have them "prove" their love for Him.  By the context, it is not apparent that God did not know their heart.  In fact, we read that God looks at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).  Therefore, we know that He knew their heart. He simply wanted their heart to be revealed to themselves and others.

* In Hosea 8:4, the Hebrew word for "know" is also translated "recognized."  God didn't recognize the gods they worshiped.  He did not heed or respect them.  He surely saw and knew what they were doing.

Chapter 24

24:2-3 - "The other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad." Which of course goes to show that God hates figs, at least the "very naughty" kind.

* The word that is translated "naughty" in the KJV is also translated as "bad" in other versions. Incidentally, these "bad" or "naughty" figs were part of a prophecy and referred to some stagnant and complacent people that were going to face judgment in Babylon.

24:10 - God once again promises to kill everyone by war, starvation, and disease.

* God made it known that He would not tolerate sin.  He would judge it accordingly.

Chapter 25

25:1 - When did Nebuchadnezzar come to Jerusalem?

* Nebuchadnezzar ruled jointly with his father for some time.  In the latter part of Jehoiakim's third year, Nebuchadnezzar begin ruling by himself.  Jehoiakim's fourth year began before Nebuchadnezzar's first year (alone) ended.

* Daniel 1:1 and this verse are complementary.  In the third year of Jehoiakim's rule, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem.  In the fourth year of Jehoiakim's rule, it was still Nebuchadnezzar's first year.

25:12 - God says he is going to punish Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians for what they have done to his people -- even though God Himself is the one who made the Babylonians attack and enslave Judah! As part of the punishment God will take the land of the Babylonians and "make it perpetual desolations." A false prophecy, since present-day Iraq is quite occupied.

* The Israelites sinned and received judgment.  However, the Babylonians sinned, too, so they deserved judgment, also.

* This prophecy is referring to the city of Babylon and not the country of Iraq.  Over the years, different rulers have conquered and demolished Babylon.

* Incidentally, some scholars believe that Babylon will be rebuilt and this prophecy refers to a future event.

25:26-29 - God will force "all the kingdoms of the world" to drink "and be drunken". Then he'll kill "all the inhabitants of the earth" with a sword.

* God is telling the people that reject Him that they can do as they wish, but they will be judged for it.

25:30 - God is really getting into all of this killing. He roars, he mightily roars, and he shouts.

* This is describing part of God's judgment.

25:31-33 - God kills so many people that the entire earth will be covered with their dead bodies. No one is to mourn them or even bury them; "they shall be dung upon the ground."

* This describes the Second Coming of Christ and the subsequent judgment.

25:37-38 - God will destroy "the peaceable habitations" and make the land desolate "because of his fierce anger."

* This is describing the final judgment of God.  Nobody is innocent because all have sinned.  The only people who will be saved are those that repent and believe, trust and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Chapter 26

26:3, 13, 19 - Does God ever repent?

* God never repents from a sin because He cannot be tempted and cannot sin.  This Hebrew word for "repent" is also translated "relent."  There are times when God "relents" and chooses to give more mercy and grace and withhold his judgment.

Chapter 27

27:8 - Anyone who disobeys King Nebuchadnezzar will be punished "with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand."

* God was warning them that they needed to obey this pagan king or they would die.  Incidentally, God put a time limit (see verse 7) on the Babylonian captivity and honored it.

Chapter 28

28:16-17 - God kills Hananiah for prophesying falsely.

* Hananiah was a liar and a false prophet.  Therefore, God judged him with by taking his life.

Chapter 29

29:17-18 - God will send his usual blessings upon his people: "the sword, the famine, and the pestilence." He "will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil." (God hates figs.)

* God's people were listening to false prophets in Babylon.  Therefore, God told them they would be judged for it.

* The perfect Creator holds the right to judge His creation when they reject Him and His laws.

29:19 - God will kill those who refuse listen to his prophets.

* This verse reads, "because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets . . ."  The prophets spoke the words of God and He was going to judge people for ignoring them.

29:21-22 - God will deliver Ahab and Zedekiah into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar "and he shall slay them before your eyes" and Ahab will be "roasted in the fire."

* These verses mention God's deliverance and judgment.

29:32 - God will punish the children of Shemaiah for their father's false prophecy.

* This verse indicates that this punishment is because "he has taught rebellion against the Lord."  Incidentally, there are surely other sins that these people committed that are not mentioned here.  Simply because we don't read them does not mean they were perfect or righteous.

Chapter 30

30:23 - "Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord ..." More fury, pain, and fierce anger from the peaceful God of love.

* This verse clearly states that the wicked are being judged.

Chapter 31

31:15 - Matthew (2:17-18) quotes this verse, claiming that it was a prophecy of King Herod's alleged slaughter of the children in and around Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. But this passage refers to the Babylonian captivity, as is clear by reading the next two verses (16 and 17), and, thus, has nothing to do with Herod's massacre.

* Many passages of scripture have a present meaning and a future one.  This passage is one of these types.

31:22 - "The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth," contrary to Ec.1:9 which says "there is nothing new under the sun."

* When the writer (likely Solomon) wrote Ecclesiastes 1:9, he wasn't walking with God.  Therefore, many of his words and conclusions are not biblical doctrines.  Incidentally, in Ecclesiastes 1:9, he was referring to the general cycles of life and how they kept coming.

31:29-30 - "In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity." But in other places the bible says that children are to be punished for the sins of their parents.

* God told the Israelites that children shouldn't be held responsible for their father's sins and fathers shouldn't be held responsible for their children's sins.  However, God still owns the right to judge any sinner.  Sometimes in the Bible, it appeared that God was judging someone for the sins of another.  In every circumstance, the person in question had sins of their own.  Therefore, God's judgment was just - even on a "human" level of understanding.

31:32 - Misquoted in Heb.8:9.

* These verses in Jeremiah are very close to the ones in Hebrews.  Incidentally, the writer of Hebrews never said he was trying to copy Jeremiah verbatim.  The writer of Hebrews simply included an extra, minor detail or two (that correlates with other scriptures) and omitted a minor detail or two.

31:37 - This verse implies that the earth is on foundations and does not move. But of course we know that the earth is in constant motion as it rotates about the sun.

* This verse never implies that the Earth is on foundations that keep it from moving.

Chapter 32

32:17, 27 - According to these verses God can do anything, and nothing is too hard for him. But in other places the Bible says that there are some things that God can't do.

* Judges 1:19 indicates that Judah couldn't drive out some pagans.  It doesn't indicate that God couldn't do it.  It also implies that Judah couldn't "resolve" to drive them out because of their lack of faith.

* It is impossible for God to lie.  It is impossible for God to destroy the entire Earth with a flood, again.  These things that are impossible for God are things that He has chosen because of His love for people.  He has simply allowed Himself to be bound by some laws, so His people can have peace.

* In Mark 6:5, Jesus likely couldn't "resolve" to do mighty works because of their lack of faith.  The scriptures don't make it clear that His power was absent.

32:18 - In the middle of praising God, Jeremiah states that God "recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them..." Not something I consider praiseworthy.

* Jeremiah is likely referring to generational sins and problems that were handed down to the descendants of wicked people.  Sin didn't always effect one generation, but it effected their descendants, too.

32:42 - God brings evil upon people.

* This Hebrew word for "evil" is also translated "calamity."  God is indicating that in the same way He judged these people, He will also do good to them.

Chapter 33

33:5 - God litters the ground "with the dead bodies of men" that he has killed in his anger and fury.

* God is saying how He will judge these people by taking their lives.

33:17 - "David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel." But the Davidic line of kings ended with Zedekiah; there were none during the Babylonian captivity, and there are none today.

* Verses 15-17 are talking about a future event.  They clearly state, "in that day" . . . "at that time."  These verses are referring to Christ's Millennial reign.

Chapter 34

34:5 - God lies to Zedekiah again by telling him that he will die in peace and be buried with his fathers. But later (2 Kg.25:7 and Jer.39:6-9, Jer.52:10-11) he dies a violent death in a foreign land.

* God didn't lie to Zedekiah.  He told him that he would die in a peaceful manner.  However, after Zedekiah didn't effectively abolish slavery and follow God's commands, God gave a different declaration.  Verses 20-22 indicate that Zedekiah would be taken away by the Babylonians and die a terrible death.

34:17-20 - God threatens again to send his people the sword, pestilence, and famine, saying he'll feed their dead bodies to the fowls and beasts of the earth.

* God told them what the results of their sins would be.

Chapter 35

35:17 - God is indeed the author of evil. Here he brags about bringing "all the evil" he can think of upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

* God gives several reasons why He is bringing "doom" on them.  Nothing is mentioned about authoring evil.  Humans, in fact, brought sin into this world.  God simply allowed humans to make their own decisions.  However, He did promise blessings for obedience and consequences for sins.

Chapter 36

36:3 - More evil plans from a supposedly good god.

* A good God is a righteous judge; not a biased or deceitful judge.

36:30 - This verse says that Jehoiakim has no successors, but 2 Kg.24:6 says that he was succeeded by his son Jehoiachin.

* Jehoiachin reigned for three months, then he was plundered by the Babylonians (they took 10,000 captives, Solomon's gold, etc.) and taken to Babylon.  Therefore, Jehoiakim essentially had no successor.

36:31 - More of the good God's evil plans.

* This verse is speaking about God's judgments.

Chapter 39

39:6-9 - The beginning of the end for Zedekiah. Despite God's earlier assurances (34:5) that he would die peacefully at home, here Zedekiah watches as his children are killed and then has his eyes put out and he is shackled and taken to Babylon. Also, the city is burned and those remaining are enslaved.

* God didn't lie to Zedekiah.  He told him that he would die in a peaceful manner.  However, after Zedekiah didn't effectively abolish slavery and follow God's commands, God gave a different declaration.  Jeremiah 34:20-22 indicates that Zedekiah would be taken away by the Babylonians and die a terrible death.

Chapter 40

40:2 - God spreads evil wherever he goes.

* This word for "evil" is also translated "doom."  God doesn't spread evil everywhere He goes.  However, He does judge sin.

Chapter 42

42:10 - God repents (It's about time!), contrary to several Bible verses.

* God never repents from a sin because He cannot be tempted and cannot sin.  This Hebrew word for "repent" is also translated "relent."  There are times when God "relents" and chooses to give more mercy and grace and withhold his judgment.

42:15-18, 22 - All those who move to Egypt will die by the sword, famine, or pestilence. None "shall escape from the evil" that comes directly from God. But many, including Jews, have moved to Egypt and most seem to have escaped from God's promised evil.

* God simply told these, ancient Israelites that they mustn't return to Egypt.  This scripture wasn't directed toward us or modern Jews.  God was warning the Israelites about returning to Egypt because they would embrace idolatry there.

Chapter 44

44:2 - God boasts some more about "all the evil that [he] has brought."

* This Hebrew word that was translated "evil" in the KJV can also be translated "calamity."  God is mentioning the judgments that He brought on His people for their sins.

44:6 - When God pours forth his fury and his anger, entire cities are destroyed.

* God's wrath includes judging people.  However, part of His judgment can include destroying cities.

44:11-13 - God's not finished with Judah. He will bring more evil upon them. Even those Jews that flee to Egypt will not be spared. God will hunt them down and kill them all with war, famine, and disease.

* God commanded these Israelites to avoid returning to Egypt.  He promised consequences for those who did.

44:27-28 - "I will watch over them for evil, and not for good." So begins another pronouncement of death and destruction on his chosen people.

* This is God's continued statement about the judgment of His disobedient people.

Chapter 45

45:5 - God says he will bring evil upon all flesh.

* God holds the right to judge "all flesh" for their sins.  However, this phrase was surely referring to a certain context.  Verse 4 indicates God is referring to "this whole land."  Verse 5 indicates that Baruch (and surely others) would have success.

* This word for "evil" is also translated "adversity."

Chapter 46

46:10 - The day of the Lord will be "a day of vengeance." On that day God's sword will become drunk with blood.

* God's judgment would include many people dying.

Chapter 47

47:2-4 - God plans to drown the Philistines in a flood, and "all the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl."

* This "flood" was referring to an army.

Chapter 48

48:8 - God plans to kill just about everybody. "No city shall escape."

* God is obviously referring to the judgment of the Moabite cities.  See verses 1, 2, 4, etc.  For a list of these cities, see verse 20-24.

48:10 - "Cursed by he that keepeth back his sword from blood."

* God is referring to the enemies of Moab.  Moab is being judged for their idolatry and other sins.  The countries that do not listen to God and take part in their judgment would be cursed.

48:26 - Jeremiah asks God to make Moab drunk, and predicts that Moab will "wallow in his vomit."

* This verse reads, "Make him drunk, because he exalted himself against the LORD.  Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he shall also be in derision."  Jeremiah is pronouncing judgment on Moab.  The phrase "wallow in his vomit" is symbolic of their futile attempts to avoid and escape God's judgment.

48:42-47 - God's not through with Moab. The people that flee fall into "the pit," fire burns their heads, and sons and daughters are taken captive.

* God is simply indicating that the destruction of Moab would be complete.  It would be destroyed with fire and many would be taken captive.

* Incidentally, God also announced the restoration of Moab.  See verse 47.

Chapter 49

49:2 - God will cause the daughters of Rabbah to be burned with fire.

* This Hebrew word for "daughters" is also translated "villages," "towns" and "cities."  According to the context, Israel will set fire to either their "daughters" or their "villages" and take their land (which is their inheritance from God).  It would make no sense if this word literally meant daughters because their villages would still be inhabited by the men and Israel would not be able to take possession of the land (as it says they do in verse 2).

49:2 - How should the Ammonites be treated? Kill them and take their land.

* This verse predicts a time when Rabbah of the Ammonites would be destroyed.  In Deuteronomy 2:19, God said Lot's descendants would talk over the Ammonites.

49:13 - God swears to himself.

* The text is simply indicating God's emphatic statement.

49:17 - God will send such marvelous plagues on Edom that everyone will hiss in astonishment.

* This is correct.  Incidentally, this word for "hiss" can also be translated "gasp."

49:33 - Jeremiah predicts that humans will never again live in Hazor, but will be replaced by dragons. But people still live there and dragons have never been seen.

* This Hebrew word for "dragons" can also be translated "jackals."

* This city of "Hazor" was not the one in Israel.  This verse is referring to the one in the Arabian Desert.  It was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar.

49:37 - God plans to "bring evil upon" the people of Elam. He says he'll kill them all with a sword.

* This word for "evil" is also translated "disaster."  God promises to judge these people for their wickedness.

Chapter 50

50:21 - God says to do the usual thing to the inhabitants of "the land of Merathaim": kill them all.

* This is referring to Babylon and how they would be judged for their sins.

50:27-30 - God commands that all Babylonian bullocks be slaughtered, that archers shoot all Babylonians, and that all their men be killed in war.

* The Babylonians had captured the Israelites and committed great sins, therefore they were going to be judged for it.

50:32 - God, the pyromaniac, will personally set the fires that will burn to death the inhabitants of entire cities.

* God will burn these cities because of their sins.  This verse doesn't specifically state that He would burn the people to death.

50:37 - God plans to kill all the Babylonian horses, and to make the Babylonian men "become like women." (A fate worse than death to a misogynous god.).

* A comparison is being used here.  The mighty Babylonian army was being compared to women.  In this verse, in order to make a point, the weakness of women is being admitted.

50:39 - God prophesies that Babylon will never again be inhabited. But it has been inhabited constantly since the prophecy was supposedly made, and is inhabited still today.

* Although Babylon was significantly judged and diminished, there are likely some inhabitants.  Therefore, this prophecy will be fulfilled in the future.

Chapter 51

51:14 - God swears to himself.

* The text is simply indicating God's emphatic statement.

51:21-23 - God will "break in pieces" nations and kingdoms, horse and rider, man and woman, old and young, young man and maid, the shepherd and his flock, husbandman and his yoke of oxen, captain and kings. It seems that God intends to break us all into pieces.

* This is a prophecy against Babylon.  See verse 1.

51:26, 29, 37, 43, 62, 64 - God says that Babylon will be desolate and uninhabited forever. He says that only dragons will live there. But Babylon has been dragon-free and continuously inhabited since then.

* This Hebrew word for "dragons" can also be translated "jackals."

* In the future, this prophecy will be fulfilled.

51:39-40 - God will get the Babylonians drunk and then kill them all, leading them "like lambs to the slaughter."

* These verses are referring to God's judgment on the Babylonians.

Chapter 52

52:10-11 - God promised Zedekiah (Jer.34:5) that he would die peacefully and be buried with his fathers. But here we see that he died a miserable death in foreign land.

* God didn't lie to Zedekiah.  He told him that he would die in a peaceful manner.  However, after Zedekiah didn't effectively abolish slavery and follow God's commands, God gave a different declaration.  Verses 20-22 indicate that Zedekiah would be taken away by the Babylonians and die a terrible death.

52:12-13 - Did the temple burn on the seventh (2 Kg.25:8-9) or the tenth day?

* 2 Kings 25:8 indicates that Nebuzaradan came "unto" Jerusalem on the seventh day.  Jeremiah 52:12 indicates that he came "into" Jerusalem on the tenth day.  In each passage, in the following verse, we read that he set fire to the temple.  This was either on the "tenth day" or after soon after it.

52:22 - Was the chapiter five or three cubits?

* There were two parts of the chapiter: a lower part and an upper part.  The lower part was 2 cubits.  The upper part was 3 cubits.  Therefore, Jeremiah 52:22 mentions the entire chapiter (which is 5 cubits), but 2 Kings 25:17 only mentions the top part (which is 3 cubits) and considers the lower portion part of its base.

52:25 - How many men stood in the king's presence?

* Jeremiah 52:25 mentions seven men.  2 Kings 25:19 mentions five men.  There were surely seven men (at least, eventually), however 2 Kings 25:19 omits two of them because the author deemed them less important to the account.  Frequently, people who did not speak or people who were of less importance are omitted from biblical accounts (as well as non-biblical, historical accounts).

52:31 - On what day of the month was Jehoiachin released from prison?

* The decree to release Jehoiachin from prison was likely made on the 25th day (Jeremiah 52:31) and it was implemented on the 27th day (2 Kings 25:27).