Jeremiah 5:19

17 And 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.

18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.

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 forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”
KJV
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 forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
WEB
It will happen when you say, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
ASV
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
DARBY
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say to them, As ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
BLB
And it will come to pass when you⁺ say, ‘For what has YHWH our God done all these [things] to us?’ Then you shall say to them: ‘As you⁺ have forsaken Me and have served foreign gods in your⁺ land, so you⁺ shall serve strangers in a land not unto you⁺.’”
ÅB
Og når dere da sier: Hvorfor har Herren vår Gud gjort alt dette mot oss? - da skal du si til dem: Slik som dere forlot meg og tjente fremmede guder i deres land, slik skal dere også tjene fremmede herrer i et land som ikke er deres.
OTB
Og når folket spør, ‘Hvorfor har Herren vår Gud gjort alt dette mot oss?’ skal du si til dem, ‘Slik dere har forlatt Meg og tjent fremmede guder i deres eget land, slik skal dere tjene fremmede i et land som ikke er deres eget.’
B1930
Og når I da sier: Hvorfor har Herren vår Gud gjort alt dette mot oss? - da skal du si til dem: Likesom I forlot mig og tjente fremmede guder i eders land, således skal I også tjene fremmede herrer i et land som ikke er eders.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Kings 9:8–9

    And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 28:47–48

    Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 22:8–9

    And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 13:22

    And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 16:13

    Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 29:24–28

    Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 16:10–11

    And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 2:35

    Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

    Read in context