Jeremiah 7:18

Judgment

¹⁶ As for you, do not pray for these people, do not offer a plea or petition on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you.

¹⁷ Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger.

¹⁹ But am I the One they are provoking? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?

²⁰ Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce of the land, and it will burn and not be extinguished.

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: The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger.
KJV: The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
WEB: The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
ASV: The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
DARBY: The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
BLB: The sons gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and [they] pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.

ÅB: Barna sanker ved, og fedrene tenner opp ild, og kvinnene elter deig for å lage kaker for himmelens dronning, og de utøser drikkoffer for andre guder, for å volde meg sorg.
OTB: Barna samler ved, fedrene tenner ilden, og kvinnene elter deigen for å lage kaker til himmeldronningen; og de utøser drikkofre til andre guder for å vekke Min vrede.
B1930: Barna sanker ved, og fedrene tender op ild, og kvinnene elter deig for å lage kaker for himmelens dronning, og de utøser drikkoffer for andre guder, for å volde mig sorg.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 19:13
The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”
Read in context
Jeremiah 44:17–19
Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.
Read in context
1 Kings 14:9
You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 10:22
Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
Read in context
Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 32:21
They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.
Read in context
1 Kings 16:2
“Even though I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin and to provoke Me to anger by their sins.
Read in context
Jeremiah 25:7
‘But to your own harm, you have not listened to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘so you have provoked Me to anger with the works of your hands.’
Read in context