Jeremiah 4:22 ““For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish chi…”

Jeremiah 4:22

“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

World English Bible

“For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”

American Standard Version

For my people are foolish, they know me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Geneva Bible 1599

For my people is foolish, they haue not knowen me: they are foolish children, and haue none vnderstanding: they are wise to doe euill, but to doe well they haue no knowledge.

Darby Translation

For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have no intelligence; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Young's Literal Translation

For my people [are] foolish, me they have not known, Foolish sons [are] they, yea, they [are] not intelligent, Wise [are] they to do evil, And to do good they have not known.

Bible in Basic English

For my people are foolish, they have no knowledge of me; they are evil-minded children, without sense, all of them: they are wise in evil-doing, but have no knowledge of doing good.

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Cross references

“For my”

Jeremiah 5:21 Hosea 4:6 Romans 3:11 Romans 1:22 Deuteronomy 32:28 Isaiah 27:11

Jeremiah 5:21 · BSB

“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Hosea 4:6 · BSB

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

Romans 3:11 · BSB

There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

Romans 1:22 · BSB

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,

Deuteronomy 32:28 · BSB

Israel is a nation devoid of counsel, with no understanding among them.

Isaiah 27:11 · BSB

When its limbs are dry, they are broken off. Women come and use them for kindling; for this is a people without understanding. Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.

“they have”

Hosea 5:4 John 16:3 Romans 1:28 1 Corinthians 1:20 1 Corinthians 1:21

Hosea 5:4 · BSB

Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD.

John 16:3 · BSB

They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.

Romans 1:28 · BSB

Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

1 Corinthians 1:20 · BSB

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 1:21 · BSB

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

“they are wise”

1 Corinthians 14:20 Romans 16:19 Micah 2:1 2 Samuel 16:21–23 Luke 16:8 2 Samuel 13:3

1 Corinthians 14:20 · BSB

Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Romans 16:19 · BSB

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

Micah 2:1 · BSB

Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.

2 Samuel 16:21–23 · BSB

Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to take care of the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be st…

Luke 16:8 · BSB

The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

2 Samuel 13:3 · BSB

Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,

Also

Jeremiah 13:23 Jeremiah 10:8

Jeremiah 13:23 · BSB

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good— you who are accustomed to doing evil.

Jeremiah 10:8 · BSB

But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

21How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?

23I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.

Read Jeremiah 4