Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version The land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land lies parched and the pastures in the wilderness are withered. The prophets follow an evil course and use their power unjustly. New Living Translation For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning— its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have. English Standard Version For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right. Berean Standard Bible For the land is full of adulterers—because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up—their course is evil and their power is misused. Berean Literal Bible For the land is filled with adulterers, and the land mourns because of the face of the curse, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course has come to be evil, and their strength is not right. King James Bible For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. New King James Version For the land is full of adulterers; For because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil, And their might is not right. New American Standard Bible For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course is evil And their might is not right. NASB 1995 For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil And their might is not right. NASB 1977 For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil, And their might is not right. Legacy Standard Bible For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil, And their might is not right. Amplified Bible For the land is full of adulterers (unfaithful to God); The land mourns because of the curse [of God upon it]. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. The course of action [of the false prophets] is evil and they rush into wickedness; And their power is not right. Berean Annotated Bible For the land is full of adulterers—because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up—their course is evil and their power is misused. Christian Standard Bible For the land is full of adulterers; the land mourns because of the curse, and the grazing lands in the wilderness have dried up. Their way of life has become evil, and their power is not rightly used Holman Christian Standard Bible For the land is full of adulterers; the land mourns because of the curse, and the grazing lands in the wilderness have dried up. Their way of life has become evil, and their power is not rightly used American Standard Version For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. And their course is evil, and their might is not right; Contemporary English Version Those unfaithful prophets misuse their power all over the country. So God turned the pasturelands into scorching deserts. English Revised Version For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is evil, and their force is not right. GOD'S WORD® Translation The land is filled with adulterers. The land mourns because of the curse. Pastures in the wilderness have dried up. The people are evil, and they use their strength to do the wrong things. Good News Translation The land is full of people unfaithful to the LORD; they live wicked lives and misuse their power. Because of the LORD's curse the land mourns and the pastures are dry. International Standard Version Indeed, the land is full of adulterers. Indeed, the land mourns because of the curse; the pastures of the wilderness have dried up. The adulterers' lifestyles are evil, and they use their strength for what is not right. NET Bible For the land is full of people unfaithful to him. They live wicked lives and they misuse their power. So the land is dried up because it is under his curse. The pastures in the wilderness are withered. New Heart English Bible For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. "Their course is evil, and their might is not right; Webster's Bible Translation For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleFor the land is full of adulterers—because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up—their course is evil and their power is misused. World English Bible “For the land is full of adulterers; for because of the curse the land mourns. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right; Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor the land has been full of adulterers, "" For the land has mourned because of these, "" The pleasant places of the wilderness have dried up, "" And their course is evil, and their might—not right. Berean Literal Bible For the land is filled with adulterers, and the land mourns because of the face of the curse, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course has come to be evil, and their strength is not right. Young's Literal Translation For of adulterers hath the land been full, For because of these hath the land mourned, Dried up hath been the pleasant places of the wilderness, And their course is evil, and their might -- not right. Smith's Literal Translation For the land was filled from adulteries, for from the face of these the land mourned, the beautiful things of the desert were dried up, and their race will be evil, and their strength not right. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBecause the land is full of adulterers, because the land hath mourned by reason of cursing, the fields of the desert are dried up: and their course is become evil, and their strength unlike. Catholic Public Domain Version For the earth is full of adulterers! And the earth has mourned before the face of evil talk. The plains of the desert have dried up, and their course has become hazardous, and their firmness has become uneven.” New American Bible The land is filled with adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, the pastures of the wilderness are withered. Theirs is an evil course, theirs is unjust power. New Revised Standard Version For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course has been evil, and their might is not right. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor the land is full of adulterers and robbers; because of these men the land mourns and the pastures of the shepherds in the wilderness are dried up, and their yield has been poor, and they did not flourish. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Because adulterers and rapists have filled the land; because of these, the land has mourned and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up, and their hard labor was evil, and they did not prosper by their fortitude OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For the land is full of adulterers; For because of swearing the land mourneth, The pastures of the wilderness are dried up; And their course is evil, And their force is not right. Brenton Septuagint Translation For because of these things the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is become evil, and so also their strength. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Lying Prophets9As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of His holy words. 10For the land is full of adulterers— because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up— their course is evil and their power is misused. 11“For both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD.… Cross References For the land is full of adulterers— Hosea 7:4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough. Hosea 4:2 Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. Jeremiah 9:2 If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people. because of the curse, the land mourns Hosea 4:3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear. Isaiah 24:4-6 The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away. / The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant. / Therefore a curse has consumed the earth, and its inhabitants must bear the guilt; the earth’s dwellers have been burned, and only a few survive. Deuteronomy 28:23-24 The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. / The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed. and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up— Joel 1:18-20 How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering. / To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field. / Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures. Psalm 107:33-34 He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground, / and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers. Jeremiah 14:5-6 Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass. / Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture.” their course is evil Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood. Proverbs 4:14-16 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. / Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by. / For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall. Isaiah 59:7-8 Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake. / The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace. and their power is misused. Ezekiel 22:6-7 See how every prince of Israel within you has used his power to shed blood. / Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed. Micah 2:1 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. Isaiah 10:1-2 Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder. Hosea 4:1-3 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land! / Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. / Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear. Treasury of Scripture For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. full. Jeremiah 5:7,8 How 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… Jeremiah 7:9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; Jeremiah 9:2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. because. Zechariah 5:3,4 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it… 1 Timothy 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; swearing. Jeremiah 12:3,4 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter… Jeremiah 14:2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. Lamentations 1:2-4 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies… the pleasant. Jeremiah 9:10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. Psalm 107:34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. Isaiah 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. course. Jump to Previous Adulterers Course Curse Desert Dried Dry Evil Execration Fields Follow Force Full Green Grief Lies Mourned Mourneth Mourns Parched Pastures Places Pleasant Power Prophets Right Strength Swearing Untrue Use Waste Wilderness Withered WivesJump to Next Adulterers Course Curse Desert Dried Dry Evil Execration Fields Follow Force Full Green Grief Lies Mourned Mourneth Mourns Parched Pastures Places Pleasant Power Prophets Right Strength Swearing Untrue Use Waste Wilderness Withered WivesJeremiah 23 1. He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock.5. Christ shall rule and save them. 9. Against false prophets; 33. and mockers of the true prophets. For the land is full of adulterers— This phrase highlights the pervasive moral decay in the society of Judah during Jeremiah's time. Adultery here can be understood both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it refers to the violation of the marriage covenant, which was rampant. Metaphorically, it signifies spiritual unfaithfulness to God, as the people pursued idolatry and false gods, akin to spiritual adultery. This theme of unfaithfulness is echoed in other prophetic books, such as Hosea, where Israel's idolatry is likened to marital infidelity. because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up— their course is evil and their power is misused. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his prophecies concerning the judgment and restoration of Israel. He is the author of the Book of Jeremiah. 2. The Land Refers to the land of Judah, which is experiencing moral and spiritual decay due to the people's unfaithfulness to God. 3. Adulterers Symbolically represents those who are unfaithful to God, engaging in idolatry and moral corruption. 4. The Curse Represents the consequences of the people's sin, leading to the land's mourning and desolation. 5. Pastures of the Wilderness Symbolizes the natural world suffering due to human sin, reflecting the broader impact of moral decay. Teaching Points The Consequences of SinSin has tangible effects not only on individuals but also on the land and community. Our actions have broader implications than we might realize. Spiritual Adultery Just as physical adultery breaks the covenant of marriage, spiritual adultery breaks our covenant with God. We must remain faithful to Him. The Misuse of Power Power and authority are gifts from God meant to be used for good. Misusing them leads to corruption and societal decay. The Call to Repentance Recognizing the impact of sin should lead us to repentance and a renewed commitment to God. Hope for Restoration Despite the dire situation, God offers hope and restoration for those who turn back to Him. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Jeremiah 23:10?2. How does Jeremiah 23:10 describe the consequences of a land filled with sin? 3. What actions can we take to avoid the "curse" mentioned in Jeremiah 23:10? 4. How does Jeremiah 23:10 connect with God's call for righteousness in other scriptures? 5. In what ways can we ensure our actions align with God's will today? 6. How can we encourage others to turn from sin as warned in Jeremiah 23:10? 7. What does Jeremiah 23:10 reveal about God's judgment on the land due to sin? 8. How does Jeremiah 23:10 relate to the consequences of false prophecy? 9. What historical context influenced the message in Jeremiah 23:10? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 23? 11. Why does Psalm 79 place sole blame on invading nations without acknowledging Israel's own possible role in its downfall? 12. How do the Old and New Covenants differ? 13. How do claims in Ezekiel 36 about Israel's future prosperity reconcile with other biblical passages that predict ongoing hardship for the same people? 14. What does 'reviler' mean in the Bible? What Does Jeremiah 23:10 Mean For the land is full of adulterersJeremiah does not exaggerate; spiritual and physical unfaithfulness has saturated Judah. • “Adulterers” points first to literal marital infidelity (Exodus 20:14) and then to spiritual betrayal—abandoning covenant loyalty to God for idols (Jeremiah 3:6–9). • The same indictment appears in Hosea 4:1–3, where unfaithfulness brings ecological collapse. • Jesus later reiterates that adulterous hearts reveal a generation that resists truth (Matthew 12:39). God’s assessment is straightforward: pervasive unfaithfulness breaks His heart and breaks society. Because of the curse, the land mourns The moral state of the people directly affects their environment. • Leviticus 26:18–20 warns that continued sin invites covenant curses, including barren land. • Isaiah 24:4–6 paints the earth itself as languishing because people “have broken the everlasting covenant.” • Romans 8:20–22 adds a New-Testament echo: creation groans under human sin. When God’s moral order is ignored, creation itself testifies that something is wrong. and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up The prophet describes visible drought as proof of invisible guilt. • Joel 1:10–12 details similar desolation: fields ruined, grain dried up, joy withered away. • Psalm 107:33–34 explains the principle: “He turns rivers into desert…because of the wickedness of those who dwell there”. • In Elijah’s day, idolatry brought a three-year drought (1 Kings 17–18); Judah should have remembered. The withered pasture is a sermon in soil and sky: repent or perish. their course is evil Jeremiah moves from environmental evidence back to moral root. • “Course” speaks of habitual direction (Proverbs 4:14–15). • Isaiah 59:7 describes feet that “run toward evil,” matching Judah’s trajectory. • 2 Timothy 3:13 later observes that the ungodly “proceed from bad to worse,” a timeless pattern. Sin is not an accident; it is a chosen path, walked long enough to leave deep ruts. and their power is misused Leadership designed for justice has become a tool of oppression. • Micah 3:9–11 rebukes rulers who “build Zion with bloodshed.” • Habakkuk 1:4 laments, “The law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth.” • Jesus warns that those given much influence will be judged more strictly (Luke 12:48). When authority departs from God’s standards, society suffers and God’s judgment intensifies. summary Jeremiah 23:10 ties together unfaithfulness, covenant curse, environmental decay, moral depravity, and corrupted power. God’s word stands literally true: sin brings tangible fallout. The land itself cries out, urging repentance and a return to covenant loyalty so that blessing may replace barrenness. (10) The land is full of adulterers.--The context shows that the words must be taken literally, and not of the spiritual adultery of the worship of other Gods. The false prophets and their followers were personally profligates, like those of 2Peter 2:14. (Comp. Jeremiah 5:7-8; Jeremiah 29:23.)Because of swearing.--Better, because of the curse--i.e., that which comes from Jehovah on account of the wickedness of the people. The land mourneth.--This, and the "drying up" of the "pleasant places" or "pastures," refers apparently to the drought described in Jeremiah 12:4; Jeremiah 14:2, or to some similar visitation. . . . Verse 10. - The land is full of adulterers. The false prophets connive at flagrant immoralities, one of which is mentioned as a typical sin. As to the nature of the adultery, see note on Jeremiah 5:7. Because of swearing; rather, because of the curse; the curse, namely, with which God punishes the guilty earth (comp. Zechariah 5:3; Daniel 9:11; and especially Isaiah 24:6, where in the original there is a paronomasia very similar to that here). The land mourneth; a figurative expression, suggested partly by the assonance of the word for "curse." Drought is what is meant (comp. Jeremiah 12:4; Jeremiah 14:1, 2). The pleasant places of the wilderness; rather, the pastures of the prairie-land ("wilderness" suggests ideas very alien to the context). Their course; literally, their running (comp. Jeremiah 8:6). The subject is "the inhabitants of the land." Their force is not right; rather, their might (or, heroism) is untruth. They are "mighty men" only in telling untruths (comp. Jeremiah 9:3; Isaiah 5:22).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Forכִּ֤י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction the land הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land is full of מָלְאָ֣ה (mā·lə·’āh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of adulterers— מְנָֽאֲפִים֙ (mə·nā·’ă·p̄îm) Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 5003: To commit adultery, to apostatize because of מִפְּנֵ֤י (mip·pə·nê) Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct Strong's 6440: The face the curse אָלָה֙ (’ā·lāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 423: An imprecation the land הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land mourns, אָבְלָ֣ה (’ā·ḇə·lāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 56: To bewail and the pastures נְא֣וֹת (nə·’ō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural construct Strong's 4999: Habitation, house, pasture, pleasant place of the wilderness מִדְבָּ֑ר (miḏ·bār) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech have dried up— יָבְשׁ֖וּ (yā·ḇə·šū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 3001: To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither their course מְרֽוּצָתָם֙ (mə·rū·ṣā·ṯām) Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 4794: A running, course is וַתְּהִ֤י (wat·tə·hî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be evil רָעָ֔ה (rā·‘āh) Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 7451: Bad, evil and their power וּגְבוּרָתָ֖ם (ū·ḡə·ḇū·rā·ṯām) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 1369: Force, valor, victory is misused. לֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no Links Jeremiah 23:10 NIVJeremiah 23:10 NLT Jeremiah 23:10 ESV Jeremiah 23:10 NASB Jeremiah 23:10 KJV Jeremiah 23:10 BibleApps.com Jeremiah 23:10 Biblia Paralela Jeremiah 23:10 Chinese Bible Jeremiah 23:10 French Bible Jeremiah 23:10 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Jeremiah 23:10 For the land is full of adulterers (Jer.) |
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