Parallel Verses

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.

New American Standard Bible

For My people are foolish,
They know Me not;
They are stupid children
And have no understanding.
They are shrewd to do evil,
But to do good they do not know.”

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.

Holman Bible

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

International Standard Version

"For my people are foolish, they don't know me. They're stupid children, they have no understanding. They're skilled at doing evil, but how to do good, they don't know."

Amplified


“For My people are stupid and foolish,” [says the Lord to Jeremiah];
“They do not know Me;
They are foolish children
And have no understanding.
They are shrewd [enough] to do evil,
But they do not know [how] to do good.”

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.

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.

Julia Smith Translation

For my people are foolish, they knew me not; foolish sons are they and they not understanding; wise are they to do evil, and to do good they knew not

King James 2000

For my people are foolish, they have not known me; they are stupid children, and they have no understanding: they are wise to do evil, but how to do good they have no knowledge.

Lexham Expanded Bible

"For my people [are] foolish, they have not known me. They [are] foolish children, and they do not have insight. They [are] skillful at doing evil, and they do not know [how] to do good."

Modern King James verseion

For My people are foolish; they have not known Me; they are stupid sons, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

"Nevertheless this shall come upon them because my people is become foolish, and hath utterly no understanding. They are the children of foolishness, and without any discretion. To do evil, they have wit enough: but to do well, they have no wisdom."

NET Bible

The Lord answered, "This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do good."

New Heart English Bible

"For my people are foolish, they do not know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."

The Emphasized Bible

Surely, perverse, is my people Me, have they not known, Foolish sons, they are, Yea without understanding, they are: Wise, they are to commit wickedness, But how to do well, they know not!

Webster

For my people are foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have no 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 to do good they have no knowledge."

Youngs 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.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
For my people
עם 
`am 
Usage: 1867

is foolish
אויל 
'eviyl 
Usage: 26

סכל 
Cakal 
Usage: 7

חכם 
Chakam 
Usage: 137

to do evil
רעע 
Ra`a` 
Usage: 98

but to do good
יטב 
Yatab 
Usage: 115

References

Fausets

Morish

Context Readings

An Invasion From The North

21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22 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. 23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

Cross References

Romans 16:19

For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I rejoice therefore over you: but I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil.

1 Corinthians 14:20

Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.

Isaiah 1:3

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Jeremiah 5:4

Then I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God:

Jeremiah 5:21

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

Romans 1:22

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Deuteronomy 32:6

Do ye thus requite Jehovah, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? He hath made thee, and established thee.

Deuteronomy 32:28

For they are a nation void of counsel, And there is no understanding in them.

2 Samuel 13:3

But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.

2 Samuel 16:21-23

And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

Psalm 14:1-4

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works; There is none that doeth good.

Isaiah 6:9-10

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

Isaiah 27:11

When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off; the women shall come, and set them on fire; for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have compassion upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favor.

Isaiah 29:10-12

For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered.

Isaiah 42:19-20

Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace with me , and blind as Jehovah's servant?

Jeremiah 8:7-9

Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the law of Jehovah.

Jeremiah 10:8

But they are together brutish and foolish: the instruction of idols! it is but a stock.

Jeremiah 13:23

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Hosea 4:1

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

Hosea 5:4

Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not Jehovah.

Micah 2:1

Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

Matthew 23:16-26

Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.

Luke 16:8

And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.

John 16:3

And these things will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

Romans 1:28

And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Romans 3:11

There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;

1 Corinthians 1:20-21

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

King James Version Public Domain

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International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

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Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain