Jeremiah 38:23 net — “All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but wi…

NET Bible

"“All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.”"

— Jeremiah 38:23, NET Bible

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Jeremiah 38:23 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.”

  • ASV

    “And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire. ”

  • WEB

    “They shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans; and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.”

  • DRB

    “And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.”

  • BBE

    “And they will take all your wives and your children out to the Chaldaeans: and you will not get away out of their hands, but will be taken by the hands of the king of Babylon: and this town will be burned with fire.”

  • KJVA

    “So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.”

Jeremiah 38 — Context

20

Then Jeremiah answered,“You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the LORD by doing what I have been telling you. Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared.

21

But if you refuse to surrender, the LORD has shown me a vision of what will happen. Here is what I saw:

22

All the women who are left in the royal palace of Judah will be led out to the officers of the king of Babylon. They will taunt you saying,‘Your trusted friends misled you; they have gotten the best of you. Now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they have turned their backs on you.’

23

“All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.”

24

Then Zedekiah told Jeremiah,“Do not let anyone know about the conversation we have had. If you do, you will die.

25

The officials may hear that I have talked with you. They may come to you and say,‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you. Do not hide anything from us. If you do, we will kill you.’

26

If they do this, tell them,‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to die in the dungeon of Jonathan’s house.’”

Jeremiah 38:23 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Jeremiah 38:23 say?
Jeremiah 38:23 in the NET Bible reads: ““All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.””
Where is Jeremiah 38:23 in the Bible?
Jeremiah 38:23 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 38, verse 23.
Who wrote Jeremiah?
Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to Jeremiah, with scribal help from Baruch. It was written c. 627–580 BC.
What is the book of Jeremiah about?
Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet," ministered through Judah's slow-motion collapse — pleading with kings and people to repent, suffering imprisonment for his message, and ultimately watching Jerusalem fall. Yet in the midst of judgment he promises a new covenant written on the heart.
What are the major themes of Jeremiah?
Jeremiah explores themes including Judgment, Repentance, New Covenant, Suffering Prophet, Hope. These themes shape the meaning and context of Jeremiah 38:23.
What translation should I read Jeremiah 38:23 in?
Jeremiah 38:23 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Jeremiah 38:23?
Jeremiah 38:23 reads (NET): ““All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.”” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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