Jeremiah 22:21
New International Version
I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.

New Living Translation
I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, ‘Don’t bother me.’ You have been that way since childhood— you simply will not obey me!

English Standard Version
I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice.

Berean Standard Bible
I warned you when you were secure. You said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice.

King James Bible
I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

New King James Version
I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said, ‘I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, That you did not obey My voice.

New American Standard Bible
“I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice.

NASB 1995
“I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your practice from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice.

NASB 1977
“I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your practice from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice.

Legacy Standard Bible
I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth, That you have not listened to My voice.

Amplified Bible
“I spoke to you in your [times of] prosperity, But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your attitude and practice from your youth; You have not obeyed My voice.

Christian Standard Bible
I spoke to you when you were secure. You said, “I will not listen.” This has been your way since youth; indeed, you have never listened to me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I spoke to you when you were secure. You said, “I will not listen.” This has been your way since youth; indeed, you have never listened to Me.

American Standard Version
I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

Contemporary English Version
When times were good, I warned you. But you ignored me, just as you have done since Israel was young.

English Revised Version
I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I spoke to you when you were prosperous, but you said that you wouldn't listen. This is how you've been ever since you were young. You don't listen to me.

Good News Translation
The LORD spoke to you when you were prosperous, but you refused to listen. That is what you've done all your life; you never would obey the LORD.

International Standard Version
I spoke to you when you were secure, but you said, "I won't listen!" This has been your way since your youth, for you haven't obeyed me.

Majority Standard Bible
I warned you when you were secure. You said, ?I will not listen.? This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice.

NET Bible
While you were feeling secure I gave you warning. But you said, "I refuse to listen to you." That is the way you have acted from your earliest history onward. Indeed, you have never paid attention to me.

New Heart English Bible
I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, 'I will not hear.' This has been your way from your youth, that you did not obey my voice.

Webster's Bible Translation
I spoke to thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidest, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou hast not obeyed my voice.

World English Bible
I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I have spoken to you in your ease, "" You have said, I do not listen, "" This [is] your way from your youth, "" For you have not listened to My voice.

Young's Literal Translation
I have spoken unto thee in thine ease, Thou hast said, 'I do not hearken,' This is thy way from thy youth, For thou hast not hearkened to My voice.

Smith's Literal Translation
I spake to thee in thy, securities, thou saidst, I will not hear. This thy way from thy youth, for thou heardest not to my voice.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I spoke to thee in thy properity: and thoiu saidst: I will not hear: this hath been thy way from thy youth, because thou hast not heard my voice.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I spoke to you in your abundance, and you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, for you have not listened to my voice.

New American Bible
I spoke to you when you were secure, but you answered, “I will not listen.” This has been your way from your youth, not to listen to my voice.

New Revised Standard Version
I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, “I will not listen.” This has been your way from your youth, for you have not obeyed my voice.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, I will not listen. This has been your way from your youth, you did not obey my voice.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I have spoken to you in your prosperity, and you said: “I will not listen.” This is your way from your youth, and you have not listened to my voice
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I spoke unto thee in thy prosperity, But thou saidst: 'I will not hear.' This hath been thy manner from thy youth, That thou hearkenedst not to My voice.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I spoke to thee on occasion of thy trespass, but thou saidst, I will not hearken. This has been thy way from thy youth, thou hast not hearkened to my voice.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Warning about Jehoiakim
20Go up to Lebanon and cry out; raise your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers have been crushed. 21I warned you when you were secure. You said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice. 22The wind will drive away all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Then you will be ashamed and humiliated because of all your wickedness.…

Cross References
Proverbs 1:24-25
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, / because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,

Isaiah 30:9-11
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction. / They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions. / Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

Zechariah 7:11-12
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. / They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Hosea 11:2
But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images.

Amos 4:6-11
“I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. / “I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. / People staggered from city to city for water to drink, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. ...

Psalm 81:11-12
But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me. / So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

Isaiah 65:12
I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

Ezekiel 3:7
But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Acts 7:51-53
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. / Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— / you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”

Romans 10:21
But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Hebrews 3:7-8
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,

John 5:39-40
You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, / yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.

Luke 13:34
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!


Treasury of Scripture

I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, I will not hear. This has been your manner from your youth, that you obeyed not my voice.

I spake.

Jeremiah 2:31
O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Jeremiah 35:15
I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

prosperity.

Jeremiah 3:25
We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 7:22-28
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: …

Jeremiah 32:30
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.

Jump to Previous
Ear Earliest Ease Felt Hear Hearken Hearkened Hearkenedst Manner Obey Obeyed Obeyedst Practice Prosperity Secure Time Voice Warned Way Well-Being Word Youth
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Ear Earliest Ease Felt Hear Hearken Hearkened Hearkenedst Manner Obey Obeyed Obeyedst Practice Prosperity Secure Time Voice Warned Way Well-Being Word Youth
Jeremiah 22
1. He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats.
10. The judgment of Shallum;
13. of Jehoiakim;
20. and of Coniah.














I warned you
The Hebrew root for "warned" is "עָדָה" (adah), which conveys the idea of solemnly testifying or admonishing. This word underscores God's proactive engagement with His people, emphasizing His desire to guide and protect them. Historically, prophets were sent to deliver these warnings, serving as God's mouthpiece. This phrase reminds us of God's persistent love and patience, as He continually reaches out to His people despite their waywardness.

when you prospered
The term "prospered" comes from the Hebrew "שָׁלוֹם" (shalom), often translated as peace or well-being. In this context, it refers to a time of security and abundance. Prosperity can be a double-edged sword, as it often leads to complacency and self-reliance, causing people to forget their dependence on God. This phrase serves as a cautionary reminder that material success should not lead to spiritual neglect.

but you said, ‘I will not listen!’
The phrase "I will not listen" reflects a deliberate choice to ignore divine instruction. The Hebrew "שָׁמַע" (shama) means to hear or listen with the intent to obey. This refusal to listen is not due to ignorance but a willful rejection of God's voice. It highlights the rebellious nature of the people, who choose their own path over God's guidance, a theme recurrent throughout Israel's history.

This has been your way from youth
The word "way" in Hebrew is "דֶּרֶךְ" (derekh), meaning path or manner of life. The phrase "from youth" suggests a long-standing pattern of behavior, indicating that this rebellion is deeply ingrained. Historically, Israel's disobedience began early in their national history, as seen in their wilderness wanderings. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of habitual sin and the importance of early spiritual formation.

you have not obeyed My voice
"Obeyed" comes from the Hebrew "שָׁמַע" (shama), the same root as "listen," emphasizing the connection between hearing and doing. "My voice" refers to God's commands and teachings, delivered through the prophets and the Scriptures. This phrase underscores the central biblical theme of obedience as a response to God's covenantal relationship with His people. It challenges believers to examine their own responsiveness to God's word and to cultivate a heart that is quick to obey.

(21) In thy prosperity.--Literally, prosperities. The word is used, as in Proverbs 1:32; Ezekiel 16:49; Psalm 30:6, in reference to what in old English was called "security," the careless, reckless temper engendered by outward prosperity. The plural is used to include all the forms of that temper that had been manifested in the course of centuries.

Verse 21. - From thy youth; i.e. from the time that thou didst become a nation (comp. Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:15). It is the Exodus which is referred to.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I warned
דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי (dib·bar·tî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

you
אֵלַ֙יִךְ֙ (’ê·la·yiḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

when you were secure.
בְּשַׁלְוֺתַ֔יִךְ (bə·šal·wō·ṯa·yiḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7962: Quietness, ease

You said,
אָמַ֖רְתְּ (’ā·mart)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘I will not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

listen.’
אֶשְׁמָ֑ע (’eš·mā‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

This
זֶ֤ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

has been your way
דַרְכֵּךְ֙ (ḏar·kêḵ)
Noun - common singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

from youth,
מִנְּעוּרַ֔יִךְ (min·nə·‘ū·ra·yiḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5271: Youth, the state, the persons

that
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you have not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

you obeyed
שָׁמַ֖עַתְּ (šā·ma·‘at)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

My voice.
בְּקוֹלִֽי׃ (bə·qō·w·lî)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 22:21 I spoke to you in your prosperity (Jer.)
Jeremiah 22:20
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