Jeremiah 4:4
New International Version
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it.

New Living Translation
O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.

English Standard Version
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”

Berean Standard Bible
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”

King James Bible
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

New King James Version
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.”

New American Standard Bible
“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your hearts, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will spread like fire And burn with no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

NASB 1995
“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

NASB 1977
“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My wrath go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My wrath go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it Because of the evil of your deeds.”

Amplified Bible
“Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts.”

Christian Standard Bible
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. Otherwise, my wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of your evil deeds.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of your evil deeds.

American Standard Version
Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Contemporary English Version
With all your hearts, keep the agreement I made with you. But if you are stubborn and keep on sinning, my anger will burn like a fire that cannot be put out. *

English Revised Version
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Be circumcised by the LORD, and get rid of the foreskins of your hearts, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you don't, my fury will flare up like a fire. It will burn, and no one will be able to put it out, because of the evil you do.

Good News Translation
Keep your covenant with me, your LORD, and dedicate yourselves to me, you people of Judah and Jerusalem. If you don't, my anger will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. It will burn, and there will be no one to put it out."

International Standard Version
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskin of your heart, you men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem, or else my wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to put it out, because of your evil deeds."

Majority Standard Bible
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”

NET Bible
Just as ritual circumcision cuts away the foreskin as an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment, you must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the LORD and get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to me, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you do not, my anger will blaze up like a flaming fire against you that no one will be able to extinguish. That will happen because of the evil you have done."

New Heart English Bible
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Webster's Bible Translation
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

World English Bible
Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Be circumcised to YHWH, "" And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, "" O man of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, "" Lest My fury goes out as fire, and has burned, "" And there is none quenching, "" Because of the evil of your doings.”

Young's Literal Translation
Be circumcised to Jehovah, And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, O man of Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury go out as fire, and hath burned, And there is none quenching, Because of the evil of your doings.

Smith's Literal Translation
Be circumcised to Jehovah, and remove the uncircumcision of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath shall come forth as fire, and burn, and none quenching it from the face of the evil of your doings.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, ye men of Juda, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my indignation come forth like fire, and burn, and there be none that can quench it: because of the wickedness of your thoughts.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins from your hearts, O men of Judah, O inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise my indignation may burst forth and flare up like a fire. And then there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the wickedness of your thoughts.

New American Bible
Be circumcised for the LORD, remove the foreskins of your hearts, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Or else my anger will break out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of your evil deeds.

New Revised Standard Version
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, remove the foreskin of your hearts, O people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or else my wrath will go forth like fire, and burn with no one to quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Be circumcised to LORD JEHOVAH and take away the uncircumcision of your heart, men of Judea and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my wrath will go forth as fire, and it will burn and there is no one quenching it, because of the wickedness of your deeds
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your heart, Ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Lest My fury go forth like fire, And burn that none can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Circumcise yourselves to your God, and circumcise your hardness of heart, ye men of Juda, and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my wrath go forth as fire, and burn, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your devices.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Calls Israel by His Promise
3For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns. 4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”

Cross References
Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

Romans 2:29
No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

Colossians 2:11
In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.

Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?

Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.

Leviticus 26:41
and I acted with hostility toward them and brought them into the land of their enemies—and if their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled and they will make amends for their iniquity,

Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.

Isaiah 1:16-17
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! / Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”

1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

Joel 2:13
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Romans 6:13
Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.

Ezekiel 11:19-20
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, / so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.


Treasury of Scripture

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

take

Jeremiah 9:26
Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

Deuteronomy 30:6
And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

lest

Jeremiah 21:5,12
And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath…

Jeremiah 23:19
Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

Jeremiah 36:7
It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.

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Burn Circumcise Doings Evil Fire Foreskins Forth Fury Heart Inhabitants Jerusalem Judah Quench Wrath Yourselves
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Burn Circumcise Doings Evil Fire Foreskins Forth Fury Heart Inhabitants Jerusalem Judah Quench Wrath Yourselves
Jeremiah 4
1. God calls Israel by his promise
3. He exhorts Judah to repentance by fearful judgments
19. A grievous lamentation for Judah














Circumcise yourselves to the LORD
The term "circumcise" here is derived from the Hebrew word "מול" (mul), which traditionally refers to the physical act of circumcision, a covenantal sign given to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:10-14). However, in this context, it is used metaphorically to signify a spiritual purification and dedication to God. The call is for the people to consecrate themselves wholly to the LORD, indicating a deep, personal commitment and transformation of the heart. This reflects the conservative Christian understanding that true faith is not merely external but involves an inward change and devotion to God.

remove the foreskin of your hearts
This phrase uses the metaphor of circumcision to describe the need for spiritual renewal. The "foreskin of your hearts" symbolizes the barriers and impurities that separate the people from God. In Hebrew thought, the heart is the center of will and emotion, and thus, removing the "foreskin" implies a call to repentance and the removal of sin and stubbornness. This aligns with the conservative Christian emphasis on repentance and the transformative power of God's grace to cleanse and renew the believer's heart.

O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem
This addresses the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, the southern kingdom of Israel. Historically, this was a time of moral and spiritual decline, with the people turning away from God to idolatry and injustice. The specific mention of Judah and Jerusalem underscores the seriousness of the message, as these were the heart of the Jewish nation and the location of the Temple, the center of worship. The conservative Christian perspective sees this as a reminder of the need for God's people to remain faithful and obedient, regardless of their heritage or location.

or My wrath will break out like fire
The imagery of fire is often used in the Bible to represent God's judgment and purifying presence. The Hebrew word for "wrath" here is "אף" (aph), which conveys intense anger. The warning is clear: without repentance, the people will face the consuming judgment of God. This serves as a sobering reminder of the holiness and justice of God, central themes in conservative Christian theology, which holds that God's wrath is a response to sin and a call to return to righteousness.

and burn with no one to extinguish it
This phrase emphasizes the inevitability and intensity of God's judgment if the people do not repent. The fire that "no one can extinguish" signifies the totality and inescapability of divine judgment. In the conservative Christian view, this underscores the urgency of repentance and the necessity of turning to God for salvation, as only He can provide deliverance from His righteous judgment.

because of your evil deeds
The phrase "evil deeds" refers to the sinful actions and behaviors that have provoked God's wrath. The Hebrew word for "evil" is "רע" (ra), which encompasses wickedness, immorality, and injustice. This highlights the cause of the impending judgment: the people's persistent sin and rebellion against God. From a conservative Christian perspective, this serves as a call to self-examination and a reminder of the consequences of sin, urging believers to live in accordance with God's will and righteousness.

(4) Circumcise yourselves to the Lord.--The words show that the prophet had grasped the meaning of the symbol which to so many Jews was merely an outward sign. He saw that the "foreskin of the heart" was the fleshly, unrenewed nature, the "flesh" as contrasted with the "spirit," the "old man" which St. Paul contrasts with the new (Romans 6:6; Romans 8:7). The verbal coincidence, with Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6 shows the influence of that book, of which we find so many traces in Jeremiah's teaching.

Lest my fury come forth like fire . . .--The words, which describe the righteousness of Jehovah as a consuming fire, have their parallel in Jeremiah 7:20, Amos 5:6, and form the transition to the picture of terror which opens in the next verse. . . .

Verse 4. - Circumcise yourselves to the Lord. A significant passage. All the Jews were circumcised, but not all were "circumcised to the Lord." There were but too many who were "circumcised in uncircumcision" (Jeremiah 9:25), and the prophet sternly reduces ouch circumcision to the level of the heathenish rite of cutting off the hair (Jeremiah 9:26; comp. Herod. 3:8). Jeremiah seems to have been specially anxious to counteract a merely formal, ritualistic notion of circumcision, sharing in this, as in other points, the influence of the Book of Deuteronomy, so lately found in the temple (comp. Deuteronomy 10:16). To him the venerable rite of circumcision (older, certainly, than Abraham) is a symbol of the devotion of the heart to its rightful Lord (comp. St. Paul in Romans 2:28, 29; Colossians 2:11; Philippians 3:3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Circumcise yourselves
הִמֹּ֣לוּ (him·mō·lū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 4135: To cut short, curtail, to blunt, to destroy

to the LORD,
לַיהֹוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

remove
וְהָסִ֙רוּ֙ (wə·hā·si·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

the foreskins
עָרְל֣וֹת (‘ā·rə·lō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 6190: The prepuce

of your hearts,
לְבַבְכֶ֔ם (lə·ḇaḇ·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart

O men
אִ֥ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of Judah
יְהוּדָ֖ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

and people
וְיֹשְׁבֵ֣י (wə·yō·šə·ḇê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

of Jerusalem.
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

Otherwise,
פֶּן־ (pen-)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

My wrath
חֲמָתִ֗י (ḥă·mā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2534: Heat, anger, poison

will break out
תֵּצֵ֨א (tê·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

like fire
כָאֵ֜שׁ (ḵā·’êš)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

and burn
וּבָעֲרָה֙ (ū·ḇā·‘ă·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish

with no
וְאֵ֣ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

one to extinguish it,
מְכַבֶּ֔ה (mə·ḵab·beh)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3518: To be quenched or extinguished, to go out

because of
מִפְּנֵ֖י (mip·pə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

your evil
רֹ֥עַ (rō·a‘)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7455: Badness, evil

deeds.”
מַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃ (ma·‘al·lê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 4611: A deed, practice


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh and take away (Jer.)
Jeremiah 4:3
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