But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice;
Parallel translations
- WEB For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if you thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor;
- KJV For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
- BSB For if you really correct your ways and deeds, if you act justly toward one another,
- NKJV “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,
- NASB For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a person and his neighbor,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God says that only if they truly reform their ways and practice justice will they remain in the land. True repentance shows itself in changed behavior toward others.
Overview
The conditional 'if you thoroughly amend' stresses sincerity and depth, not token change. Justice between neighbors becomes a concrete test of genuine repentance. God ties the people's security to ethical faithfulness, showing that authentic faith always bears fruit in righteous living.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Jer 4:1–2“If you will return, Israel,” says Yahweh, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you shall not be removed;
- Isa 1:19If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
- 1 Kgs 6:12–13“Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.
- Jer 7:3Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says, “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
- Jer 22:3Yahweh says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence, to the foreigner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place.
- Ezek 18:8he who has not lent on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,
- Ezek 18:17who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
- Isa 16:3Give counsel! Execute justice! Make your shade like the night in the middle of the noonday! Hide the outcasts! Don’t betray the fugitive!
- Judg 21:12They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
- Judg 5:1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 7:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.