For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
Parallel translations
- WEB It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the middle of her.
- BSB But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
- NKJV Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just.
- NASB Because of the sins of her prophets And the wrongdoings of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous,
- NLT Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.
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
The catastrophe came because of the sins of Jerusalem's prophets and priests, who shed innocent blood.
Overview
The poet names the corruption of the spiritual leaders as a chief cause of the disaster. False prophets and unfaithful priests had shed righteous blood in the city. This indictment of corrupt leadership underscores the seriousness of leading God's people astray and heightens the need for the faithful Prophet and Priest, Jesus Christ (Heb. 7:26-27; Matt. 23:35).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Jer 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
- Jer 6:13For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
- Jer 26:8–9Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
- Lam 2:14Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.
- Matt 23:31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
- Ezek 22:26–28Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
- Matt 23:33–37Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
- 1 Th 2:15–16Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
- Jer 14:14Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
- Luke 11:47–51Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
- Jer 23:11–21For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
- Mic 3:11–12The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
- Acts 7:52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
- Jer 2:20For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
- Zeph 3:3–4Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The weeping over a ruined city and the steadfast mercies that are new every morning point to the man of sorrows who wept over Jerusalem and whose mercy rises new from the grave.
How Lamentations 4:13 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.