King James Version

Jeremiah 12:16

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.

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Hebrew

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וְהָיָ֡הvehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…לָמֹ֣דlamodteachלָמַדverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “teach”, the verb used for emphasisH3925properly, to goad, i.e. (by implication) to teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive)(un-) accustomed, [idiom] diligently, expert, instruct, learn, skilful, teach(-er, -ing).יִלְמְדוּ֩yilmedvteachלָמַדverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “teach”, an unfinished actionH3925properly, to goad, i.e. (by implication) to teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive)(un-) accustomed, [idiom] diligently, expert, instruct, learn, skilful, teach(-er, -ing).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).דַּֽרְכֵ֨יdarkhealongדֶּרֶךְnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “along”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1870a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverbalong, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).עַמִּ֜יamipeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “people”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.לְהִשָּׁבֵ֤עַlehishaveato swearשָׁבַעpreposition, verb, niphal, infinitive construct — “to swear”, the to-form of the verbH7650to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times)adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full (by mistake for H7646 (שָׂבַע)), take an oath, [idiom] straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.בִּשְׁמִי֙bishmiin fameשֵׁםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “in fame”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8034an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character[phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.חַיchaylifeחַיadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.יְהוָ֔הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רkaasheras becauseאֲשֶׁרpreposition, particle, relative — “as because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…לִמְּדוּ֙limdvteachלָמַדverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “teach”, a completed actionH3925properly, to goad, i.e. (by implication) to teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive)(un-) accustomed, [idiom] diligently, expert, instruct, learn, skilful, teach(-er, -ing).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).עַמִּ֔יamipeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “people”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.לְהִשָּׁבֵ֖עַlehishaveato swearשָׁבַעpreposition, verb, niphal, infinitive construct — “to swear”, the to-form of the verbH7650to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times)adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full (by mistake for H7646 (שָׂבַע)), take an oath, [idiom] straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.בַּבָּ֑עַלbabaalin Baalבַּעַלpreposition, with the article, noun, proper name — “in Baal”H1168Baal, a Phoenician deityBaal, (plural) Baalim.וְנִבְנ֖וּvenivnvand buildבָּנָהconjunction, verb, niphal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and build”, a completed action in a sequenceH1129to build (literally and figuratively)(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.בְּת֥וֹךְbetokhein amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).עַמִּֽיamipeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “people”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people to swear by My name: 'As the LORD liveth,' even as they taught My people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built up in the midst of My people.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As Jehovah liveth; even as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built up in the midst of my people.

Young’s Literal Translation

And it hath come to pass, If they learn well the ways of My people, To swear by My name, 'Jehovah liveth,' As they taught My people to swear by Baal, Then they have been built up in the midst of My people.

World English Bible

It will happen, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As Yahweh lives;’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the middle of my people.

Darby Translation

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, [As] Jehovah liveth — even as they taught my people to swear by Baal — they shall be built up in the midst of my people.

Douay-Rheims

And it shall come to pass, if they will be taught, and will learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name: The Lord liveth, as they have taught my people to swear by baal: that they shall be built up in the midst of my people.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And it shall be, if they will indeed learn the way of my people, to swear by my name, saying , The Lord lives; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall that nation be built in the midst of my people.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν μαθόντες μάθωσι τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ λαοῦ μου, τοῦ ὀμνύειν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ζῇ Κύριος, καθὼς ἐδίδαξαν τὸν λαόν μου ὀμνύειν τῇ Βάαλ, καὶ οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ μου.