Jeremiah 13:16

Verse

Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.

American Standard Version (1901)

Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

Bible in Basic English

Give glory to the Lord your God, before he makes it dark, and before your feet are slipping on the dark mountains, and, while you are looking for a light, he makes it into deep dark, into black night.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Give ye glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains: you shall look for light, and he will turn it into the shadow of death, and into darkness.

Free Bible Version

Honor the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before you trip and fall in the twilight on the mountains. You long for light to come, but he send only gloom and complete darkness.

Geneva Bible 1599

Giue glory to the Lord your God before he bring darknes, and or euer your feete stumble in the darke mountaines, and whiles you look for light, he turne it into the shadowe of death and make it as darkenesse.

King James (Authorized) Version

Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

Translation for Translators

It is as though he is ready to bring darkness on you and to cause you to stumble and fall as you walk on the hills when it is becoming dark. So praise/honor Yahweh your God before that happens. If you do not do that, you will look for light, but all you will see is darkness and gloom.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Give honor to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness, and before he causes your feet to stumble on the mountains at twilight. For you are hoping for light, but he will turn the place into a deep darkness, into a dark cloud.

Noah Webster Bible

Give glory to the LORD your God, before he shall cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he shall turn it into the shades of death, and make it gross darkness.

World English Bible

Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it deep darkness.

Young's Literal Translation

Give ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed [it] for thick darkness.

Context

Captivity Threatened

¹⁵Listen and give heed. Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. ¹⁶Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness. ¹⁷But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.

Summary

This verse serves as a warning from the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah, urging them to give glory to God before it is too late. It emphasizes the importance of humility and repentance, highlighting the consequences of pride and disobedience. The imagery of darkness and deep shadows symbolizes the impending judgment and the need for spiritual awakening. Ultimately, the verse calls for a change of heart and a return to God before facing the severe consequences of sin.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Give glory, &c.--Show by repentance and obedience to God, that you revere His majesty. So Joshua exhorted Achan to "give glory to God" by confessing his crime, thereby showing he revered the All-knowing God. stumble--image from travellers stumbling into a fatal abyss when overtaken by nightfall (Isa 5:30; Isa 59:9-10; Amo 8:9). dark mountains--literally, "mountains of twilight" or "gloom," which cast such a gloomy shadow that the traveller stumbles against an opposing rock before he sees it (Joh 11:10; Joh 12:35). shadow of death--the densest gloom; death shade (Psa 44:19). Light and darkness are images of prosperity and adversity.

John Gill Bible Commentary

But if ye will not hear it,.... The advice and exhortation now given, to repent of sin, be humble before God, and glorify him: my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; he would no more act in a public character; but, laying aside his office as a prophet and public instructor, would retire to some corner, where he might not be seen or heard, and there lament the sins of the people, particularly their "pride", which had been the cause of their ruin; or mourn on account of their glory and excellency, as the word may be rendered, which would depart from them; their city and temple would be burnt; and their king, princes, and nobles, and the flower of the nation, carried into Babylon; so the Jews (a) interpret it of the glory of Israel, which should cease from them, and be given to the nations of the world; See Gill on Jer 13:9; mine eyes shall weep sore; or, "shedding tears it shall shed tears" (b); in great abundance, being, as he wished his eyes might be, a fountain of tears to weep night and day, Jer 9:1, and run down with tears; or, "mine eye let down tears" (c); upon the cheek in great plenty. The phrases are expressive of the sorrow of his heart for the distresses of his people, and of the certainty of them; the reason of which follows: because the Lord's flock is carried away captive: that is, the Lord's people, as the Targum; to whom he stood in the relation of a shepherd, and they to him under the character of a flock; and this was what so sensibly touched the heart of the prophet, that they were a people that the Lord had an interest in, a regard unto, and among whom he had been formerly glorified; wherefore it was to the loss of his honour and interest that these should be given into the hands of their enemies, and be carried captive; and this troubled him, for nothing lies nearer the heart of a good man than the glory of God. (a) T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 5. 2. (b) "et lachrymando lachrymabitur", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt. (c) "et descendet oculus meus lachrymam", Montanus, "lachrymis", Cocceius; "descendere faciet", Pagninus; "demittet", Targ.