Jeremiah 17:18 (KJV)

Passage

Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 17:16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

Jeremiah 17:17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.

Jeremiah 17:18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Jeremiah 17:19 Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

Jeremiah 17:20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "confounded", "persecute", "dismayed", "bring", "upon", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "confounded" and "persecute", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Be not a terror unto me thou..." into verse 19's "Thus said the LORD unto me Go...", so "confounded" and "persecute" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "confounded" and "persecute" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.