Jeremiah 29:23 (YLT)

Passage

Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I <FI>am<Fi> He who knoweth and a witness--an affirmation of Jehovah.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 29:21 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you in My name falsehood: Lo, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he hath smitten them before your eyes,

Jeremiah 29:22 And taken from them hath been a reviling by all the removed of Judah that <FI>are<Fi> in Babylon, saying, Jehovah doth set thee as Zedekiah, and as Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire;

Jeremiah 29:23 Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I <FI>am<Fi> He who knoweth and a witness--an affirmation of Jehovah.

Jeremiah 29:24 `And unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou dost speak, saying,

Jeremiah 29:25 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, Because that thou hast sent in thy name letters unto all the people who <FI>are<Fi> in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests, saying,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "done", "folly", "israel", "commit", "adultery", "wives", "neighbours", and "speak". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "done" and "folly", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And taken from them hath been a..." into verse 24's "And unto Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou dost...", so "done" and "folly" 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 "done" and "folly" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.