· Translation: KJV

Jeremiah 26:15Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for of a truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.

The setting

Jerusalem, ~608 BC. Jeremiah's final plea before execution. He shifts from defending himself to warning his judges about bloodguilt. Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.

The emotion here: desperate urgency mixed with genuine concern for his accusers

The original word

naqiy (נָקִי) — innocent, clean, free from guilt; legally used for wrongful execution

Why it matters

Ancient Near Eastern law held entire communities responsible for shedding innocent blood

Read with care

What most readers miss in Jeremiah 26:15

Jeremiah stops defending himself and starts protecting THEM from making a terrible mistake

Common misconceptionThis sounds like a threat, but Jeremiah is actually trying to save his judges from the consequence of murdering God's messenger.

Bible Genome reading

Jeremiah 26:15 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerJeremiah
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typeprophecy
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability60%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone70%
Themes:consequencestruth

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Jeremiah 26

Jeremiah 26:15 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include consequences, truth. Notable phrases: innocent blood; of a truth. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

What does Jeremiah 26:15 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "anxious"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.