· Translation: KJV

Jeremiah 27:14Don't listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy a lie to you.

The setting

Jerusalem, 597 BC. Jeremiah confronts religious leaders telling people to resist Babylon. Modern-day Israel/Palestine.

The emotion here: frustrated desperation at being the only voice of truth

The original word

sheqer (שֶׁקֶר) — deliberate deception, not mere mistake but intentional lie

Why it matters

Babylon had already taken 10,000 Jewish elites captive in 597 BC, but false prophets promised quick return

Read with care

What most readers miss in Jeremiah 27:14

These weren't obvious charlatans — they were respected religious leaders giving people hope

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about obvious false teachers, but these prophets were popular, respected, and telling people exactly what they wanted to hear about returning home soon.

Bible Genome reading

Jeremiah 27:14 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerJeremiah
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typeprophecy
MarkCommand
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability50%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance80%
Standalone60%
Themes:false prophecydiscernment

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Jeremiah 27

Jeremiah 27:14 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 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include false prophecy, discernment. Notable phrases: don't listen to the prophets; prophesy a lie. This verse contains a command. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

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