Jeremiah 2:25
New International Version
Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’

New Living Translation
When will you stop running? When will you stop panting after other gods? But you say, ‘Save your breath. I’m in love with these foreign gods, and I can’t stop loving them now!’

English Standard Version
Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners, and after them I will go.’

Berean Standard Bible
You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’

King James Bible
Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

New King James Version
Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.’

New American Standard Bible
“Keep your feet from being bare, And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And I will walk after them.’

NASB 1995
“Keep your feet from being unshod And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’

NASB 1977
“Keep your feet from being unshod And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’

Legacy Standard Bible
Keep your feet from being barefoot And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’

Amplified Bible
“[Cease your mad running after idols to] Keep your feet from becoming bare And your throat from becoming dry; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I have loved strangers and foreign gods, And I will walk after them.’

Christian Standard Bible
Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, “It’s hopeless; I love strangers, and I will continue to follow them.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, “It’s hopeless; I love strangers, and I will continue to follow them.”

American Standard Version
Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, It is in vain; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

Contemporary English Version
Your shoes are worn out, and your throat is parched from running here and there to worship foreign gods. "Stop!" I shouted, but you replied, "No! I love those gods too much."

English Revised Version
Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't run until your feet are bare and your throats are dry. But you say that it's useless. You love foreign gods and follow them.

Good News Translation
Israel, don't wear your feet out, or let your throat become dry from chasing after other gods. But you say, 'No! I can't turn back. I have loved foreign gods and will go after them.'"

International Standard Version
"Don't run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you say, 'It's hopeless! Because I love foreign gods, I'll go after them!'"

Majority Standard Bible
You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ?It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.?

NET Bible
Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out and your throats become dry. But you say, 'It is useless for you to try and stop me because I love those foreign gods and want to pursue them!'

New Heart English Bible
"Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.'

Webster's Bible Translation
Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

World English Bible
“Keep your feet from being bare, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Withhold your foot from being unshod, "" And your throat from thirst, "" And you say, It is incurable, "" No, for I have loved strangers, and I go after them.

Young's Literal Translation
Withhold thy foot from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst, And thou sayest, 'It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and after them I go.'

Smith's Literal Translation
Withhold thy foot from being barefoot, and thy throat from thirst: and thou wilt say, Despairing, no; for I loved strangers, and after them will I go.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Keep thy foot from being bare, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst: I have lost all hope, I will not do it: for I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You should keep your foot from being naked, and your throat from being thirsty. But you have said: ‘I have lost hope. I will not do it. For certainly, I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.’

New American Bible
Stop wearing out your feet and parching your throat! But you say, “No use! No! How I love these strangers, after them I must go.”

New Revised Standard Version
Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, “It is hopeless, for I have loved strangers, and after them I will go.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Your feet are weary because they are unshod, and your throat is dry from thirst; but you said, I have become strong, I am unwilling to repent because I have loved strangers, and after them I will go.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Are your feet hindered from going barefoot and your throat from being thirsty? And you said: “I am strengthened. I am unwilling because I have loved foreign men, and I shall go after them”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Withhold thy foot from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst; But thou saidst: 'There is no hope; No, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Withdraw thy foot from a rough way, and they throat from thirst: but she said I will strengthen myself: for she loved strangers, and went after them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel's Unfaithfulness
24a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her. 25You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’ 26As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets…

Cross References
Hosea 2:5-7
For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’ / Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her path with thorns; I will enclose her with a wall, so she cannot find her way. / She will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will return to my first husband, for then I was better off than now.’

Isaiah 57:10
You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak.

Ezekiel 16:28-29
Then you prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, because you were not yet satisfied. Even after that, you were still not satisfied. / So you extended your promiscuity to Chaldea, the land of merchants—but even with this you were not satisfied!

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.

Isaiah 30:15-16
For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.” / “No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.

Ezekiel 23:11-21
Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. / She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men. / And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path. ...

Hosea 7:11
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.

Isaiah 1:5-6
Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. / From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

2 Kings 17:15-17
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. / They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. / They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Ezekiel 16:32-34
You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband! / Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. / So your prostitution is the opposite of that of other women: No one solicited your favors, and you paid a fee instead of receiving one; so you are the very opposite!

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. / Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. / For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

John 4:13-14
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. / But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

Romans 6:21
What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.

Galatians 4:9
But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

2 Peter 2:22
Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”


Treasury of Scripture

Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst: but you said, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

withhold

Jeremiah 13:22
And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.

Deuteronomy 28:48
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

Isaiah 20:2-4
At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot…

there is no hope.

Jeremiah 18:12
And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

Isaiah 57:10
Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

for I have

Jeremiah 3:13
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 2:6
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

after

Jeremiah 44:17
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

Deuteronomy 29:19,20
And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: …

Deuteronomy 32:16
They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

Jump to Previous
Bare Dry Feet Foot Foreign Gods Hope Hopeless Incurable Loved Need Run Shoes Strange Strangers Thirst Throat Use Vain Walk Water Withhold
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Bare Dry Feet Foot Foreign Gods Hope Hopeless Incurable Loved Need Run Shoes Strange Strangers Thirst Throat Use Vain Walk Water Withhold
Jeremiah 2
1. God having shown his former kindness,
5. expostulates with the people on their causeless and unexampled revolt
14. They are the causes of their own calamities
18. The sins and idolatries of Judah
35. Her confidence is rejected.














You should have kept your feet from going bare
This phrase suggests a warning against the consequences of idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness. In ancient times, going barefoot was often a sign of poverty, shame, or mourning. The imagery here implies that Israel's pursuit of foreign gods would lead to their spiritual and physical destitution. The feet symbolize one's path or way of life, and the admonition is to avoid the path that leads to ruin. This echoes the call to walk in the ways of the Lord, as seen in Deuteronomy 5:33, where obedience to God's commandments is linked to prosperity and life.

and your throat from being thirsty.
Thirst is a metaphor for spiritual longing and need. In the context of Jeremiah, it represents Israel's unfulfilled desires due to their pursuit of false gods. The thirst could also symbolize the nation's unmet spiritual needs, which only the true God can satisfy, as seen in Isaiah 55:1, where God invites the thirsty to come to the waters. This reflects the futility of seeking satisfaction in anything other than God, a theme also present in Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-14, where He offers living water that quenches all thirst.

But you said, ‘It is hopeless!
This expression of despair indicates a resignation to sin and idolatry. The people of Israel felt trapped in their circumstances, believing that returning to God was impossible. This reflects a lack of faith in God's power to redeem and restore, contrasting with the biblical message of hope and repentance. In Ezekiel 37:11, the exiled Israelites express a similar hopelessness, yet God promises to open their graves and bring them back to the land of Israel, symbolizing spiritual revival.

For I love foreign gods,
This confession reveals the heart of Israel's apostasy: a love for foreign deities. The allure of these gods often came with the promise of prosperity, fertility, and protection, appealing to the Israelites' desires. This love for foreign gods is a direct violation of the first commandment (Exodus 20:3) and reflects the spiritual adultery that the prophets frequently condemned. The attraction to foreign gods is also a recurring theme in the Old Testament, as seen in the story of Solomon, whose heart was turned away by his foreign wives and their gods (1 Kings 11:1-4).

and I must go after them.
This phrase indicates a compulsion or determination to pursue idolatry, despite knowing its futility. It highlights the depth of Israel's spiritual bondage and the power of sin to enslave. The language of pursuit suggests a relentless chase, akin to the waywardness described in Hosea 2:5, where Israel is depicted as an unfaithful wife chasing after her lovers. This pursuit of foreign gods is contrasted with the call to seek the Lord with all one's heart, as promised in Jeremiah 29:13, where God assures that those who seek Him will find Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by his deep emotional connection to his people and his unwavering commitment to God's truth.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which had turned away from God to worship foreign gods. Jeremiah's prophecies were directed primarily at this kingdom, warning them of impending judgment due to their idolatry and unfaithfulness.

3. Foreign gods
The idols and deities of surrounding nations that the people of Judah pursued, forsaking their covenant relationship with Yahweh. This idolatry was a central issue in Jeremiah's prophecies.

4. Idolatry
The worship of idols or false gods, which was a persistent problem for the Israelites. It represented a spiritual adultery against God, who had established a covenant relationship with them.

5. Covenant
The sacred agreement between God and His people, Israel, in which they were to worship Him alone and follow His commandments. The breaking of this covenant through idolatry was a major theme in Jeremiah's messages.
Teaching Points
The Futility of Idolatry
Idolatry leads to spiritual thirst and weariness. Just as Judah's pursuit of foreign gods left them unsatisfied, so too do modern idols leave us empty.

The Call to Repentance
God calls His people to turn back to Him, to "keep your feet from being unshod and your throat from thirst." This is a call to repentance and a return to the covenant relationship with God.

The Danger of Despair
Judah's response, "It is hopeless!" reflects a dangerous resignation to sin. Believers must guard against hopelessness and remember that God's grace is sufficient for restoration.

The Love of God vs. Love of Idols
The love for foreign gods is contrasted with the love God has for His people. Believers are called to love God wholeheartedly and reject all forms of idolatry.

The Importance of Spiritual Discernment
Recognizing and rejecting modern-day idols requires discernment. Believers must be vigilant in identifying anything that takes the place of God in their lives.(25) Withhold thy foot.--From the brute types of passion the prophet passes to the human. Here he has Hosea as giving a prototype (Hosea 2:5; Hosea 2:7), perhaps also Isaiah (Isaiah 23:15-16). The picture may probably enough have been drawn from the life, but that sketched in Proverbs 7:10-23 may well have supplied the outline. Jehovah, as her true husband, bids the apostate wife to refrain for very shame from acting as the harlot, rushing barefoot into the streets, panting, as with a thirst that craves to be quenched, for the gratification of her desires. The "unshod" may possibly refer to one feature of the worship of Baal or Ashtaroth, men and women taking off their shoes when they entered into their temples, as being holy ground (Exodus 3:5), and joining in orgiastic dances.

Thou saidst, There is no hope: no.--Here also we find a parallel to the thought and language of Hosea. There the one effectual remedy for the evil into which the apostate wife had fallen was to speak to her heart, and to open the door of hope (Hosea 2:14-15). Now the malignity of the evil is shown by the loss of all hope of recovery in returning to Jehovah:-- . . .

Verse 25. - Withhold thy foot, etc. Hitzig, with unnecessary ingenuity, explains this with reference to the fatiguing practices of the heathen cultus, comparing 1 Kings 18:26, where "vain repetitions" of "Baal, Baal," and (as he thinks) barefoot religious dances, are mentioned as parts of the worship of Baal. Umbreit's view, however, is far more natural. "God the true husband exhorts Israel not to run barefoot, and with parched throat, like a shameless adulteress, after strangers" (Payne Smith). There is no hops; i.e. the exhortation is in vain (so Jeremiah 18:12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Keep
מִנְעִ֤י (min·‘î)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 4513: To debar, from benefit, injury

your feet
רַגְלֵךְ֙ (raḡ·lêḵ)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7272: A foot, a step, the pudenda

from being unshod
מִיָּחֵ֔ף (mî·yā·ḥêp̄)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3182: Unsandalled

and your throat
וּגְרוֹנֵ֖ךְ (ū·ḡə·rō·w·nêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1637: A threshing-floor, open area

from thirst.
מִצִּמְאָ֑ה (miṣ·ṣim·’āh)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6773: Parched condition

But you say,
וַתֹּאמְרִ֣י (wat·tō·mə·rî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘It is hopeless!
נוֹאָ֔שׁ (nō·w·’āš)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2976: To desist, to despond

I love
אָהַ֥בְתִּי (’ā·haḇ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

foreign [gods],
זָרִ֖ים (zā·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2114: To turn aside, to be a, foreigner, strange, profane, to commit adultery

and I must go after
וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֥ם (wə·’a·ḥă·rê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

them.’
אֵלֵֽךְ׃ (’ê·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold your foot from being unshod (Jer.)
Jeremiah 2:24
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