Jeremiah – Chapter 16

Old Testament21 Verses

Chapter Summary

Jeremiah 16 opens with the words: "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" Across its 21 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and sin and divine judgment. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons and daughters in this place.

3For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and daughters, that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them: and concerning their fathers, of whom they were born in this land:

4They shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed with the sword, and with famine: and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of the air, and for the beasts of the earth.

5For thus saith the Lord: Enter not into the house of feasting, neither go thou to mourn, nor to comfort them: because I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, my mercy and commiserations.

6Both the great and the little shall die in this land: they shall not be buried nor lamented, and men shall not cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.

7And they shall not break bread among them to him that mourneth, to comfort him for the dead: neither shall they give them for their father and mother.

8And do not thou go into the house of feasting, to sit with them, and to eat and drink:

9For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold I will take away out of this place in your sight, and in your days the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

10And when thou shalt tell this people all these words, and they shall say to thee: Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced against us all this great evil? what is our iniquity? and what is our sin, that we have sinned against the Lord our God?

11Thou shalt say to them: Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord: and went after strange gods, and served them, and adored them: and they forsook me, and kept not my law.

12And you also have done worse than your fathers: for behold every one of you walketh after the perverseness of his evil heart, so as not to hearken to me.

13So I will cast you forth out of this land, into a land which you know not, nor your fathers: and there you shall serve strange gods day and night, which shall not give you any rest.

14Therefore behold the days come, saith the Lord, when it shall be said no more: The Lord liveth, that brought forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

15But, The Lord liveth, that brought the children of Israel out of the land of the north, and out of all the lands to which I cast them out: and I will bring them again into their land, which I gave to their fathers.

16Behold I will send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them: and after this I will send them many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill and out of the holes of the rocks.

17For my eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, and their iniquity hath not been hid from my eyes.

18And I will repay first their double iniquities, and their sins: because they have defiled my land with the carcasses of their idols, and they have filled my inheritance with their abominations.

19O Lord, my might, and my strength, and my refuge in the day of tribulation: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: Surely our fathers have possessed lies, a vanity which hath not profited them.

20Shall a man make gods unto himself and they are no gods?

21Therefore behold I will this once cause them to know, I will shew them my hand and my power: and they shall know that my name is the Lord.

Important Verses in Jeremiah 16

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

Jeremiah 16:1

For thus saith the Lord: Enter not into the house of feasting, neither go thou to mourn, nor to comfort them: because I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, my mercy and commiserations.

Jeremiah 16:5

For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold I will take away out of this place in your sight, and in your days the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

Jeremiah 16:9

Therefore behold I will this once cause them to know, I will shew them my hand and my power: and they shall know that my name is the Lord.

Jeremiah 16:21

Historical Context

Jeremiah addresses judah on the brink of destruction, called to repentance within the broader story of God's covenant people. Chapter 16 of 52 belongs to the early movement of the book, where the narrative or argument is still unfolding. It is a prophetic oracle addressed to Israel in a moment of covenant crisis or renewal with 21 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter begins: "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" The final verse reads: "Therefore behold I will this once cause them to know, I will shew them my hand and my power: and they shall know that…" The wider setting of Jeremiah is this: Jeremiah prophesied through Judah's final decades, warning of Babylon's coming judgment while priests and false prophets promised peace. The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

Who Wrote It

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch

When It Was Written

Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC

Catholic Commentary

The prophetic discourse in this chapter speaks to a community facing the consequences of its choices before God. A pivotal line is verse 1: "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

According to Catholic interpretation, this chapter contributes to the book's portrait of judgment, the new covenant, and hope. Jeremiah's new covenant prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (CIC 1965). The Catechism and the liturgy frequently draw on such passages to nourish faith and moral life (CIC 2683).

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God writes His law on our hearts. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Jeremiah 16 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • From the manna to the Last Supper, God feeds His people — fully in the Eucharist.

Reflection for Today

The early section of Jeremiah—Chapter 16 of 52—opens a particular moment in the story of judgment, the new covenant, and hope.

According to Catholic teaching, Jeremiah's new covenant prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (CIC 1965). This chapter especially highlights care for the poor and vulnerable, a theme the Catechism develops in relation to the whole of revelation (CIC 355).

Let Jeremiah Chapter 16 deepen your love for the Eucharist, where the Word made flesh continues to feed His people. The same Christ who speaks in Scripture offers Himself sacramentally on the altar.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jeremiah Chapter 16 about?

Jeremiah 16 contains 21 verses. It opens with "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" and closes with "Therefore behold I will this once cause them to know, I will shew them my hand and my power: and they shall know that…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracles, biography, and laments.

What is a key verse in Jeremiah 16?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who wrote Jeremiah and when?

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch. Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

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