Jeremiah 17:11

As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches, and not by right. In the middle of his days, they will leave him. At his end, he will be a fool.

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches, and not by right. In the middle of his days, they will leave him. At his end, he will be a fool.

BSB

Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

KJV

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

ASV

As the partridge that sitteth on [eggs] which she hath not laid, so is he that getteth riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days they shall leave him, and at his end he shall be a fool.

BBE

Like the partridge, getting eggs together but not producing young, is a man who gets wealth but not by right; before half his days are ended, it will go from him, and at his end he will be foolish.

YLT

A partridge hatching, and not bringing forth, Is one making wealth, and not by right, In the midst of his days he doth forsake it, And in his latter end--he is a fool.

DARBY

[As] the partridge sitteth on [eggs] it hath not laid, [so] is he that getteth riches and not by right: in the midst of his days shall he leave them, and at his end shall be a fool.

Original Hebrew

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קֹרֵא ko·re' a partridge noun · absolute H7124 דָגַר da·gar [which] it gathers a brood verb · qal · perfect H1716 וְלֹא ve·lo' and not particle H3808 יָלָד ya·lad it has laid verb · qal · perfect H3205 עֹשֶׂה 'o·seh [one who] makes verb · qal · participle H6213 עֹשֶׁר 'o·sher wealth noun · absolute H6239 וְלֹא ve·lo' and not particle H3808 בְמִשְׁפָּט ve·mish·pat with justice noun · absolute H4941 בַּחֲצִי ba·cha·tzi in [the] middle of noun · construct H2677 יָמָיו yo·mov days his noun · construct H3117 יַעַזְבֶנּוּ ya·'az·ve·nu it will leave him verb · qal · imperfect H5800 וּבְאַחֲרִיתוֹ u·ve·'a·cha·ri·to and at end his noun · construct H319 יִהְיֶה yih·yeh he will be verb · qal · imperfect H1961 נָבָל na·val a fool adjective · absolute H5036

Study this passageThe verses around Jeremiah 17:11: translations side by side, notes, key words and a guided study

Study notes

Whole chapter

On this verse

Jeremiah mentioned a general principle (see Psalm 73) that was not always true (Job 21:27–33): People who gain wealth unfairly eventually lose it.

On Jeremiah 17:11–13

Jeremiah praised the Lord's faithfulness to his people, unlike the fate of those who turned away from the Lord.

On Jeremiah 17:11–18

Jeremiah said he learned this lesson and truly trusted in the Lord.

On this section Jeremiah 13:1–24:10

Jeremiah shared God’s judgement messages again and again in many ways. Some he shared through an action of prophecy. This was the case with the linen belt and the clay jar from the potter. It was also the case with how Jeremiah wasn’t to get married or have children.

Other messages Jeremiah spoke as poems or simply when talking with someone. This was the case when he spoke with Pashhur and the officials sent by Zedekiah. God compared his people to many different things in his messages. This gave his people pictures to help them understand what he wanted to say. He compared them to wineskins, clay being shaped by a potter and baskets of figs. He compared them to a prostitute and to a wife who wasn’t faithful to her husband. In that picture, God was the husband. The people and leaders of the southern kingdom were the wife. Worshipping false gods was how they were unfaithful to him.

God compared the leaders to shepherds. In that picture, the people were God’s sheep. The kings, priests and prophets were shepherds who destroyed and scattered them. Sometimes God sent his messages with a sign. This was the case when God didn’t let it rain for a time. False prophets shared messages that weren’t from God. Their messages were lies about peace and good times. This made God very angry.

Jeremiah shared God’s messages faithfully. God had warned Jeremiah that the people and leaders would fight against him. This happened many times. People refused to listen to Jeremiah and they made fun of him. They made evil plans against him, beat him and put him in prison. God had promised to be with Jeremiah. God had promised to save him from those who treated him badly. But Jeremiah was suffering terribly. He felt that God had tricked him when he promised to be with him. Yet Jeremiah remained faithful to God as he suffered. In this way he was like Job.

Jeremiah was honest with God when he prayed. His prayers were like the poems and songs in the book of Psalms. They included cries for help and complaining. Jeremiah also praised God and talked about how he trusted in God. The message of hope in chapter 23 talked about a king from the family line of David. He wouldn’t be like the greedy kings of the southern kingdom. He would follow God’s rules for kings recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14–20. This king was called a godly Branch. Isaiah had prophesied about this Branch as well (Isaiah 11:1–3).

Jews came to understand this message of hope as a prophecy about the messiah. New Testament writers came to understand it as a prophecy about Jesus. Jesus is the Branch who makes people right with God.

Tyndale Open Study Notes (adapted by Mission Mutual) and Biblica Study Notes, CC BY-SA 4.0.