Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.King James Version
The same verse in modern English
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the LORD, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.Jeremiah 29:11, World English Bible (WEB)
KJV and WEB compared
Most of this verse reads alike in both translations, down to “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” The difference comes at the close. The KJV promises “an expected end”; the WEB promises “hope and a future.” The Hebrew has two nouns here, one for what comes afterward and one for hope. The KJV joins them as a single idea, while the WEB keeps them apart. Both point past the exile to an outcome God intends, and in both the LORD himself is speaking.
Sitting with this verse
These words were written to a whole community in exile, not to one person, and the “you” is plural in Hebrew. They came after false prophets had promised a quick return; Jeremiah's letter spoke of seventy years first. So the hope here is real but patient, held through a long wait in a foreign city. The KJV's “expected end” means a future worth hoping for. Pray this verse alongside others who are waiting, not only for yourself.
Older words in this verse
- saith
- says
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