This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

JEREMIAH 13:25KJV
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Jeremiah 13:25 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 13:25 mean?

Jeremiah 13:25 says that the people’s fate—what they will receive from God—is a direct result of forgetting Him and putting their trust in lies instead of the truth. God is declaring that this outcome is their assigned portion because of their choices.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah. The situation is one of warning: the people have turned away from God and relied on falsehoods, whether that means idols, deceptive leaders, or empty promises. The verse makes clear that their coming troubles are not random but are the result of their own actions and misplaced trust.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 13:25

  • "lot" (גּוֹרָל, goral): This word often refers to something assigned by fate or by God, like drawing lots. Here, it emphasizes that what happens to the people is not accidental but allotted to them.
  • "portion" (מְנָת, menat): This term means a share or part given out, reinforcing the idea that their suffering is a measured consequence.
  • "measures" (מִדָּה, middah): This word can mean a measurement or standard, suggesting that what they receive is exactly what fits their actions—nothing more or less.
  • "falsehood" (שֶׁקֶר, sheqer): This word means lies, deception, or things that are not true. Trusting in "sheqer" highlights that the people have put their confidence in things that cannot help or save them.

Why Jeremiah 13:25 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the consequences facing Judah are not arbitrary punishments but are directly linked to their choices to forget God and trust in what is false.
  • The language of "lot," "portion," and "measures" shows that God’s response is measured and just, not random or excessive.
  • Jeremiah 13:25 ties the people’s fate to their spiritual decisions, connecting personal responsibility with the larger theme of covenant faithfulness in Jeremiah.

Where else these words appear

“measures” Hebrew H4055 · used in 12 verses

  • Leviticus 6:10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.
  • 1 Samuel 4:12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
  • 2 Samuel 20:8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

“portion” Hebrew H4490 · used in 14 verses

  • Exodus 29:26 And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.
  • 1 Samuel 1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
  • Nehemiah 8:12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

“lot” Hebrew H1486 · used in 67 verses

  • Leviticus 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
  • Joshua 19:24 And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.
  • 1 Chronicles 26:13 And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate.

“forgotten” Hebrew H7911 · used in 95 verses

  • Genesis 27:45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
  • Psalms 13:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
  • Proverbs 31:5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.