59:16 He sees there is no advocate; 1
he is shocked 2 that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands; 3
his desire for justice drives him on. 4
63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support. 5
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on. 6
5:1 The Lord said, 7
“Go up and down 8 through the streets of Jerusalem. 9
Look around and see for yourselves.
Search through its public squares.
See if any of you can find a single person
who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. 10
If you can, 11 then I will not punish this city. 12
1 tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”
2 tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”
3 tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
4 tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”
5 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
6 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
7 tn These words are not in the text, but since the words at the end are obviously those of the
8 tn It is not clear who is being addressed here. The verbs are plural so they are not addressed to Jeremiah per se. Since the passage is talking about the people of Jerusalem, it is unlikely they are addressed here except perhaps rhetorically. Some have suggested that the heavenly court is being addressed here as in Job 1:6-8; 2:1-3. It is clear from Jer 23:18, 22; Amos 3:7 that the prophets had access to this heavenly counsel through visions (cf. 1 Kgs 22:19-23), so Jeremiah could have been privy to this speech through that means. Though these are the most likely addressee, it is too presumptuous to supply such an explicit addressee without clearer indication in the text. The translation will just have to run the risk of the probable erroneous assumption by most English readers that the addressee is Jeremiah.
9 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
10 tn Heb “who does justice and seeks faithfulness.”
11 tn Heb “squares. If you can find…if there is one person…then I will…”
12 tn Heb “forgive [or pardon] it.”