16:1 The Lord said to me, 16:2 “Do not get married and do not have children here in this land. 16:3 For I, the Lord, tell you what will happen to 1 the children who are born here in this land and to the men and women who are their mothers and fathers. 2 16:4 They will die of deadly diseases. No one will mourn for them. They will not be buried. Their dead bodies will lie like manure spread on the ground. They will be killed in war or die of starvation. Their corpses will be food for the birds and wild animals.
16:5 “Moreover I, the Lord, tell you: 3 ‘Do not go into a house where they are having a funeral meal. Do not go there to mourn and express your sorrow for them. For I have stopped showing them my good favor, 4 my love, and my compassion. I, the Lord, so affirm it! 5 16:6 Rich and poor alike will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned. People will not cut their bodies or shave off their hair to show their grief for them. 6 16:7 No one will take any food to those who mourn for the dead to comfort them. No one will give them any wine to drink to console them for the loss of their father or mother.
16:8 “‘Do not go to a house where people are feasting and sit down to eat and drink with them either. 16:9 For I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, tell you what will happen. 7 I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, to the glad celebration of brides and grooms in this land. You and the rest of the people will live to see this happen.’” 8
16:10 “When you tell these people about all this, 9 they will undoubtedly ask you, ‘Why has the Lord threatened us with such great disaster? What wrong have we done? What sin have we done to offend the Lord our God?’ 16:11 Then tell them that the Lord says, 10 ‘It is because your ancestors 11 rejected me and paid allegiance to 12 other gods. They have served them and worshiped them. But they have rejected me and not obeyed my law. 13
1 tn Heb “For thus says the
2 tn Heb “Thus says the
3 tn Heb “For thus says the
4 tn Heb “my peace.” The Hebrew word שְׁלוֹמִי (shÿlomi) can be translated “peace, prosperity” or “well-being” (referring to wholeness or health of body and soul).
5 tn Heb “Oracle of the
6 sn These were apparently pagan customs associated with mourning (Isa 15:2; Jer 47:5) which were forbidden in Israel (Lev 19:8; 21:5) but apparently practiced anyway (Jer 41:5).
7 tn Heb “For thus says Yahweh of armies the God of Israel.” The introductory formula which appears three times in vv. 1-9 (vv. 1, 3, 5) has been recast for smoother English style.
8 tn Heb “before your eyes and in your days.” The pronouns are plural including others than Jeremiah.
9 tn Heb “all these words/things.”
10 tn These two sentences have been recast in English to break up a long Hebrew sentence and incorporate the oracular formula “says the
11 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 12, 13, 15, 19).
12 tn Heb “followed after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the explanation of the idiom.
13 tn Heb “But me they have abandoned and my law they have not kept.” The objects are thrown forward to bring out the contrast which has rhetorical force. However, such a sentence in English would be highly unnatural.