31:4 I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, 1
so that you will once again be built up.
Once again you will take up the tambourine
and join in the happy throng of dancers. 2
4:30 And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, 3
you accomplish nothing 4 by wearing a beautiful dress, 5
decking yourself out in jewels of gold,
and putting on eye shadow! 6
You are making yourself beautiful for nothing.
Your lovers spurn you.
They want to kill you. 7
1 tn Heb “Virgin Israel.”
2 sn Contrast Jer 7:34 and 25:10.
3 tn Heb “And you that are doomed to destruction.” The referent is supplied from the following context and the fact that Zion/Jerusalem represents the leadership which was continually making overtures to foreign nations for help.
4 tn Heb “What are you accomplishing…?” The rhetorical question assumes a negative answer, made clear by the translation in the indicative.
5 tn Heb “clothing yourself in scarlet.”
6 tn Heb “enlarging your eyes with antimony.” Antimony was a black powder used by women as eyeliner to make their eyes look larger.
7 tn Heb “they seek your life.”