Jeremiah 38:20

38:20 Then Jeremiah answered, “You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the Lord by doing what I have been telling you. ¹  Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared. ² 

Jeremiah 14:22

14:22 Do any of the worthless idols ³  of the nations cause rain to fall?

Do the skies themselves send showers?

Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this? ⁴ 

So we put our hopes in you ⁵ 

because you alone do all this.”

Jeremiah 38:19

38:19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Babylonians. ⁶  The Babylonians might hand me over to them and they will torture me.” ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “Please listen to the voice of the Lord with regard to what I have been telling you.” For the idiom “listen to the voice” = “obey” see BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע 1.m. Obedience here is expressed by following the advice in the qualifying clause, i.e., what I have been telling you.

² tn Heb “your life [or you yourself] will live.” Compare v. 17 and the translator’s note there for the idiom.

³ tn The word הֶבֶל (hevel), often translated “vanities”, is a common pejorative epithet for idols or false gods. See already in 8:19 and 10:8.

⁴ tn Heb “Is it not you, O Lord our God?” The words “who does” are supplied in the translation for English style.

⁵ tn The rhetorical negatives are balanced by a rhetorical positive.

⁵ tn Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

⁶ tn Or “and they will badly abuse me.” For the usage of this verb in the situation presupposed see Judg 19:25 and 1 Sam 31:4.