Jeremiah 7:24

7:24 But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better. ¹ 

Jeremiah 7:26

7:26 But your ancestors ²  did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate ³  and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.’”

Nehemiah 9:26

9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. ⁴  They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.

Nehemiah 9:30

9:30 You prolonged your kindness ⁵  with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, ⁶  so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ⁷ 

Isaiah 30:9

30:9 For these are rebellious people –

they are lying children,

children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. ⁸ 

Isaiah 50:2

50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?

Why does no one respond when I call? ⁹ 

Is my hand too weak ¹⁰  to deliver ¹¹  you?

Do I lack the power to rescue you?

Look, with a mere shout ¹²  I can dry up the sea;

I can turn streams into a desert,

so the fish rot away and die

from lack of water. ¹³ 

¹ tn Or “They went backward and not forward”; Heb “They were to the backward and not to the forward.” The two phrases used here appear nowhere else in the Bible and the latter preposition plus adverb elsewhere is used temporally meaning “formerly” or “previously.” The translation follows the proposal of J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 57. Another option is “they turned their backs to me, not their faces,” understanding the line as a variant of a line in 2:27.

² tn Or “But your predecessors…”; Heb “But they….” There is a confusing interchange in the pronouns in vv. 25-26 which has led to some leveling in the ancient versions and the modern English versions. What is involved here are four levels of referents, the “you” of the present generation (vv. 21-22a), the ancestors who were delivered from Egypt (i.e., the “they” of vv. 22b-24), the “you” of v. 25 which involves all the Israelites from the Exodus to the time of speaking, and the “they” of v. 26 which cannot be the ancestors of vv. 22-24 (since they cannot be more wicked than themselves) but must be an indefinite entity which is a part of the “you” of v. 25, i.e., the more immediate ancestors of the present generation. If this is kept in mind, there is no need to level the pronouns to “they” and “them” or to “you” and “your” as some of the ancient versions and modern English versions have done.

³ tn Heb “hardened [or made stiff] their neck.”

⁴ tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”

⁵ tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Heb “did not give ear to.”

⁷ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

⁸ tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”

⁹ sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.

¹⁰ tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).

¹¹ tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

¹² tn Heb “with my rebuke.”

¹³ tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”