Jeremiah 7:3

7:3 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹  says: Change the way you have been living and do what is right. ²  If you do, I will allow you to continue to live in this land. ³ 

Jeremiah 17:6

17:6 They will be like a shrub ⁴  in the desert.

They will not experience good things even when they happen.

It will be as though they were growing in the desert,

in a salt land where no one can live.

Jeremiah 33:16

33:16 Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety ⁵  and Jerusalem ⁶  will live in security. At that time Jerusalem will be called “The Lord has provided us with justice.” ⁷ 

Jeremiah 46:26

46:26 I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the Lord, affirm it!” ⁸ 

Jeremiah 49:31

49:31 The Lord says, ⁹  “Army of Babylon, ¹⁰  go and attack

a nation that lives in peace and security.

They have no gates or walls to protect them. ¹¹ 

They live all alone.

Jeremiah 50:39

50:39 Therefore desert creatures and jackals will live there.

Ostriches ¹²  will dwell in it too. ¹³ 

But no people will ever live there again.

No one will dwell there for all time to come. ¹⁴ 

¹ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God Israel.”

² tn Or “Make good your ways and your actions.” J. Bright’s translation (“Reform the whole pattern of your conduct”; Jeremiah [AB], 52) is excellent.

³ tn Heb “place” but this might be misunderstood to refer to the temple.

⁴ tn This word occurs only here and in Jer 48:6. It has been identified as a kind of juniper, which is a short shrub with minute leaves that look like scales. For a picture and more discussion see Fauna and Flora of the Bible, 131.

⁷ tn For the translation of this term in this context see the parallel context in 23:6 and consult the translator’s note there.

⁸ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁹ tn Heb “And this is what will be called to it: ‘The Lord our righteousness.’”

¹⁰ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

¹³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

¹⁴ tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵ tn Heb “no gates and no bar,” i.e., “that lives securely without gates or bars.” The phrase is used by the figure of species for genus (synecdoche) to refer to the fact that they have no defenses, i.e., no walls, gates, or bars on the gates. The figure has been interpreted in the translation for the benefit of the average reader.

¹⁶ tn The identification of this bird has been called into question by G. R. Driver, “Birds in the Old Testament,” PEQ 87 (1955): 137-38. He refers to this bird as an owl. That identification, however, is not reflected in any of the lexicons including the most recent, which still gives “ostrich” (HALOT 402 s.v. יַעֲנָה) as does W. S. McCullough, “Ostrich,” IDB 3:611. REB, NIV, NCV, and God’s Word all identify this bird as “owl/desert owl.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “Therefore desert creatures will live with jackals and ostriches will live in it.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “It will never again be inhabited nor dwelt in unto generation and generation.” For the meaning of this last phrase compare the usage in Ps 100:5 and Isaiah 13:20. Since the first half of the verse has spoken of animals living there, it is necessary to add “people” and turn the passive verbs into active ones.