Ezekiel 6:11

6:11 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and say, “Ah!” because of all the evil, abominable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine, and pestilence. ¹ 

Ezekiel 8:6-15

8:6 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing – the great abominations that the people ²  of Israel are practicing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see greater abominations than these!”

8:7 He brought me to the entrance of the court, and as I watched, I noticed a hole in the wall. 8:8 He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and discovered a doorway.

8:9 He said to me, “Go in and see the evil abominations they are practicing here.” 8:10 So I went in and looked. I noticed every figure ³  of creeping thing and beast – detestable images ⁴  – and every idol of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around. ⁵  8:11 Seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel ⁶  (with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them) were standing in front of them, each with a censer in his hand, and fragrant ⁷  vapors from a cloud of incense were swirling upward.

8:12 He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? ⁸  For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us! The Lord has abandoned the land!’” 8:13 He said to me, “You will see them practicing even greater abominations!”

8:14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house. I noticed ⁹  women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. ¹⁰  8:15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these!”

Ezekiel 22:2-15

22:2 “As for you, son of man, are you willing to pronounce judgment, ¹¹  are you willing to pronounce judgment on the bloody city? ¹²  Then confront her with all her abominable deeds! 22:3 Then say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: O city, who spills blood within herself (which brings on her doom), ¹³  and who makes herself idols (which results in impurity), 22:4 you are guilty because of the blood you shed and defiled by the idols you made. You have hastened the day of your doom; ¹⁴  the end of your years has come. ¹⁵  Therefore I will make ¹⁶  you an object of scorn to the nations, an object to be mocked by all lands. 22:5 Those both near and far from you will mock you, you with your bad reputation, ¹⁷  full of turmoil.

22:6 “‘See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood. ¹⁸  22:7 They have treated father and mother with contempt ¹⁹  within you; they have oppressed the foreigner among you; they have wronged the orphan and the widow ²⁰  within you. 22:8 You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths! 22:9 Slanderous men shed blood within you. ²¹  Those who live within you eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains; ²²  they commit obscene acts among you. ²³  22:10 They have sex with their father’s wife within you; ²⁴  they violate women during their menstrual period within you. ²⁵  22:11 One ²⁶  commits an abominable act with his neighbor’s wife; another obscenely defiles his daughter-in-law; another violates ²⁷  his sister – his father’s daughter ²⁸  – within you. 22:12 They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest; ²⁹  you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me, ³⁰  declares the sovereign Lord. ³¹ 

22:13 “‘See, I strike my hands together ³²  at the dishonest profit you have made, and at the bloodshed ³³  they have done among you. 22:14 Can your heart endure, ³⁴  or can your hands be strong when I deal with you? ³⁵  I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it! 22:15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you among various countries; I will remove your impurity from you. ³⁶ 

Ezekiel 22:25-31

22:25 Her princes ³⁷  within her are like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they have devoured lives. They take away riches and valuable things; they have made many women widows ³⁸  within it. 22:26 Her priests abuse my law and have desecrated my holy things. They do not distinguish between the holy and the profane, ³⁹  or recognize any distinction between the unclean and the clean. They ignore ⁴⁰  my Sabbaths and I am profaned in their midst. 22:27 Her officials are like wolves in her midst rending their prey – shedding blood and destroying lives – so they can get dishonest profit. 22:28 Her prophets coat their messages with whitewash. ⁴¹  They see false visions and announce lying omens for them, saying, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 22:29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy; they have oppressed the foreigner who lives among them and denied them justice. ⁴² 

22:30 “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. ⁴³  22:31 So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, ⁴⁴  declares the sovereign Lord.”

Ezekiel 36:17-18

36:17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it by their behavior ⁴⁵  and their deeds. In my sight their behavior was like the uncleanness of a woman having her monthly period. 36:18 So I poured my anger on them ⁴⁶  because of the blood they shed on the land and because of the idols with which they defiled it. ⁴⁷ 

Ezekiel 36:2

36:2 This is what the sovereign Lord says: The enemy has spoken against you, saying “Aha!” and, “The ancient heights ⁴⁸  have become our property!”’

Ezekiel 17:9-18

17:9 “‘Say to them: This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Will it prosper?

Will he not rip out its roots

and cause its fruit to rot ⁴⁹  and wither?

All its foliage ⁵⁰  will wither.

No strong arm or large army

will be needed to pull it out by its roots. ⁵¹ 

17:10 Consider! It is planted, but will it prosper?

Will it not wither completely when the east wind blows on it?

Will it not wither in the soil where it sprouted?’”

17:11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 17:12 “Say to the rebellious house of Israel: ⁵²  ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ ⁵³  Say: ‘See here, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem ⁵⁴  and took her king and her officials prisoner and brought them to himself in Babylon. 17:13 He took one from the royal family, ⁵⁵  made a treaty with him, and put him under oath. ⁵⁶  He then took the leaders of the land 17:14 so it would be a lowly kingdom which could not rise on its own but must keep its treaty with him in order to stand. 17:15 But this one from Israel’s royal family ⁵⁷  rebelled against the king of Babylon ⁵⁸  by sending his emissaries to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Will the one doing these things escape? Can he break the covenant and escape?

17:16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, surely in the city ⁵⁹  of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke – in the middle of Babylon he will die! 17:17 Pharaoh with his great army and mighty horde will not help ⁶⁰  him in battle, when siege ramps are erected and siege-walls are built to kill many people. 17:18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Take note ⁶¹  – he gave his promise ⁶²  and did all these things – he will not escape!

Ezekiel 17:2

17:2 “Son of man, offer a riddle, ⁶³  and tell a parable to the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:14-17

36:14 therefore you will no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the sovereign Lord. 36:15 I will no longer subject you to ⁶⁴  the nations’ insults; no longer will you bear the shame of the peoples, and no longer will you bereave ⁶⁵  your nation, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

36:16 The word of the Lord came to me: 36:17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it by their behavior ⁶⁶  and their deeds. In my sight their behavior was like the uncleanness of a woman having her monthly period.

Jeremiah 5:1-9

Judah is Justly Deserving of Coming Judgment

5:1 The Lord said, ⁶⁷ 

“Go up and down ⁶⁸  through the streets of Jerusalem. ⁶⁹ 

Look around and see for yourselves.

Search through its public squares.

See if any of you can find a single person

who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. ⁷⁰ 

If you can, ⁷¹  then I will not punish this city. ⁷² 

5:2 These people make promises in the name of the Lord. ⁷³ 

But the fact is, ⁷⁴  what they swear to is really a lie.” ⁷⁵ 

5:3 Lord, I know you look for faithfulness. ⁷⁶ 

But even when you punish these people, they feel no remorse. ⁷⁷ 

Even when you nearly destroy them, they refuse to be corrected.

They have become as hardheaded as a rock. ⁷⁸ 

They refuse to change their ways. ⁷⁹ 

5:4 I thought, “Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way. ⁸⁰ 

They act like fools because they do not know what the Lord demands. ⁸¹ 

They do not know what their God requires of them. ⁸² 

5:5 I will go to the leaders ⁸³ 

and speak with them.

Surely they know what the Lord demands. ⁸⁴ 

Surely they know what their God requires of them.” ⁸⁵ 

Yet all of them, too, have rejected his authority

and refuse to submit to him. ⁸⁶ 

5:6 So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them.

Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them.

Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities

and totally destroy anyone who ventures out. ⁸⁷ 

For they have rebelled so much

and done so many unfaithful things. ⁸⁸ 

5:7 The Lord asked, ⁸⁹ 

“How can I leave you unpunished, Jerusalem? ⁹⁰ 

Your people ⁹¹  have rejected me

and have worshiped gods that are not gods at all. ⁹² 

Even though I supplied all their needs, ⁹³  they were like an unfaithful wife to me. ⁹⁴ 

They went flocking ⁹⁵  to the houses of prostitutes. ⁹⁶ 

5:8 They are like lusty, well-fed ⁹⁷  stallions.

Each of them lusts after ⁹⁸  his neighbor’s wife.

5:9 I will surely punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.

“I will surely bring retribution on such a nation as this!” ⁹⁹ 

Jeremiah 5:25-31

5:25 Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. ¹⁰⁰ 

Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’ ¹⁰¹ 

5:26 “Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people.

They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush. ¹⁰² 

They set deadly traps ¹⁰³  to catch people.

5:27 Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught, ¹⁰⁴ 

their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit. ¹⁰⁵ 

That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful. ¹⁰⁶ 

5:28 That is how ¹⁰⁷  they have grown fat and sleek. ¹⁰⁸ 

There is no limit to the evil things they do. ¹⁰⁹ 

They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it.

They do not defend the rights of the poor.

5:29 I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.

“I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this! ¹¹⁰ 

5:30 “Something horrible and shocking

is going on in the land of Judah:

5:31 The prophets prophesy lies.

The priests exercise power by their own authority. ¹¹¹ 

And my people love to have it this way.

But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes! ¹¹² 

Micah 6:9-12

6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling ¹¹³  to the city!

It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! ¹¹⁴ 

Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! ¹¹⁵ 

6:10 “I will not overlook, ¹¹⁶  O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, ¹¹⁷ 

or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. ¹¹⁸ 

6:11 I do not condone the use of rigged scales,

or a bag of deceptive weights. ¹¹⁹ 

6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; ¹²⁰ 

her inhabitants lie, ¹²¹ 

their tongues speak deceptive words. ¹²² 

Zephaniah 3:1-4

Jerusalem is Corrupt

3:1 The filthy, ¹²³  stained city is as good as dead;

the city filled with oppressors is finished! ¹²⁴ 

3:2 She is disobedient; ¹²⁵ 

she refuses correction. ¹²⁶ 

She does not trust the Lord;

she does not seek the advice of ¹²⁷  her God.

3:3 Her princes ¹²⁸  are as fierce as roaring lions; ¹²⁹ 

her rulers ¹³⁰  are as hungry as wolves in the desert, ¹³¹ 

who completely devour their prey by morning. ¹³² 

3:4 Her prophets are proud; ¹³³ 

they are deceitful men.

Her priests defile what is holy; ¹³⁴ 

they break God’s laws. ¹³⁵ 

[6:11]  ¹ sn By the sword and by famine and by pestilence. A similar trilogy of punishments is mentioned in Lev 26:25-26. See also Jer 14:12; 21:9; 27:8, 13; 29:18).

[8:6]  ² tn Heb “house.”

[8:10]  ³ tn Or “pattern.”

[8:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “detestable.” The word is often used to describe the figures of foreign gods.

[8:10]  ⁵ sn These engravings were prohibited in the Mosaic law (Deut 4:16-18).

[8:11]  ⁶ sn Note the contrast between these seventy men who represented Israel and the seventy elders who ate the covenant meal before God, inaugurating the covenant relationship (Exod 24:1, 9).

[8:11]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.

[8:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “the room of his images.” The adjective “idolatrous” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:14]  ⁹ tn Given the context this could be understood as a shock, e.g., idiomatically “Good grief! I saw….”

[8:14]  ¹⁰ sn The worship of Tammuz included the observation of the annual death and descent into the netherworld of the god Dumuzi. The practice was observed by women in the ancient Near East over a period of centuries.

[22:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment upon the city. See 20:4.

[22:2]  ¹² tn The phrase “bloody city” is used of Nineveh in Nah 3:1.

[22:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “her time”; this refers to the time of impending judgment (see the note on “doom” in v. 4).

[22:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “you have brought near your days.” The expression “bring near your days” appears to be an adaptation of the idiom “days draw near,” which is used to indicate that an event, such as death, is imminent (see Gen 27:41; 47:29; Deut 31:14; 1 Kgs 2:1; Ezek 12:23). Here “your days” probably refers to the days of the personified city’s life, which was about to come to an end through God’s judgment.

[22:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and you have come to your years.” This appears to mean that she has arrived at the time when her years (i.e., life) would end, though it may mean that her years of punishment will begin. Because “day” and “time” are so closely associated in the immediate context (see 21:25, 29) some prefer to emend the text and read “you have brought near your time.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:31, as well as the translator’s note on verse 3.

[22:4]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew verb is a prophetic perfect, emphasizing that the action is as good as done from the speaker’s perspective.

[22:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “unclean of name.”

[22:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Look! The princes of Israel, each according to his arm, were in you in order to shed blood.”

[22:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “treated lightly, cursed.”

[22:7]  ²⁰ tn Widows and orphans are often coupled together in the OT (Deut 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:19-21; 26:12-13; Jer 7:6; 22:3). They represented all who were poor and vulnerable to economic exploitation.

[22:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “men of slander are in you in order to shed blood.”

[22:9]  ²² tn Heb “and on the mountains they eat within you.” The mountains mentioned here were the site of pagan sacrifices. See 18:6.

[22:9]  ²³ sn This statement introduces vv. 10-11 and refers in general terms to the sexual sins described there. For the legal background of vv. 10-11, see Lev 18:7-20; 20:10-21; Deut 22:22-23, 30; 27:22.

[22:10]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the nakedness of a father one uncovers within you.” The ancient versions read the verb as plural (“they uncover”). If the singular is retained, it must be taken as indefinite and representative of the entire group. The idiomatic expression “uncover the nakedness” refers here to sexual intercourse (cf. Lev 18:6). To uncover a father’s nakedness could include sexual relations with one’s own mother (Lev 18:7), but more likely it refers to having intercourse with another wife of one’s father, such as a stepmother (Lev 18:8; cf. Gen 35:22; 49:4).

[22:10]  ²⁵ tn Heb “(one who is) unclean due to the impurity they humble within you.” The use of the verb “to humble” suggests that these men forced themselves upon women during menstruation. Having sexual relations with a woman during her period was forbidden by the Law (Lev 18:19; 20:18).

[22:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “a man.”

[22:11]  ²⁷ tn The verb is the same one used in verse 10b and suggests forcible sexual violation of the woman.

[22:11]  ²⁸ sn Sexual relations with one’s half-sister may be primarily in view here. See Lev 18:9; 20:17.

[22:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “usury and interest you take.” See 18:13, 17. This kind of economic exploitation violated the law given in Lev 25:36.

[22:12]  ³⁰ sn Forgetting the Lord is also addressed in Deut 6:12; 8:11, 14; Jer 3:21; 13:25; Ezek 23:35; Hos 2:15; 8:14; 13:6.

[22:12]  ³¹ tn The second person verb forms are feminine singular in Hebrew, indicating that the personified city is addressed here as representing its citizens.

[22:13]  ³² sn This gesture apparently expresses mourning and/or anger (see 6:11; 21:14, 17).

[22:13]  ³³ tn Heb “the blood which was in you.”

[22:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “stand.” The heart here stands for the emotions; Jerusalem would panic in the face of God’s judgment.

[22:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “in the days when I act against you.”

[22:15]  ³⁶ sn The ultimate purpose of divine judgment is to purify the covenant community of its sins.

[22:25]  ³⁷ tn Heb “a conspiracy of her prophets is in her midst.” The LXX reads “whose princes” rather than “a conspiracy of prophets.” The prophets are mentioned later in the paragraph (v. 28). If one follows the LXX in verse 25, then five distinct groups are mentioned in vv. 25-29: princes, priests, officials, prophets, and the people of the land. For a defense of the Septuagintal reading, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:32, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:720, n. 4.

[22:25]  ³⁸ tn Heb “her widows they have multiplied.” The statement alludes to their murderous acts.

[22:26]  ³⁹ tn Or “between the consecrated and the common.”

[22:26]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “hide their eyes from.” The idiom means to disregard or ignore something or someone (see Lev 20:4; 1 Sam 12:3; Prov 28:27; Isa 1:15).

[22:28]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “her prophets coat for themselves with whitewash.” The expression may be based on Ezek 13:10-15.

[22:29]  ⁴² tn Heb “and the foreigner they have oppressed without justice.”

[22:30]  ⁴³ tn Heb “I did not find.”

[22:31]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “their way on their head I have placed.”

[36:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “way.”

[36:18]  ⁴⁶ sn See Ezek 7:8; 9:8; 14:19; 20:8, 13, 21; 22:22; 30:15.

[36:18]  ⁴⁷ sn For the concept of defiling the land in legal literature, see Lev 18:28; Deut 21:23.

[36:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “high places.”

[17:9]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew root occurs only here in the OT and appears to have the meaning of “strip off.” In application to fruit the meaning may be “cause to rot.”

[17:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “all the טַרְפֵּי (tarpey) of branches.” The word טַרְפֵּי occurs only here in the Bible; its precise meaning is uncertain.

[17:9]  ⁵¹ tn Or “there will be no strong arm or large army when it is pulled up by the roots.”

[17:12]  ⁵² tn The words “of Israel” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation as a clarification of the referent.

[17:12]  ⁵³ sn The narrative description of this interpretation of the riddle is given in 2 Kgs 24:11-15.

[17:12]  ⁵⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[17:13]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “descendants”; Heb “seed” (cf. v. 5).

[17:13]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “caused him to enter into an oath.”

[17:15]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the member of the royal family, v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “place.”

[17:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “deal with” or “work with.”

[17:18]  ⁶¹ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates being aware of or taking notice of something.

[17:18]  ⁶² sn Heb “hand.” “Giving one’s hand” is a gesture of promise (2 Kgs 10:15).

[17:2]  ⁶³ sn The verb occurs elsewhere in the OT only in Judg 14:12-19, where Samson supplies a riddle.

[36:15]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “cause you to hear.”

[36:15]  ⁶⁵ tc The MT reads תַכְשִׁלִי (takhshiliy), a metathesis for תַשְׁכִלִי (tashkhiliy) from the root שָׁכַל (shakhal) which is used in each of the previous verses.

[36:17]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “way.”

[5:1]  ⁶⁷ tn These words are not in the text, but since the words at the end are obviously those of the Lord, they are supplied in the translation here to mark the shift in speaker from 4:29-31 where Jeremiah is the obvious speaker.

[5:1]  ⁶⁸ tn It is not clear who is being addressed here. The verbs are plural so they are not addressed to Jeremiah per se. Since the passage is talking about the people of Jerusalem, it is unlikely they are addressed here except perhaps rhetorically. Some have suggested that the heavenly court is being addressed here as in Job 1:6-8; 2:1-3. It is clear from Jer 23:18, 22; Amos 3:7 that the prophets had access to this heavenly counsel through visions (cf. 1 Kgs 22:19-23), so Jeremiah could have been privy to this speech through that means. Though these are the most likely addressee, it is too presumptuous to supply such an explicit addressee without clearer indication in the text. The translation will just have to run the risk of the probable erroneous assumption by most English readers that the addressee is Jeremiah.

[5:1]  ⁶⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:1]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “who does justice and seeks faithfulness.”

[5:1]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “squares. If you can find…if there is one person…then I will…”

[5:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “forgive [or pardon] it.”

[5:2]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Though they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives.” The idea of “swear on oath” comes from the second line.

[5:2]  ⁷⁴ tc The translation follows many Hebrew mss and the Syriac version in reading “surely” (אָכֵן, ’akhen) instead of “therefore” (לָכֵן, lakhen) in the MT.

[5:2]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “they swear falsely.”

[5:3]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “O Lord, are your eyes not to faithfulness?” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer.

[5:3]  ⁷⁷ tn Commentaries and lexicons debate the meaning of the verb here. The MT is pointed as though from a verb meaning “to writhe in anguish or contrition” (חוּל [khul]; see, e.g., BDB 297 s.v. חוּל 2.c), but some commentaries and lexicons repoint the text as though from a verb meaning “to be sick,” thus “to feel pain” (חָלָה [khalah]; see, e.g., HALOT 304 s.v. חָלָה 3). The former appears more appropriate to the context.

[5:3]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “They made their faces as hard as a rock.”

[5:3]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “to repent”; Heb “to turn back.”

[5:4]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “Surely they are poor.” The translation is intended to make clear the explicit contrasts and qualifications drawn in this verse and the next.

[5:4]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “the way of the Lord.”

[5:4]  ⁸² tn Heb “the judgment [or ordinance] of their God.”

[5:5]  ⁸³ tn Or “people in power”; Heb “the great ones.”

[5:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “the way of the Lord.”

[5:5]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “the judgment [or ordinance] of their God.”

[5:5]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “have broken the yoke and torn off the yoke ropes.” Compare Jer 2:20 and the note there.

[5:6]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “So a lion from the thicket will kill them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will watch outside their cities. Anyone who goes out from them will be torn in pieces.” However, it is unlikely that, in the context of judgment that Jeremiah has previously been describing, literal lions are meant. The animals are metaphorical for their enemies. Compare Jer 4:7.

[5:6]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “their rebellions are so many and their unfaithful acts so numerous.”

[5:7]  ⁸⁹ tn These words are not in the text, but are supplied in the translation to make clear who is speaking.

[5:7]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “How can I forgive [or pardon] you.” The pronoun “you” is second feminine singular, referring to the city. See v. 1.

[5:7]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “your children.”

[5:7]  ⁹² tn Heb “and they have sworn [oaths] by not-gods.”

[5:7]  ⁹³ tn Heb “I satisfied them to the full.”

[5:7]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “they committed adultery.” It is difficult to decide whether literal adultery with other women or spiritual adultery with other gods is meant. The word for adultery is used for both in the book of Jeremiah. For examples of its use for spiritual adultery see 3:8, 9; 9:2. For examples of its use for literal adultery see 7:9; 23:14. The context here could argue for either. The swearing by other gods and the implicit contradiction in their actions in contrast to the expected gratitude for supplying their needs argues for spiritual adultery. However, the reference to prostitution in the next line and the reference to chasing after their neighbor’s wives argues for literal adultery. The translation opts for spiritual adultery because of the contrast implicit in the concessive clause.

[5:7]  ⁹⁵ tn There is a great deal of debate about the meaning of this word. Most of the modern English versions follow the lead of lexicographers who relate this word to a noun meaning “troop” and understand it to mean “they trooped together” (cf. BDB 151 s.v. גָּדַד Hithpo.2 and compare the usage in Mic 5:1 [4:14 HT]). A few of the modern English versions and commentaries follow the reading of the Greek and read a word meaning “they lodged” (reading ִיתְגּוֹרְרוּ [yitggorÿru] from I גּוּר [gur; cf. HALOT 177 s.v. Hithpo. and compare the usage in 1 Kgs 17:20] instead of יִתְגֹּדָדוּ [yitggodadu]). W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:180) sees a reference here to the cultic practice of cutting oneself in supplication to pagan gods (cf. BDB 151 s.v. גָּדַד Hithpo.1 and compare the usage in 1 Kgs 18:28). The houses of prostitutes would then be a reference to ritual prostitutes at the pagan shrines. The translation follows BDB and the majority of modern English versions.

[5:7]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “to a house of a prostitute.”

[5:8]  ⁹⁷ tn The meanings of these two adjectives are uncertain. The translation of the first adjective is based on assuming that the word is a defectively written participle related to the noun “testicle” (a Hiphil participle מַאֲשִׁכִים [ma’ashikhim] from a verb related to אֶשֶׁךְ [’eshekh, “testicle”]; cf. Lev 21:20) and hence “having testicles” (cf. HALOT 1379 s.v. שָׁכָה) instead of the Masoretic form מַשְׁכִּים (mashkim) from a root שָׁכָה (shakhah), which is otherwise unattested in either verbal or nominal forms. The second adjective is best derived from a verb root meaning “to feed” (a Hophal participle מוּזָנִים [muzanim, the Kethib] from a root זוּן [zun; cf. BDB 266 s.v. זוּן] for which there is the cognate noun מָזוֹן [mazon; cf. 2 Chr 11:23]). This is more likely than the derivation from a root יָזַן ([yazan]reading מְיֻזָּנִים [mÿyuzzanim], a Pual participle with the Qere) which is otherwise unattested in verbal or nominal forms and whose meaning is dependent only on a supposed Arabic cognate (cf. HALOT 387 s.v. יָזַן).

[5:8]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “neighs after.”

[5:9]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “Should I not punish them…? Should I not bring retribution…?” The rhetorical questions have the force of strong declarations.

[5:25]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “have turned these things away.”

[5:25]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “have withheld the good from you.”

[5:26]  ¹⁰² tn The meaning of the last three words is uncertain. The pointing and meaning of the Hebrew word rendered “hiding in ambush” is debated. BDB relates the form (כְּשַׁךְ, kÿshakh) to a root שָׁכַךְ (shakhakh), which elsewhere means “decrease, abate” (cf. BDB 1013 s.v. שָׁכַךְ), and notes that this is usually understood as “like the crouching of fowlers,” but they say this meaning is dubious. HALOT 1345 s.v. I שׁוֹר questions the validity of the text and offers three proposals; the second appears to create the least textual modification, i.e., reading כְּשַׂךְ (kesakh, “as in the hiding place of (bird catchers)”; for the word שַׂךְ (sakh) see HALOT 1236 s.v. שׂךְ 4 and compare Lam 2:6 for usage. The versions do not help. The Greek does not translate the first two words of the line. The proposal given in HALOT is accepted with some hesitancy.

[5:26]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “a destroying thing.”

[5:27]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The words, “that have been caught” are not in the text but are implicit in the comparison.

[5:27]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “are filled with deceit.” The translation assumes a figure of speech of cause for effect (metonymy). Compare the same word in the same figure in Zeph 1:9.

[5:27]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “therefore they have gotten great and rich.”

[5:28]  ¹⁰⁷ tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show that this line is parallel with the preceding.

[5:28]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. This verb occurs only here. The lexicons generally relate it to the word translated “plate” in Song 5:14 and understand it to mean “smooth, shiny” (so BDB 799 s.v. I עֶשֶׁת) or “fat” (so HALOT 850 s.v. II עֶשֶׁת). The word in Song 5:14 more likely means “smooth” than “plate” (so TEV). So “sleek” is most likely here.

[5:28]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “they cross over/transgress with respect to matters of evil.”

[5:29]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “Should I not punish…? Should I not bring retribution…?” The rhetorical questions function as emphatic declarations.

[5:31]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “they shall rule at their hands.” Since the word “hand” can be used figuratively for authority or mean “side” and the pronoun “them” can refer to the priests themselves or the prophets, the following translations have also been suggested: “the priests rule under their [the prophets’] directions,” or “the priests rule in league with them [the prophets].” From the rest of the book it would appear that the prophets did not exercise authority over the priests nor did they exercise the same authority over the people that the priests did. Hence it probably mean “by their own hand/power/authority.”

[5:31]  ¹¹² tn Heb “But what will you do at its end?” The rhetorical question implies a negative answer: “Nothing!”

[6:9]  ¹¹³ tn Or “the voice of the Lord is calling.” The translation understands קוֹל (qol, “voice”) as equivalent to an imperative.

[6:9]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “one who sees your name is wisdom.” It is probably better to emend יִרְאֶה (yir’eh, “he sees”) to יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fearing”). One may then translate, “fearing your name is wisdom.” The Lord’s “name” here stands by metonymy for his authority.

[6:9]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb (apparently) “Listen [to] the staff and the one who appointed it.” Verse 10 then begins with עוֹד (yod, “still” or “again”). The translation assumes an emendation to שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּה וּמוֹעֵד הָעִיר (shim’u matteh umo’ed ha’ir, “listen, O tribe and the assembly of the city”).

[6:10]  ¹¹⁶ tn The meaning of the first Hebrew word in the line is unclear. Possibly it is a combination of the interrogative particle and אִשׁ (’ish), an alternate form of יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is/are”). One could then translate literally, “Are there treasures of sin [in] the house of the sinful?” The translation assumes an emendation to הַאֶשֶּׁה (ha’esheh, from נָשָׁא, nasha’, “to forget”), “Will I forget?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I will not forget.”

[6:10]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “the treasures of sin”; NASB “treasures of wickedness”; NIV “ill-gotten treasures.”

[6:10]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “the accursed scant measure.”

[6:11]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “Do I acquit sinful scales, and a bag of deceptive weights?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I do not,” and has been translated as a declarative statement for clarity and emphasis.

[6:12]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “because her rich are full of violence.”

[6:12]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “speak lies.”

[6:12]  ¹²² tn Heb “and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth.”

[3:1]  ¹²³ tn The present translation assumes מֹרְאָה (mor’ah) is derived from רֹאִי (ro’i,“excrement”; see Jastrow 1436 s.v. רֳאִי). The following participle, “stained,” supports this interpretation (cf. NEB “filthy and foul”; NRSV “soiled, defiled”). Another option is to derive the form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”); in this case the term should be translated “rebellious” (cf. NASB, NIV “rebellious and defiled”). This idea is supported by v. 2. For discussion of the two options, see HALOT 630 s.v. I מרא and J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 206.

[3:1]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “Woe, soiled and stained one, oppressive city.” The verb “is finished” is supplied in the second line. On the Hebrew word הוֹי (hoy, “ah, woe”), see the note on the word “dead” in 2:5.

[3:2]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “she does not hear a voice” Refusing to listen is equated with disobedience.

[3:2]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “she does not receive correction.” The Hebrew phrase, when negated, refers elsewhere to rejecting verbal advice (Jer 17:23; 32:33; 35:13) and refusing to learn from experience (Jer 2:30; 5:3).

[3:2]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “draw near to.” The present translation assumes that the expression “draw near to” refers to seeking God’s will (see 1 Sam 14:36).

[3:3]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “officials.”

[3:3]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “her princes in her midst are roaring lions.” The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as fierce as”) for clarity.

[3:3]  ¹³⁰ tn Traditionally “judges.”

[3:3]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “her judges [are] wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “desert”). For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 128. The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as hungry as”) for clarity.

[3:3]  ¹³² tn Heb “they do not gnaw [a bone] at morning.” The precise meaning of the line is unclear. The statement may mean these wolves devour their prey so completely that not even a bone is left to gnaw by the time morning arrives. For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 129.

[3:4]  ¹³³ sn Applied to prophets, the word פֹּחֲזִים (pokhazim, “proud”) probably refers to their audacity in passing off their own words as genuine prophecies from the Lord (see Jer 23:32).

[3:4]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “defile the temple.”

[3:4]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “they treat violently [the] law.”