Jeremiah 10:20

10:20 But our tents have been destroyed.

The ropes that held them in place have been ripped apart. ¹ 

Our children are gone and are not coming back. ² 

There is no survivor to put our tents back up,

no one left to hang their tent curtains in place.

Jeremiah 12:3

12:3 But you, Lord, know all about me.

You watch me and test my devotion to you. ³ 

Drag these wicked men away like sheep to be slaughtered!

Appoint a time when they will be killed! ⁴ 

Jeremiah 30:8

30:8 When the time for them to be rescued comes,” ⁵ 

says the Lord who rules over all, ⁶ 

“I will rescue you from foreign subjugation. ⁷ 

I will deliver you from captivity. ⁸ 

Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them.

[10:20]  ¹ tn Heb “My tent has been destroyed and my tent cords have been ripped apart.” For a very similar identification of Jeremiah’s plight with the plight of the personified community see 4:20 and the notes there.

[10:20]  ² tn Heb “my children have gone from me and are no more.”

[12:3]  ³ tn Heb “You, Lord, know me. You watch me and you test my heart toward you.”

[12:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “set aside for them a day of killing.”

[30:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “And it shall happen in that day.”

[30:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of the title for God.

[30:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “I will break his yoke from upon your neck.” For the explanation of the figure see the study note on 27:2. The shift from third person at the end of v. 7 to second person in v. 8c, d and back to third person in v. 8e is typical of Hebrew poetry in the book of Psalms and in the prophetic books (cf., GKC 351 §114.p and compare usage in Deut 32:15; Isa 5:8 listed there). The present translation, like several other modern ones, has typically leveled them to the same person to avoid confusion for modern readers who are not accustomed to this poetic tradition.

[30:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “I will tear off their bands.” The “bands” are the leather straps which held the yoke bars in place (cf. 27:2). The metaphor of the “yoke on the neck” is continued. The translation reflects the sense of the metaphor but not the specific referent.