Jeremiah 12:4

12:4 How long must the land be parched ¹ 

and the grass in every field be withered?

How long ²  must the animals and the birds die

because of the wickedness of the people who live in this land? ³ 

For these people boast,

“God ⁴  will not see what happens to us.” ⁵ 

Jeremiah 12:10

12:10 Many foreign rulers ⁶  will ruin the land where I planted my people. ⁷ 

They will trample all over my chosen land. ⁸ 

They will turn my beautiful land

into a desolate wasteland.

Jeremiah 14:6

14:6 Wild donkeys stand on the hilltops

and pant for breath like jackals.

Their eyes are strained looking for food,

because there is none to be found.” ⁹ 

Jeremiah 23:10

23:10 For the land is full of people unfaithful to him. ¹⁰ 

They live wicked lives and they misuse their power. ¹¹ 

So the land is dried up ¹²  because it is under his curse. ¹³ 

The pastures in the wilderness are withered.

Joel 1:10-12

1:10 The crops of the fields ¹⁴  have been destroyed. ¹⁵ 

The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished.

The fresh wine has dried up;

the olive oil languishes.

1:11 Be distressed, ¹⁶  farmers;

wail, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley.

For the harvest of the field has perished.

1:12 The vine has dried up;

the fig tree languishes –

the pomegranate, date, and apple ¹⁷  as well.

In fact, ¹⁸  all the trees of the field have dried up.

Indeed, the joy of the people ¹⁹  has dried up!

[12:4]  ¹ tn The verb here is often translated “mourn.” However, this verb is from a homonymic root meaning “to be dry” (cf. HALOT 7 s.v. II אָבַל and compare Hos 4:3 for usage).

[12:4]  ² tn The words “How long” are not in the text. They are carried over from the first line.

[12:4]  ³ tn Heb “because of the wickedness of those who live in it.”

[12:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “he.” The referent is usually identified as God and is supplied here for clarity. Some identify the referent with Jeremiah. If that is the case, then he returns to his complaint about the conspirators. It is more likely, however, that it refers to God and Jeremiah’s complaint that the people live their lives apart from concern about God.

[12:4]  ⁵ tc Or reading with the Greek version, “God does not see what we are doing.” In place of “what will happen to us (אַחֲרִיתֵנוּ, ’akharitenu, “our end”) the Greek version understands a Hebrew text which reads “our ways” (אָרְחוֹתֵנו, ’orkhotenu), which is graphically very close to the MT. The Masoretic is supported by the Latin and is retained here on the basis of external evidence. Either text makes good sense in the context. Some identify the “he” with Jeremiah and understand the text to be saying that the conspirators are certain that they will succeed and he will not live to see his prophecies fulfilled.

[12:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “Many shepherds.” For the use of the term “shepherd” as a figure for rulers see the notes on 10:21.

[12:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “my vineyard.” To translate literally would presuppose an unlikely familiarity of this figure on the part of some readers. To translate as “vineyards” as some do would be misleading because that would miss the figurative nuance altogether.

[12:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “my portion.”

[14:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “their eyes are strained because there is no verdure.”

[23:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “adulterers.” But spiritual adultery is clearly meant as also in 3:8-9; 9:2, and probably also 5:7.

[23:10]  ¹¹ tn For the word translated “They live…lives” see usage in Jer 8:6. For the idea of “misusing” their power (Heb “their power is not right” i.e., used in the wrong way) see 2 Kgs 7:9; 17:9. In the original text this line (really two lines in the Hebrew poetry) are at the end of the verse. However, this places the antecedent too far away and could lead to confusion. The lines have been rearranged to avoid such confusion.

[23:10]  ¹² tn For the use of this verb see 12:4 and the note there.

[23:10]  ¹³ tc The translation follows the majority of Hebrew mss (מֵאָלָה, me’alah) rather than the Greek and Syriac version and a few Hebrew mss which read “because of these” (מֵאֵלֶּה [me’elleh], referring to the people unfaithful to him).

[1:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the field has been utterly destroyed.” The term “field,” a collective singular for “fields,” is a metonymy for crops produced by the fields.

[1:10]  ¹⁵ tn Joel uses intentionally alliterative language in the phrases שֻׁדַּד שָׂדֶה (shuddad sadeh, “the field is destroyed”) and אֲבְלָה אֲדָמָה (’avlah ’adamah, “the ground is in mourning”).

[1:11]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “embarrassed”; or “be ashamed.”

[1:12]  ¹⁷ tn This Hebrew word וְתַפּוּחַ (vÿtappuakh) probably refers to the apple tree (so most English versions), but other suggestions that scholars have offered include the apricot, citron, or quince.

[1:12]  ¹⁸ tn These words are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:12]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the sons of man.”