Jeremiah 14:10

14:10 Then the Lord spoke about these people. ¹ 

“They truly ²  love to go astray.

They cannot keep from running away from me. ³ 

So I am not pleased with them.

I will now call to mind ⁴  the wrongs they have done ⁵ 

and punish them for their sins.”

Jeremiah 44:23

44:23 You have sacrificed to other gods! You have sinned against the Lord! You have not obeyed the Lord! You have not followed his laws, his statutes, and his decrees! That is why this disaster that is evident to this day has happened to you.” ⁶ 

[14:10]  ¹ tn Heb “Thus said the Lord concerning this people.”

[14:10]  ² tn It is difficult to be certain how the particle כֵּן (ken, usually used for “thus, so”) is to be rendered here. BDB 485 s.v. כֵּן 1.b says that the force sometimes has to be elicited from the general context and points back to the line of v. 9. IHBS 666 §39.3.4e states that when there is no specific comparative clause preceding a general comparison is intended. They point to Judg 5:31 as a parallel. Ps 127:2 may also be an example if כִּי (ki) is not to be read (cf. BHS fn). “Truly” seemed the best way to render this idea in contemporary English.

[14:10]  ³ tn Heb “They do not restrain their feet.” The idea of “away from me” is implicit in the context and is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “remember.”

[14:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “their iniquities.”

[44:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “Because you have sacrificed and you have sinned against the Lord and you have not listened to the voice of the Lord and in his laws, in his statutes, and in his decrees you have not walked, therefore this disaster has happened to you as this day.” The text has been broken down and restructured to better conform with contemporary English style.