Jeremiah 15:4-5

15:4 I will make all the people in all the kingdoms of the world horrified at what has happened to them because of what Hezekiah’s son Manasseh, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.” ¹ 

15:5 The Lord cried out, ² 

“Who in the world ³  will have pity on you, Jerusalem?

Who will grieve over you?

Who will stop long enough ⁴ 

to inquire about how you are doing? ⁵ 

[15:4]  ¹ tn The length of this sentence runs contrary to the normal policy followed in the translation of breaking up long sentences. However, there does not seem any way to break it up here without losing the connections.

[15:5]  ² tn The words “The Lord cried out” are not in the text. However, they are necessary to show the shift in address between speaking to Jeremiah in vv. 1-4 about the people and addressing Jerusalem in vv. 5-6 and the shift back to the address to Jeremiah in vv. 7-9. The words “oracle of the Lord” are, moreover, found at the beginning of v. 6.

[15:5]  ³ tn The words, “in the world” are not in the text but are the translator’s way of trying to indicate that this rhetorical question expects a negative answer.

[15:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “turn aside.”

[15:5]  ⁵ tn Or “about your well-being”; Heb “about your welfare” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).