Jeremiah 17:10

17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.

I examine people’s hearts. ¹ 

I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.

I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

Jeremiah 21:14

21:14 But I will punish you as your deeds deserve,’

says the Lord. ² 

‘I will set fire to your palace;

it will burn up everything around it.’” ³ 

Jeremiah 23:22

23:22 But if they had stood in my inner circle, ⁴ 

they would have proclaimed my message to my people.

They would have caused my people to turn from their wicked ways

and stop doing the evil things they are doing.

[17:10]  ¹ tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will and the “kidneys” the center of emotions.

[21:14]  ² tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”

[21:14]  ³ tn Heb “I will set fire in its forest and it will devour its surroundings.” The pronouns are actually third feminine singular going back to the participle “you who sit enthroned above the valley.” However, this is another example of those rapid shifts in pronouns typical of the biblical Hebrew style which are uncommon in English. They have regularly been leveled to the same person throughout in the translation to avoid possible confusion for the English reader.

[23:22]  ³ tn Or “had been my confidant.” See the note on v. 18.