Jeremiah 18:15

18:15 Yet my people have forgotten me

and offered sacrifices to worthless idols!

This makes them stumble along in the way they live

and leave the old reliable path of their fathers. ¹ 

They have left them to walk in bypaths,

in roads that are not smooth and level. ² 

Jeremiah 26:4

26:4 Tell them that the Lord says, ³  ‘You must obey me! You must live according to the way I have instructed you in my laws. ⁴ 

Jeremiah 44:3

44:3 This happened because of the wickedness the people living there did. ⁵  They made me angry ⁶  by worshiping and offering sacrifice to ⁷  other gods whom neither they nor you nor your ancestors ⁸  previously knew. ⁹ 

[18:15]  ¹ sn Heb “the ancient path.” This has already been referred to in Jer 6:16. There is another “old way” but it is the path trod by the wicked (cf. Job 22:15).

[18:15]  ² sn Heb “ways that are not built up.” This refers to the built-up highways. See Isa 40:4 for the figure. The terms “way,” “by-paths,” “roads” are, of course, being used here in the sense of moral behavior or action.

[26:4]  ³ tn Heb “thus says the Lord, ‘…’.” The use of the indirect quotation in the translation eliminates one level of embedded quotation to avoid confusion.

[26:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “by walking in my law which I set before you.”

[44:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “they.” The referent must be supplied from the preceding, i.e., Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. “They” are those who have experienced the disaster and are distinct from those being addressed and their ancestors (44:3b).

[44:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “thus making me angry.” However, this is a good place to break the sentence to create a shorter sentence that is more in keeping with contemporary English style.

[44:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “by going to offer sacrifice in serving/worshiping.” The second לְ (lamed) + infinitive is epexegetical of the first (cf. IBHS 608-9 §36.2.3e).

[44:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 10, 17, 21).

[44:3]  ⁹ sn Compare Jer 19:4 for the same thought and see also 7:9.