Jeremiah 23:18

23:18 Yet which of them has ever stood in the Lord’s inner circle ¹ 

so they ²  could see and hear what he has to say? ³ 

Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?

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.

[23:18]  ¹ tn Or “has been the Lord’s confidant.”

[23:18]  ² tn The form here is a jussive with a vav of subordination introducing a purpose after a question (cf. GKC 322 §109.f).

[23:18]  ³ tc Heb “his word.” In the second instance (“what he has said” at the end of the verse) the translation follows the suggestion of the Masoretes (Qere) and many Hebrew mss rather than the consonantal text (Kethib) of the Leningrad Codex.

[23:22]  ⁴ tn Or “had been my confidant.” See the note on v. 18.