Jeremiah 29:15-20

29:15 “You say, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets of good news ¹  for us here in Babylon.’ 29:16 But just listen to what the Lord has to say about ²  the king who occupies David’s throne and all your fellow countrymen who are still living in this city of Jerusalem ³  and were not carried off into exile with you. 29:17 The Lord who rules over all ⁴  says, ‘I will bring war, ⁵  starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rotten ⁶  they cannot be eaten. 29:18 I will chase after them with war, ⁷  starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them. 29:19 For they have not paid attention to what I said to them through my servants the prophets whom I sent to them over and over again,’ ⁸  says the Lord. ⁹  ‘And you exiles ¹⁰  have not paid any attention to them either,’ says the Lord. ¹¹  29:20 ‘So pay attention to what I, the Lord, have said, ¹²  all you exiles whom I have sent to Babylon from Jerusalem.’

[29:15]  ¹ tn The words “of good news” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[29:16]  ² tn Heb “But thus says the Lord about.” The words “just listen to what” are supplied in the translation to help show the connection with the preceding.

[29:16]  ³ tn The words “of Jerusalem” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to identify the referent and avoid the possible confusion that “this city” refers to Babylon.

[29:17]  ³ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of this title.

[29:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “the sword.”

[29:17]  ⁵ tn The meaning of this word is somewhat uncertain. It occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. BDB 1045 s.v. שֹׁעָר relates it to the noun “horrible thing” (translated “something shocking”) in Jer 5:30; 23:14 and defines it as “horrid, disgusting.” HALOT 1495 s.v. שֹׁעָר relates it to the same noun and define it as “rotten; corrupt.” That nuance is accepted here.

[29:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “with the sword.”

[29:19]  ⁵ tn See the translator’s note on 7:13 for an explanation of this idiom.

[29:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[29:19]  ⁷ tn The word “exiles” is not in the text. It is supplied in the translation to clarify the referent of “you.”

[29:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[29:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “pay attention to the word of the Lord.” However, the Lord is speaking in the words just previous to this and in the words which follow (“whom I have sent”). This is another example of the shift from third person referent to first person which is common in Hebrew poetry and prophecy but is not common in English style. The person has been adjusted in the translation to avoid confusion.