Jeremiah 3:12

The Lord Calls on Israel and Judah to Repent

3:12 “Go and shout this message to my people in the countries in the north. ¹  Tell them,

‘Come back to me, wayward Israel,’ says the Lord.

‘I will not continue to look on you with displeasure. ² 

For I am merciful,’ says the Lord.

‘I will not be angry with you forever.

Psalms 77:7-9

77:7 I asked, ³  “Will the Lord reject me forever?

Will he never again show me his favor?

77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?

Has his promise ⁴  failed forever?

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

Psalms 85:5

85:5 Will you stay mad at us forever?

Will you remain angry throughout future generations? ⁵ 

Psalms 103:8-9

103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful;

he is patient ⁶  and demonstrates great loyal love. ⁷ 

103:9 He does not always accuse,

and does not stay angry. ⁸ 

Isaiah 57:16

57:16 For I will not be hostile ⁹  forever

or perpetually angry,

for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, ¹⁰ 

the life-giving breath I created.

Isaiah 64:9

64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!

Do not hold our sins against us continually! ¹¹ 

Take a good look at your people, at all of us! ¹² 

[3:12]  ¹ tn Heb “Go and proclaim these words to the north.” The translation assumes that the message is directed toward the exiles of northern Israel who have been scattered in the provinces of Assyria to the north.

[3:12]  ² tn Heb “I will not cause my face to fall on you.”

[77:7]  ³ tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[77:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).

[85:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “Will your anger stretch to a generation and a generation?”

[103:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Ps 86:15).

[103:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Ps 86:15).

[103:9]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew verb נָטַר (natar) is usually taken to mean “to keep; to guard,” with “anger” being understood by ellipsis. The idiom “to guard anger” is then understood to mean “to remain angry” (see Lev 19:18; Jer 3:5, 12; Nah 1:2). However, it is possible that this is a homonymic root meaning “to be angry” (see HALOT 695 s.v. נטר).

[57:16]  ⁹ tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”

[64:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”

[64:9]  ¹² tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”