Jeremiah 31:4

31:4 I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, ¹ 

so that you will once again be built up.

Once again you will take up the tambourine

and join in the happy throng of dancers. ² 

Jeremiah 4:30

4:30 And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, ³ 

you accomplish nothing ⁴  by wearing a beautiful dress, ⁵ 

decking yourself out in jewels of gold,

and putting on eye shadow! ⁶ 

You are making yourself beautiful for nothing.

Your lovers spurn you.

They want to kill you. ⁷ 

[31:4]  ¹ tn Heb “Virgin Israel.”

[31:4]  ² sn Contrast Jer 7:34 and 25:10.

[4:30]  ³ tn Heb “And you that are doomed to destruction.” The referent is supplied from the following context and the fact that Zion/Jerusalem represents the leadership which was continually making overtures to foreign nations for help.

[4:30]  ⁴ tn Heb “What are you accomplishing…?” The rhetorical question assumes a negative answer, made clear by the translation in the indicative.

[4:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “clothing yourself in scarlet.”

[4:30]  ⁶ tn Heb “enlarging your eyes with antimony.” Antimony was a black powder used by women as eyeliner to make their eyes look larger.

[4:30]  ⁷ tn Heb “they seek your life.”