Jeremiah 5:14-15

Context

5:14 Because of that,¹ the Lord, the God who rules over all,² said to me,³

“Because these people have spoken⁴ like this,⁵

I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire.

And I will make this people like wood

which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up.”⁶

5:15 The Lord says,⁷ “Listen,⁸ nation of Israel!⁹

I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you.

It will be a nation that was founded long ago

and has lasted for a long time.

It will be a nation whose language you will not know.

Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.

[5:14] ¹tn Heb “Therefore.”

[5:14] ²tn Heb “The Lord God of armies.” See the translator’s note at 2:19.

[5:14] ³tn The words, “to me” are not in the text but are implicit in the connection. They are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:14] ⁴tn Heb “you have spoken.” The text here דַּבֶּרְכֶם (dabberkhem, “you have spoken”) is either a case of a scribal error for דַּבֶּרָם (dabberam, “they have spoken”) or an example of the rapid shift in addressee which is common in Jeremiah.

[5:14] ⁵tn Heb “this word.”

[5:14] ⁶tn Heb “like wood and it [i.e., the fire I put in your mouth] will consume them.”

[5:15] ⁷tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”

[5:15] ⁸tn Heb “Behold!”

[5:15] ⁹tn Heb “house of Israel.”