Jeremiah 6:8

6:8 So ¹  take warning, Jerusalem,

or I will abandon you in disgust ² 

and make you desolate,

a place where no one can live.”

Jeremiah 51:26

51:26 No one will use any of your stones as a cornerstone.

No one will use any of them in the foundation of his house.

For you will lie desolate forever,” ³ 

says the Lord. ⁴ 

Jeremiah 32:17

32:17 ‘Oh, Lord God, ⁵  you did indeed ⁶  make heaven and earth by your mighty power and great strength. ⁷  Nothing is too hard for you!

[6:8]  ¹ tn This word is not in the text but is supplied in the translation. Jeremiah uses a figure of speech (enallage) where the speaker turns from talking about someone to address him/her directly.

[6:8]  ² tn Heb “lest my soul [= I] becomes disgusted with you.”

[51:26]  ³ tn This is a fairly literal translation of the original which reads “No one will take from you a stone for a cornerstone nor a stone for foundations.” There is no unanimity of opinion in the commentaries, many feeling that the figure of the burned mountain continues and others feeling that the figure here shifts to a burned city whose stones are so burned that they are useless to be used in building. The latter is the interpretation adopted here (see, e.g., F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 423; W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:426; NCV).

[51:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[32:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.” For an explanation of the rendering here see the study note on 1:6.

[32:17]  ⁶ tn This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle normally translated “behold.” See the translator’s note on 1:6 for the usage of this particle.

[32:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “by your great power and your outstretched arm.” See 21:5; 27:5 and the marginal note on 27:5 for this idiom.