Jeremiah 9:5

9:5 One friend deceives another

and no one tells the truth.

These people have trained themselves ¹  to tell lies.

They do wrong and are unable to repent.

Jeremiah 9:20

9:20 I said, ² 

“So now, ³  you wailing women, hear what the Lord says. ⁴ 

Open your ears to the words from his mouth.

Teach your daughters this mournful song,

and each of you teach your neighbor ⁵  this lament.

Jeremiah 10:2

10:2 The Lord says,

“Do not start following pagan religious practices. ⁶ 

Do not be in awe of signs that occur ⁷  in the sky

even though the nations hold them in awe.

Jeremiah 13:21

13:21 What will you say ⁸  when the Lord ⁹  appoints as rulers over you those allies

that you, yourself, had actually prepared as such? ¹⁰ 

Then anguish and agony will grip you

like that of a woman giving birth to a baby. ¹¹ 

Jeremiah 31:18

31:18 I have indeed ¹²  heard the people of Israel ¹³  say mournfully,

‘We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. ¹⁴ 

You disciplined us and we learned from it. ¹⁵ 

Let us come back to you and we will do so, ¹⁶ 

for you are the Lord our God.

[9:5]  ¹ tn Heb “their tongues.” However, this is probably not a natural idiom in contemporary English and the tongue may stand as a part for the whole anyway.

[9:20]  ² tn The words “I said” are not in the text. The text merely has “Indeed, yes.” The words are supplied in the translation to indicate that the speaker is still Jeremiah though he now is not talking about the mourning woman but is talking to them. See the notes on 9:17-18 for further explanation.

[9:20]  ³ tn It is a little difficult to explain how the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is functioning here. W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:311) may be correct in seeing it as introducing the contents of what those who call for the mourning women are to say. In this case, Jeremiah picks up the task as representative of the people.

[9:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “Listen to the word of the Lord.”

[9:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “Teach…mournful song, and each woman her neighbor lady…”

[10:2]  ³ tn Heb “Do not learn the way of the nations.” For this use of the word “ways” (דֶּרֶךְ, derekh) compare for example Jer 12:16 and Isa 2:6.

[10:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “signs.” The words “that occur” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[13:21]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps more rhetorically equivalent, “Will you not be surprised?”

[13:21]  ⁵ tn The words “The Lord” are not in the text. Some commentators make the enemy the subject, but they are spoken of as “them.”

[13:21]  ⁶ tn Or “to be rulers.” The translation of these two lines is somewhat uncertain. The sentence structure of these two lines raises problems in translation. The Hebrew text reads: “What will you do when he appoints over you [or punishes you (see BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.B.2 for the former, Qal.A.3 for the latter)] and you, yourself, taught them over you friends [or chiefs (see BDB 48 s.v. I אַלּוּף 2 and Ps 55:13 for the former and BDB 49 s.v. II אַלּוּף and Exod 15:15 for the latter)] for a head.” The translation assumes that the clause “and you, yourself, taught them [= made them accustomed, i.e., “prepared”] [to be] over you” is parenthetical coming between the verb “appoint” and its object and object modifier (i.e., “appointed over you allies for rulers”). A quick check of other English versions will show how varied the translation of these lines has been. Most English versions seem to ignore the second “over you” after “you taught them.” Some rearrange the text to get what they think is a sensible meaning. For a fairly thorough treatment see W. McKane, Jeremiah (ICC), 1:308-10.

[13:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “Will not pain [here = mental anguish] take hold of you like a woman giving birth.” The question is rhetorical expecting a positive answer.

[31:18]  ⁵ tn The use of “indeed” is intended to reflect the infinitive absolute which precedes the verb for emphasis (see IBHS 585-86 §35.3.1f).

[31:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “Ephraim.” See the study note on 31:9. The more familiar term is used, the term “people” added to it, and plural pronouns used throughout the verse to aid in understanding.

[31:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “like an untrained calf.” The metaphor is that of a calf who has never been broken to bear the yoke (cf. Hos 4:16; 10:11).

[31:18]  ⁸ tn The verb here is from the same root as the preceding and is probably an example of the “tolerative Niphal,” i.e., “I let myself be disciplined/I responded to it.” See IBHS 389-90 §23.4g and note the translation of some of the examples there, especially Isa 19:22; 65:1.

[31:18]  ⁹ tn Heb “Bring me back in order that I may come back.” For the use of the plural pronouns see the marginal note at the beginning of the verse. The verb “bring back” and “come back” are from the same root in two different verbal stems and in the context express the idea of spiritual repentance and restoration of relationship not physical return to the land. (See BDB 999 s.v. שׁוּב Hiph.2.a for the first verb and 997 s.v. Qal.6.c for the second.) For the use of the cohortative to express purpose after the imperative see GKC 320 §108.d or IBHS 575 §34.5.2b.