Jeremiah 9:7

9:7 Therefore the Lord who rules over all says, ¹ 

“I will now purify them in the fires of affliction ²  and test them.

The wickedness of my dear people ³  has left me no choice.

What else can I do? ⁴ 

Jeremiah 11:20

11:20 So I said to the Lord, ⁵ 

“O Lord who rules over all, ⁶  you are a just judge!

You examine people’s hearts and minds. ⁷ 

I want to see you pay them back for what they have done

because I trust you to vindicate my cause.” ⁸ 

Jeremiah 12:3

12:3 But you, Lord, know all about me.

You watch me and test my devotion to you. ⁹ 

Drag these wicked men away like sheep to be slaughtered!

Appoint a time when they will be killed! ¹⁰ 

Jeremiah 20:12

20:12 O Lord who rules over all, ¹¹  you test and prove the righteous.

You see into people’s hearts and minds. ¹² 

Pay them back for what they have done

because I trust you to vindicate my cause.

[9:7]  ¹ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[9:7]  ² tn Heb “I will refine/purify them.” The words “in the fires of affliction” are supplied in the translation to give clarity to the metaphor.

[9:7]  ³ tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.

[9:7]  ⁴ tc Heb “For how else shall I deal because of the wickedness of the daughter of my people.” The MT does not have the word “wickedness.” The word, however, is read in the Greek version. This is probably a case of a word dropping out because of its similarities to the consonants preceding or following it (i.e., haplography). The word “wickedness” (רַעַת, ra’at) has dropped out before the words “my dear people” (בַּת־עַמִּי, bat-’ammi). The causal nuance which is normal for מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne) does not make sense without some word like this, and the combination of רַעַת מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne ra’at) does occur in Jer 7:12 and one very like it occurs in Jer 26:3.

[11:20]  ⁵ tn The words “So I said to the Lord” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity to show the shift in address.

[11:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[11:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “Lord of armies, just judge, tester of kidneys and heart.” The sentence has been broken up to avoid a long and complex English sentence. The translation is more in keeping with contemporary English style. In Hebrew thought the “kidneys” were thought of as the seat of the emotions and passions and the “heart” was viewed as the seat of intellect, conscience, and will. The “heart” and the “kidneys” are often used figuratively for the thoughts, emotions, motives, and drives that are thought to be seated in them.

[11:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “Let me see your retribution [i.e., see you exact retribution] from them because I reveal my cause [i.e., plea for justice] to you.”

[12:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “You, Lord, know me. You watch me and you test my heart toward you.”

[12:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “set aside for them a day of killing.”

[20:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[20:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Lord of armies, the one who tests the righteous, who sees kidneys and heart.” The sentence has been broken up to avoid a long and complex English sentence. The translation is more in keeping with contemporary English style.