Yeremia 4:22

4:22 The Lord answered, ¹ 

“This will happen ²  because my people are foolish.

They do not know me.

They are like children who have no sense. ³ 

They have no understanding.

They are skilled at doing evil.

They do not know how to do good.”

Hosea 4:6

4:6 You have destroyed ⁴  my people

by failing to acknowledge me!

Because you refuse to acknowledge me, ⁵ 

I will reject you as my priests.

Because you reject ⁶  the law of your God,

I will reject ⁷  your descendants.

[4:22]  ¹ tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show clearly the shift in speaker. Jeremiah has been speaking; now the Lord answers, giving the reason for the devastation Jeremiah foresees.

[4:22]  ² tn Heb “For….” This gives the explanation for the destruction envisaged in 4:20 to which Jeremiah responds in 4:19, 21.

[4:22]  ³ tn Heb “They are senseless children.”

[4:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “they have destroyed” or “my people are destroyed” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[4:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “Because you reject knowledge”; NLT “because they don’t know me.”

[4:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “have forgotten”; NAB, NIV “have ignored.”

[4:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “forget” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “forget to bless.”