Yeremia 9:25

9:25 The Lord says, “Watch out! ¹  The time is soon coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh. ² 

Yeremia 12:16

12:16 But they must make sure you learn to follow the religious practices of my people. ³  Once they taught my people to swear their oaths using the name of the god Baal. ⁴  But then, they must swear oaths using my name, saying, “As surely as the Lord lives, I swear.” ⁵  If they do these things, ⁶  then they will be included among the people I call my own. ⁷ 

Yeremia 18:11

18:11 So now, tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem ⁸  this: The Lord says, ‘I am preparing to bring disaster on you! I am making plans to punish you. ⁹  So, every one of you, stop the evil things you have been doing. ¹⁰  Correct the way you have been living and do what is right.’ ¹¹ 

[9:25]  ¹ tn Heb “Behold!”

[9:25]  ² tn Heb “punish all who are circumcised in the flesh.” The translation is contextually motivated to better bring out the contrast that follows.

[12:16]  ³ tn Heb “the ways of my people.” For this nuance of the word “ways” compare 10:2 and the notes there.

[12:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “taught my people to swear by Baal.”

[12:16]  ⁵ tn The words “I swear” are not in the text but are implicit to the oath formula. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[12:16]  ⁶ tn The words “If they do this” are not in the text. They are part of an attempt to break up a Hebrew sentence which is long and complex into equivalent shorter sentences consistent with contemporary English style. Verse 16 in Hebrew is all one sentence with a long complex conditional clause followed by a short consequence: “If they carefully learn the ways of my people to swear by name, ‘By the life of the Lord,’ as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the midst of my people.” The translation strives to create the same contingencies and modifications by breaking up the sentence into shorter sentences in accord with contemporary English style.

[12:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “they will be built up among my people.” The expression “be built up among” is without parallel. However, what is involved here is conceptually parallel to the ideas expressed in Isa 19:23-25 and Zech 14:16-19. That is, these people will be allowed to live on their own land, to worship the Lord there, and to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. To translate literally would be meaningless or misleading for many readers.

[18:11]  ⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[18:11]  ⁹ sn Heb “I am forming disaster and making plans against you.” The word translated “forming” is the same as that for “potter,” so there is a wordplay taking the reader back to v. 5. They are in his hands like the clay in the hands of the potter. Since they have not been pliable he forms new plans. He still offers them opportunity to repent; but their response is predictable.

[18:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Turn, each one from his wicked way.” See v. 8.

[18:11]  ¹¹ tn Or “Make good your ways and your actions.” See the same expression in 7:3, 5.