Jeremiah 2:13

2:13 “Do so because my people have committed a double wrong:

they have rejected me,

the fountain of life-giving water, 1 

and they have dug cisterns for themselves,

cracked cisterns which cannot even hold water.”

Jeremiah 21:8

21:8 “But 2  tell the people of Jerusalem 3  that the Lord says, ‘I will give you a choice between two courses of action. One will result in life; the other will result in death. 4 

Jeremiah 22:25

22:25 I will hand you over to those who want to take your life and of whom you are afraid. I will hand you over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his Babylonian 5  soldiers.

Jeremiah 38:20

38:20 Then Jeremiah answered, “You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the Lord by doing what I have been telling you. 6  Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared. 7 

1 tn It is difficult to decide whether to translate “fresh, running water” which the Hebrew term for “living water” often refers to (e.g., Gen 26:19; Lev 14:5), or “life-giving water” which the idiom “fountain of life” as source of life and vitality often refers to (e.g., Ps 36:9; Prov 13:14; 14:27). The contrast with cisterns, which collected and held rain water, suggests “fresh, running water,” but the reality underlying the metaphor contrasts the Lord, the source of life, health, and vitality, with useless idols that cannot do anything.

2 tn Heb “And/But unto this people you shall say…” “But” is suggested here by the unusual word order which offsets what they are to say to Zedekiah (v. 3).

3 tn Heb “these people.”

4 tn Heb “Behold I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.”

5 tn Heb “the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4.

6 tn Heb “Please listen to the voice of the Lord with regard to what I have been telling you.” For the idiom “listen to the voice” = “obey” see BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע 1.m. Obedience here is expressed by following the advice in the qualifying clause, i.e., what I have been telling you.

7 tn Heb “your life [or you yourself] will live.” Compare v. 17 and the translator’s note there for the idiom.