Jeremiah 25:4-5

25:4 Over and over again ¹  the Lord has sent ²  his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention. ³  25:5 He said through them, ⁴  ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. ⁵  If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession. ⁶ 

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¹ tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.

² tn The vav consecutive with the perfect in a past narrative is a little unusual. Here it is probably indicating repeated action in past time in keeping with the idiom that precedes and follows it. See GKC 332 §112.f for other possible examples.

³ tn Heb “inclined your ear to hear.” This is idiomatic for “paying attention.” It is often parallel with “listen” as here or with “pay attention” (see, e.g., Prov 4:20; 51:1).

⁴ tn Heb “saying.” The infinitive goes back to “he sent”; i.e., “he sent, saying.”

⁵ tn Heb “Turn [masc. pl.] each person from his wicked way and from the evil of your [masc. pl.] doings.” See the same demand in 23:22.

⁶ tn Heb “gave to you and your fathers with reference to from ancient times even unto forever.” See the same idiom in 7:7.