Jeremiah 38:19-20
38:19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Babylonians. 1 The Babylonians might hand me over to them and they will torture me.” 2
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. 3 Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared. 4
1 tn Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.
2 tn Or “and they will badly abuse me.” For the usage of this verb in the situation presupposed see Judg 19:25 and 1 Sam 31:4.
3 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.
4 tn Heb “your life [or you yourself] will live.” Compare v. 17 and the translator’s note there for the idiom.