Jeremiah 4:4

4:4 Just as ritual circumcision cuts away the foreskin

as an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment,

you must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the Lord

and get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to me, 1 

people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem.

If you do not, 2  my anger will blaze up like a flaming fire against you

that no one will be able to extinguish.

That will happen because of the evil you have done.”

Jeremiah 35:15

35:15 I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, “Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right. 3  Do not pay allegiance to other gods 4  and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” But you did not pay any attention or listen to me.

Jeremiah 42:18

42:18 For 5  the Lord God of Israel who rules over all 6  says, ‘If you go to Egypt, I will pour out my wrath on you just as I poured out my anger and wrath on the citizens of Jerusalem. 7  You will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example of those who have been cursed and that people use in pronouncing a curse. 8  You will never see this place again.’ 9 

Jeremiah 44:12

44:12 I will see to it that all the Judean remnant that was determined to go 10  and live in the land of Egypt will be destroyed. Here in the land of Egypt they will fall in battle 11  or perish from starvation. People of every class 12  will die in war or from starvation. They will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example of those who have been cursed and that people use in pronouncing a curse. 13 

1 tn Heb “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskin of your heart.” The translation is again an attempt to bring out the meaning of a metaphor. The mention of the “foreskin of the heart” shows that the passage is obviously metaphorical and involves heart attitude, not an external rite.

2 tn Heb “lest.”

3 tn Heb “Turn, each of you, from his [= your] wicked way and make good your deeds.” Compare 18:11 where the same idiom occurs with the added term of “make good your ways.”

4 tn Heb “Don’t go after/follow other gods.” See the translator’s note on 2:5 for an explanation of the idiom and see 11:10; 13:10; 25:6 for the same idiom.

5 tn Or “Indeed.”

6 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” See the study note on 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title.

7 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

8 tn See the study note on 24:9 and the usage in 29:22 for the meaning and significance of this last phrase.

9 tn Or “land.” The reference is, of course, to the land of Judah.

10 tn Heb “they set their face to go.” Compare 44:11 and 42:14 and see the translator’s note at 42:15.

11 tn Heb “fall by the sword.”

12 tn Or “All of them without distinction,” or “All of them from the least important to the most important”; Heb “From the least to the greatest.” See the translator’s note on 42:1 for the meaning of this idiom.

13 tn See the study note on 24:9 and the usage in 29:22 for the meaning and significance of this last phrase.

sn See Jer 42:18 for parallel usage.