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 42:18

42:18 For 3  the Lord God of Israel who rules over all 4  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. 5  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. 6  You will never see this place again.’ 7 

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 Or “Indeed.”

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

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

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

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