Jeremiah 5:15

5:15 The Lord says, ¹  “Listen, ²  nation of Israel! ³ 

I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you.

It will be a nation that was founded long ago

and has lasted for a long time.

It will be a nation whose language you will not know.

Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.

Jeremiah 9:12

9:12 I said, ⁴ 

“Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened? ⁵ 

Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it? ⁶ 

Why does the land lie in ruins?

Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?”

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¹ tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”

² tn Heb “Behold!”

³ tn Heb “house of Israel.”

⁴ tn The words, “I said” are not in the text. It is not clear that a shift in speaker has taken place. However, the words of the verse are very unlikely to be a continuation of the Lord’s threat. It is generally assumed that these are the words of Jeremiah and that a dialogue is going on between him and the Lord in vv. 9-14. That assumption is accepted here.

⁵ tn Heb “Who is the wise man that he may understand this?”

⁶ tn Heb “And [who is the man] to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken that he may explain it?”