Jeremiah 6:16

6:16 The Lord said to his people: 1 

“You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. 2 

Ask where the old, reliable paths 3  are.

Ask where the path is that leads to blessing 4  and follow it.

If you do, you will find rest for your souls.”

But they said, “We will not follow it!”

Jeremiah 38:25

38:25 The officials may hear that I have talked with you. They may come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you. 5  Do not hide anything from us. If you do, we will kill you.’ 6 

1 tn The words, “to his people” are not in the text but are implicit in the interchange of pronouns in the Hebrew of vv. 16-17. They are supplied in the translation here for clarity.

2 tn Heb “Stand at the crossroads and look.”

3 tn Heb “the ancient path,” i.e., the path the Lord set out in ancient times (cf. Deut 32:7).

4 tn Heb “the way of/to the good.”

5 tn The phrase “and what the king said to you” is actually at the end of the verse, but most commentators see it as also under the governance of “tell us” and many commentaries and English versions move the clause forward for the sake of English style as has been done here.

6 tn Or “lest we kill you”; Heb “and we will not kill you,” which as stated in the translator’s note on 37:20 introduces a negative purpose (or result) clause. See 37:20, 38:24 for parallel usage.