9:10 I said, 1
“I will weep and mourn 2 for the grasslands on the mountains, 3
I will sing a mournful song for the pastures in the wilderness
because they are so scorched no one travels through them.
The sound of livestock is no longer heard there.
Even the birds in the sky and the wild animals in the fields
have fled and are gone.”
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?”
1 tn The words “I said” are not in the text, but there is general agreement that Jeremiah is the speaker. Cf. the lament in 8:18-9:1. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity. Some English versions follow the Greek text which reads a plural imperative here. Since this reading would make the transition between 9:10 and 9:11 easier it is probably not original but a translator’s way of smoothing over a difficulty.
2 tn Heb “I will lift up weeping and mourning.”
3 tn Heb “for the mountains.” However, the context makes clear that it is the grasslands or pastures on the mountains that are meant. The words “for the grasslands” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
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
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