1:17 I will bring distress on the people 1
and they will stumble 2 like blind men,
for they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dirt;
their flesh 3 will be scattered 4 like manure.
3:7 I thought, 5 ‘Certainly you will respect 6 me!
Now you will accept correction!’
If she had done so, her home 7 would not be destroyed 8
by all the punishments I have threatened. 9
But they eagerly sinned
in everything they did. 10
3:13 The Israelites who remain 11 will not act deceitfully.
They will not lie,
and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.
Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep 12 and lie down;
no one will terrify them.”
1 tn “The people” refers to mankind in general (see vv. 2-3) or more specifically to the residents of Judah (see vv. 4-13).
2 tn Heb “walk.”
3 tn Some take the referent of “flesh” to be more specific here; cf. NEB (“bowels”), NAB (“brains”), NIV (“entrails”).
4 tn The words “will be scattered” are supplied in the translation for clarity based on the parallelism with “will be poured out” in the previous line.
5 tn Heb “said.”
6 tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.
sn God’s judgment of the nations (v. 6) was an object lesson for Israel’s benefit.
7 tn Or “dwelling place.”
8 tn Heb “cut off.”
9 tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.
10 tn Heb “But they got up early, they made corrupt all their actions.” The phrase “they got up early” probably refers to their eagerness to engage in sinful activities.
11 tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”
12 tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.