Discovery BoxJeremiah 25:4-6 
Context25:4 Over and over again 1 the Lord has sent 2 his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention. 3 25:5 He said through them, 4 ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. 5 If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession. 6 25:6 Do not pay allegiance to 7 other gods and worship and serve them. Do not make me angry by the things that you do. 8 Then I will not cause you any harm.’
1 tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.
2 tn The vav consecutive with the perfect in a past narrative is a little unusual. Here it is probably indicating repeated action in past time in keeping with the idiom that precedes and follows it. See GKC 332 §112.f for other possible examples.
3 tn Heb “inclined your ear to hear.” This is idiomatic for “paying attention.” It is often parallel with “listen” as here or with “pay attention” (see, e.g., Prov 4:20; 51:1).
4 tn Heb “saying.” The infinitive goes back to “he sent”; i.e., “he sent, saying.”
5 tn Heb “Turn [masc. pl.] each person from his wicked way and from the evil of your [masc. pl.] doings.” See the same demand in 23:22.
6 tn Heb “gave to you and your fathers with reference to from ancient times even unto forever.” See the same idiom in 7:7.
7 tn Heb “follow after.” See the translator’s note on 2:5 for this idiom.
8 tn Heb “make me angry with the work of your hands.” The term “work of your own hands” is often interpreted as a reference to idolatry as is clearly the case in Isa 2:8; 37:19. However, the parallelism in 25:14 and the context in 32:30 show that it is more general and refers to what they have done. That is likely the meaning here as well.
