Jeremiah 9:12

I said, ¹  “Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened? ²  Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it? ³  Why does the land lie in ruins? Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?”

De 29:22-28; De 32:29; 1Ki 9:8,9; Ps 107:34; Ps 107:43; Jer 5:19,20; Jer 16:10-13; Jer 22:8,9; Eze 14:23; Eze 22:25-31; Ho 14:9; Mt 24:15; Re 1:3

¹ 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.

² tn Heb “Who is the wise man that he may understand this?”

³ tn Heb “And [who is the man] to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken that he may explain it?”