Jeremiah 21-36 A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary by (Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries)

34 Jeremiah 21-36: A Translation

my covenant be broken with David, my servant, so there would not be for

him a son reigning on his throne, also with the Levitical priests, my minis-

ters.^22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sand of the sea

cannot be measured, so I will multiply the seed of David, my servant, also

the Levites who minister to me.

b) Seed of Jacob and David to Continue (33:23-26)

33 23 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah:^24 'Have you not seen what

this people has said: "The two families that Yahweh chose-now he has re-

jected them," so they have spurned my people from being any longer a nation

before them?'

(^25) Thus said Yahweh:
If indeed I have not established my covenant of daytime and night-stat-
utes of heaven and earth-^26 then the seed of Jacob and David, my servant,
I will reject, not taking from his seed rulers unto the seed of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, for I will surely restore their fortunes, and I will show
them mercy.
IV. FALSE COVENANTS, TRUE COVENANTS
(34:1-36:32)
A. Zedekiah's Covenant (34:1-22)

1. A Word on the King's Personal Fate (34:1-7)
   34 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when Nebuchadrezzar,
   king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth under his
   dominion, and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and against all
   its cities:^2 Thus said Yahweh, God of Israel: Go, and you shall say to Zedekiah,
   king of Judah, and you shall say to him:
   Thus said Yahweh:
   Look I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will
   take it and will burn it with fire.^3 And you, you will not escape from his
   hand, but you will surely be captured and into his hand you will be given.
   And your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth
   shall speak to your mouth, and to Babylon you shall go.

(^4) But hear the word of Yahweh, Zedekiah, king of Judah:
Thus said Yahweh concerning you:
You shall not die by the sword;^5 in peace you shall die; and like the burn-
ings for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so shall they
burn for you, and "Woe, lord!" they shall lament for you, for the word I, I
have spoken-oracle of Yahweh.
(^6) So Jeremiah, the prophet, spoke to Zedekiah, king of Judah, all these words in
Jerusalem.^7 And the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jeru-