Jer 17:4 | NET2full | STEP | You will lose your hold on the land that I gave to you as a permanent possession . I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you know nothing about . For you have made my anger burn like a fire that will never be put out .”

‏ Jeremiah 17:4

4 You will lose your hold on the land ^{▼▼tc Or “Through your own fault you will lose the land…” As W. McKane (Jeremiah [ICC], 1:386) notes, the ancient versions do not appear to be reading וּבְךָ (uvekha) as in the MT but possibly לְבַדְּךָ (levaddekha). The translation follows the suggestion in BHS that יָדְךָ (yadekha, literally “your hand”) be read for MT וּבְךָ. This has the advantage of fitting the idiom of this verb with “hand” in Deut 15:2 (see also v. 3 there). The Hebrew text thus reads, “You will release your hand from your heritage.”}
that I gave to you as a permanent possession.
I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you know nothing about.
For you have made my anger burn like a fire that will never be put out.” ^{▼▼tc A few Hebrew mss and two Greek mss read, “a fire is kindled in my anger” (reading קָדְחָה, qodkha), as in 15:14, in place of, “you have kindled a fire in my anger” (reading קָדַחְתֶּם, qadakhtem), as in the majority of Hebrew mss and versions. The variant may be explained on the basis of harmonization with the parallel passage.} ^{▼▼tn Heb “you have started a fire in my anger which will burn forever.”}

Individuals Are Challenged to Put Their Trust in the Lord ^{▼▼sn Verses 5-11 are a collection of wisdom-like sayings (cf. Ps 1) that set forth the theme of the two ways and their consequences. It has as its background the blessings and the curses of Deut 28 and the challenge to faith in Deut 29-30, which climaxes in Deut 30:15-20. The nation is sinful, and God is weary of showing them patience. However, there is hope for individuals within the nation if they will trust in him.}