Jeremiah 10:23–24

10:23 Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny.50

It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them.51

10:24 Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure.52

Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.53

50	tn Heb “Not to the man his way.” For the nuance of “fate, destiny, or the way things turn out” for the Hebrew word “way” see Hag 1:5, Isa 40:27 and probably Ps 49:13 (cf. KBL 218 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 5). For the idea of “control” or “hold in one’s power” for the preposition “to” see Ps 3:8 (cf. BDB 513 s.v. לְ 5.b[a]).
51	tn Heb “Not to a man the walking and the establishing his step.”
52	tn Heb “with justice.”
53	tn The words, “to almost nothing” are not in the text. They are implicit from the general context and are supplied by almost all English versions.