^26:3Maybe they will pay attention and each of them will stop living the evil way they do.⁴ If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them⁵ as I had intended to do because of the wicked things they have been doing.⁶^26:4Tell them that the Lord says,⁷ ‘You must obey me! You must live according to the way I have instructed you in my laws.⁸^26:5You must pay attention to the exhortations of my servants the prophets. I have sent them to you over and over again.⁹ But you have not paid any attention to them. ^26:6If you do not obey me,¹⁰ then I will do to this temple what I did to Shiloh.¹¹ And I will make this city an example to be used in curses by people from all the nations on the earth.’ ”

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Footnotes

4 Heb “will turn from his wicked way.”
5 For the idiom and translation of terms involved here see 18:8 and the translator’s note there. The Lord is being consistent in the application of the principle laid down in Jer 18:7–8 that reformation of character will result in the withdrawal of the punishment of “uprooting, tearing down, destroying.” His prophecies of doom are conditional threats, open to change with change in behavior.
6 Heb “because of the wickedness of their deeds.”
7 Heb “thus says the Lord, ‘…’.” The use of the indirect quotation in the translation eliminates one level of embedded quotation to avoid confusion.
8 Heb “by walking in my law which I set before you.” Examples of those laws are found in Jer 7:5–6, 9. The law was summarized or epitomized in the ten commandments which are called the “words of the covenant” in Exod 34:28, but it contained much more. However, when Israel is taken to task by God, it often relates to their failure to live up to the standards of the ten commandments (Heb “the ten words”; see Hos 4:1–3; Jer 7:9).
9 See the translator’s note on for the idiom here.
10 26:4–6 are all one long sentence containing a long condition with subordinate clauses (vv. 4–5) and a compound consequence in v. 6: Heb “If you will not obey me by walking in my law … by paying attention to the words of the prophets which … and you did not pay heed, then I will make … and I will make …” The sentence has been broken down in conformity to contemporary English style but an attempt has been made to reflect all the subordinations in the English translation.
11 See the study note on .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’ ”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.’ ”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Perhaps they will listen and turn—each from his evil way of life—so that I might relent concerning the disaster that I plan to do to them because of the evil of their deeds. You are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me by living according to my instruction that I set before you and by listening to the words of my servants the prophets—whom I have been sending to you time and time again, though you did not listen—I will make this temple like Shiloh. I will make this city an example for cursing for all the nations of the earth.’ ”

NLTNew Living Translation

Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins.

“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me and obey my word I have given you, and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets—for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them—then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’ ”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Perhaps they will listen and turn back each from his evil way, and I will relent of the disaster that I am planning to do to them because of their evil deeds. And you shall say to them, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I have sent to you, over and over again, though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the earth.’ ” ’ ”

KJV 1900King James Version

If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

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