85 Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
86 Heb “ ‘If these fixed orderings were to fail to be present before me,’ oracle of the Lord, ‘then the seed of Israel could cease from being a nation before me forever (or more literally, “all the days”).’ ” The sentence has been broken up to conform more to modern style. The connection has been maintained by reversing the order of condition and consequence and still retaining the condition in the second clause. For the meaning of “cease to operate” for the verb מוּשׁ (mush) compare the usage in Isa 54:10; Ps 55:11 (55:12 ); Prov 17:13 where what is usually applied to persons or things is applied to abstract things like this (see II מוּשׁ Qal for general usage).
87 This answers Jeremiah’s question in 14:19.
88 Heb “If the heavens above could be measured or the foundations of the earth below be explored, then also I could reject all the seed of Israel for all they have done.”
89 Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“If this fixed order departs

from before me, declares the Lord,

then shall the offspring of Israel cease

from being a nation before me forever.”

Thus says the Lord:

“If the heavens above can be measured,

and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,

then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel

for all that they have done,

declares the Lord.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”

declares the Lord,

“will Israel ever cease

being a nation before me.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measured

and the foundations of the earth below be searched out

will I reject all the descendants of Israel

because of all they have done,”

declares the Lord.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

If this fixed order departs from before me—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

only then will Israel’s descendants cease

to be a nation before me forever.

“This is what the Lord says:

Only if the heavens above can be measured

and the foundations of the earth below explored,

will I reject all of Israel’s descendants

because of all they have done—

this is the Lord’s declaration.

NLTNew Living Translation

“I am as likely to reject my people Israel

as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”

This is what the Lord says:

“Just as the heavens cannot be measured

and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,

so I will not consider casting them away

for the evil they have done.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

“If these rules would cease from before me,” declares Yahweh, “also the offspring of Israel would cease from being a nation before me forever.” Thus says Yahweh, “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, also I will reject all the offspring of Israel because of all that they have done,” declares Yahweh.

KJV 1900King James Version

If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord,

Then the seed of Israel also shall cease

From being a nation before me for ever.

Thus saith the Lord;

If heaven above can be measured,

And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,

I will also cast off all the seed of Israel

For all that they have done, saith the Lord.

Public Domain

Jeremiah 31:36–37

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Footnotes