^38:23“All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians.⁴⁷ You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the⁴⁸ king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.”⁴⁹

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Footnotes

45 Heb “And they will say.” The words “taunt you” are supplied in the translation to give the flavor of the words that follow.
46 Heb “The men of your friendship incited you and prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mud. They turned backward.” The term “men of your friendship” (cf. 1023 שָׁלוֹם 5.a) is used to refer to Jeremiah’s “so-called friends” in 20:10, to the trusted friend who deserted the psalmist in Ps 41:10, and to the allies of Edom in Obad 7. According to most commentators it refers here to the false prophets and counselors who urged the king to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar. The verb translated “misled” is a verb that often refers to inciting or instigating someone to do something, often with negative connotations (so 694 סוּת Hiph.2). It is generally translated “deceive” or “mislead” in 2 Kgs 18:32; 2 Chr 32:11, 15. Here it refers to the fact that his pro-Egyptian counselors induced him to rebel. They have proven too powerful for him and prevailed on him (יָכֹל לְ, yakhol lé; see 408 יָכֹל 2.b) to follow a policy which will prove detrimental to him, his family, and the city. The phrase “your feet are sunk in the mud” is figurative for being entangled in great difficulties (so 371 טָבַע Hoph and compare the usage in the highly figurative description of trouble in Ps 69:2 [69:3 ]). The taunt song here refers to the fact that Zedekiah had been incited into rebellion by pro-Egyptian nobles in his court who prevailed on him to seek aid from the new Egyptian Pharaoh in 589 b.c. and withhold tribute from Nebuchadnezzar. This led to the downfall of the city which is depicted in Jeremiah’s vision from the standpoint of its effects on the king himself and his family.
47 Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on for explanation.
48 Heb “you yourself will not escape from their hand but will be seized by [caught in] the hand of the king of Babylon.” Neither use of “hand” is natural to the English idiom.
49 This translation follows the reading of the Greek version and a few Hebrew . The majority of the Hebrew read “and you will burn down this city.” This reading is accepted by the majority of modern commentaries and English versions. Few of the commentaries, however, bother to explain the fact that the particle אֶת (’et), which normally marks the accusative object, is functioning here as the subject. For this point of grammar see 85 I אֵת 1.b. Or this may be another case where אֵת introduces a new subject (see 85 אֵת 3.α and see usage in 27:8; 36:22).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying,

“ ‘Your trusted friends have deceived you

and prevailed against you;

now that your feet are sunk in the mud,

they turn away from you.’

All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:

“ ‘They misled you and overcame you—

those trusted friends of yours.

Your feet are sunk in the mud;

your friends have deserted you.’

“All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

‘All the women who remain in the palace of Judah’s king will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon and will say to you,

“Your trusted friends misled you

and overcame you.

Your feet sank into the mire,

and they deserted you.”

All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. You yourself will not escape from them, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon and this city will burn.’ ”

NLTNew Living Translation

All the women left in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the Babylonian army. Then the women will taunt you, saying,

‘What fine friends you have!

They have betrayed and misled you.

When your feet sank in the mud,

they left you to your fate!’

All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you will not escape. You will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Now look, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah are being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon. And look, they are saying,

‘Your trusted friends have misled you,

and they have prevailed against you.

Your feet are stuck in the mud,

so they turned backward.’

And all your wives and your children will be led out to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hand, but by the hand of the king of Babylon you will be seized, and this city will burn with fire.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back. So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

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