As in verse 11, fathers refers to “ancestors.”

To have done worse can refer to “worse things” or “worse sins.”

Behold: See the comment at 1.6.

Every one of you follows his stubborn evil will: Compare “they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart” in 3.17. A similar translation would be good here. The word here rendered will by Revised Standard Version is literally “heart,” that part of the human personality which for the ancient Israelites meant the will or the mind. There are many ways to convey the meaning here. Besides the models above, translators can also have “Every one of you stubbornly continues to do the evil you yourself want.”

As elsewhere, refusing to listen to me can be translated as “you refuse to obey me.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .