Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.
But LORD, you know all their plans to kill me. Don't forgive their wrongdoing or erase their sin from your sight. Instead, let them be defeated in front of you; deal with them when you are angry.
Jeremiah is asking God not to forgive his enemies who are plotting to kill him, but to punish them instead.
📚 Historical Context
During the time of the prophet Jeremiah in ancient Judah, around the 6th century BC, the nation was facing God's judgment for their idolatry and disobedience, with the Babylonian empire looming as a threat. Jeremiah, who was divinely called to warn the people of impending exile, often encountered fierce opposition from religious and political leaders who rejected his messages. In Jeremiah 18:23, he pours out a personal prayer to God, seeking justice against those plotting his death rather than asking for their forgiveness.
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