# Connecting Statement:

Yahweh continues to deliver his message about the false prophets and priests that he began in [Jeremiah 23:9](./09.md) and completes in [Jeremiah 23:40](./37.md).

# General Information:

In verses 33-40 there is a wordplay with the word "burden." Sometimes it means "a message" and other times it means "a heavy load to carry." This wordplay should be retained if possible.

# You continue to say ... 'What did Yahweh declare?'

It may be helpful to reorder this sentence. AT: "Each person continues to ask his neighbor and his brother, 'What did Yahweh answer?' and 'What did Yahweh declare?'"

# But you must no longer talk about the 'burden of Yahweh,' for the burden is every man's own word,

Possible meaning are 1) both instances of "burden" mean "message." AT: "You must no longer call your visions the 'burden of Yahweh' because they are really only every man's own words," or 2) the first 'burden' means "message" and the second means "heavy load." AT: "You must no longer talk about the 'message of Yahweh' because the words that each of you speak are what is a 'heavy load,'"

# you have perverted the words ... our God

To "pervert" something is to twist or distort it. AT: "you have changed the message of the living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God, to say what you want it to say and not what God said"

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/brother]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/declare]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/word]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/life]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/god]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/yahwehofhosts]]