And they will no longer teach, a man his neighbor, and a man his brother, saying: Know the Lord. For all will know Me, from the littlest of them even to the greatest, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will no longer remember their sin. (Jer 31:34)
וְלֹא יְלַמְּדוּ עוֹד אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאִישׁ אֶת־אָחִיו לֵאמֹר דְּעוּ אֶת־יְהוָה כִּי־כוּלָּם יֵדְעוּ אוֹתִי לְמִקְטַנָּם וְעַד־גְּדוֹלָם נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי אֶסְלַח לַעֲוֺנָם וּלְחַטָּאתָם לֹא אֶזְכָּר־עוֹד׃
et non docebunt ultra vir proximum suum et vir fratrem suum dicens cognoscite Dominum omnes enim cognoscent me a minimo eorum usque ad maximum ait Dominus quia propitiabor iniquitati eorum et peccati eorum non ero memor amplius.
καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων γνῶθι τὸν κύριον ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσίν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι.
John the Baptist, as we heard especially during Lent, calls to make straight the paths of the Lord (Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4). However, today, God reminds us that He is not indebted to us. Through the mouth of Jeremiah, He promises forgiveness for our iniquities [(עָוֹן) [avon]. This word has connotations of עָוָה [avah], meaning to bend, twist. Knowledge of the Lord creates a closeness that forgives all deceptions and sins and shows their senselessness. Then we become deaf to the constant solicitations of the evil one: do we want something of his iniquity?
