King James Version‘s “and iniquities” is the correct text in Hebrews 10.17, but not in this verse nor in Jeremiah 31.34 (Septuagint Jer 38.34). The two halves of this verse are similar in meaning. They form the climax of the whole passage, both in Jeremiah and in Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews shows this in 10.16-18. As in similar contexts I will forgive their sins must be expressed as “I will forgive their guilt.”

Remember (see 2.6) is the literal translation, and it is kept by most modern versions with only slight variations (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “I will never think of their guilt again,” Jerusalem Bible “never call their sins to mind”). However, to “remember” in the Old Testament involved taking action; see Genesis 9.15, 16, about God “remembering” his covenant, and 1 Kings 17.18, about Elijah “remembering” the sins of the widow. The meaning is virtually “I will take no action against them because of their sins.”

A strictly literal translation of will no longer remember might suggest merely a failure of memory on the part of God. But God’s negative action is purposeful, and so will no longer remember may be rendered as “I purposely will not think about any longer.”

Wrongs means wrong things done by God’s people, not to them.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .