In order to indicate clearly the persons the LORD addresses in this verse, Good News Translation shifts the phrase of address (O house of Israel) to the beginning of the verse: “People of Israel….” Bible en français courant has “As for you, people of Israel.” Since these people are mentioned in verse 14, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch opens verse 15 with “Say to them….”

Behold: See the comment at 1.6.

Bringing upon you must be understood in the sense of “bringing to attack you” (Good News Translation). Revised English Bible has “bringing against you.” The whole statement can be rendered “I am bringing a distant nation to attack you.”

For says the LORD, see 1.8.

Enduring (see New Jerusalem Bible; Good News Translation “strong”) translates a Hebrew word that has as its primary meaning “ever-flowing” (Deut 21.4; Psa 74.15). Consequently, some translators have rendered this as “long-lived” (New American Bible) or “well-established.” Elsewhere in Jeremiah the word is used in 49.19; 50.44; and in both of these passages Revised Standard Version translates it as “strong” (“strong sheepfold”).

Ancient translates the same Hebrew construction rendered “long ago” by Revised Standard Version in 2.20. This is a standard Hebrew way of expressing a lengthy amount of time. Thus in two ways the Hebrew author emphasizes the stability and permanence of the nation that will attack Israel.

The language situation that will result from conquest by foreigners is also described in two ways: it is a language that the people of Israel can neither speak (a nation whose language you do not know) or comprehend (nor can you understand what they say). Translators can say something like “They speak a language you can’t speak or [even] understand.”

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 .