Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I complain to thee: The Hebrew word translated righteous may also be understood as “innocent.” In certain contexts the verb complain (or “dispute” or “quarrel”) may be used as a technical term equivalent to “plead my case” or “conduct a legal case” (see “contend” in 2.9). Moreover, the verb plus noun construction plead my case may be taken with the meaning “raise a question about a matter of justice.” Thus the first half of the verse presents at least the following possibilities: (1) “LORD, whenever I complain to you, you prove to be in the right [or, innocent]. Yet I still want to present my case to you.” (2) “LORD, whenever I argue my case with you, you prove to be in the right. Yet I still want to present my case to you.” (3) “… yet I still want to raise a question concerning matters of justice.”
The way of the wicked prosper means “wicked people prosper in what they do” or simply “wicked people prosper.” Good News Translation translates the first question as follows: “Why are the wicked so prosperous?” The word rendered prosper can also mean to be successful, so translators may also say “Why is it that wicked people are successful?” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch identifies the wicked as “those who despise your [God’s] law.”
Treacherous translates a participle plus noun construction, derived from the same verb translated “false” in 3.8, 11 and “faithless” in 3.20. Thus it is that New English Bible renders “traitors” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has the equivalent of “apostate” or “unfaithful.” In the sentence construction of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, these persons are identified with those of the previous line, which seems to be the intention of the passage. The verb thrive can be expressed as “do well,” “have things go their way,” or even “be completely at ease.”
Both of the questions in this verse are meant as accusations against God (perhaps for not following his own words in Psa 1 that it is the obedient people who prosper). To convey this thrust, in some languages it is more natural to say “The wicked people are successful, and the unfaithful seem to do well. Is that the way it should be?”
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 .