Both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch introduce this section by identifying the speaker: “The LORD says.”

My house (see 2.4) here refers to the nation Israel, as Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch make clear. Translators can say “my own nation” or “my own land” (see Zech 9.8). Revised English Bible translates “the house of Israel.” Other translators have “my people Israel.”

My heritage: See the comment at 2.7. In this context it refers to God’s own possession, the people he chose for himself. Good News Translation has “my chosen nation.” Translators can also say “the people I chose for myself,” or simply “my own people.”

The term beloved occurs only here in the Old Testament; it is equivalent to the term used in 11.15. The beloved of my soul is a way of indicating deep affection: “The people whom I loved with all my heart” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Good News Translation has “the people I love,” Revised English Bible “my beloved,” and New Jerusalem Bible “what I dearly loved.”

Hands (so most translations) is here a symbol of “power” (Revised English Bible). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “I have given them over to their enemies.”

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 .