In Hebrew this verse begins “The LORD said,” which is followed by a number of the major modern language translations (New Revised Standard Version “The LORD said”; New English Bible “The LORD answered”). Other translations follow the Septuagint, which has “Amen” (So let it be), which is only one letter different from the word “said” in Hebrew. Thus Moffatt renders “Amen to their curses.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch begins “May their curses come true, Lord, and your punishment fall on me…,” while Good News Translation has “LORD, may all their curses come true….”
The verb translated entreated is unclear in Hebrew. A number of translations prefer “served” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bright, New Jerusalem Bible). All of these translations follow the Septuagint (represented by So let it be of Revised Standard Version) and so assume that Jeremiah is the speaker, as in Good News Translation “if I have not served you well.” If the Hebrew text is allowed to stand so that the LORD is speaker, then other alternatives are suggested. One option is represented by New English Bible, which reads “But I will greatly strengthen you….” The preference of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project is “I will surely release you for your good.” Among the translations, New International Version comes closest to this: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose.” But note Revised English Bible “Have I not utterly dismissed you?”
Further complicating the passage is the ambiguity of the Hebrew text represented by for their good, which is literally “for good.” It is not clear whether this means Jeremiah’s good, or the good of the people, but probably the good of the people, as in Revised Standard Version. New International Version, cited above, leaves it open: “for a good purpose.”
Translators who follow the Hebrew, which does seem preferable, can render the first part of the verse as “The LORD said, ‘I will surely deliver you for their good [or, for a good purpose].’ ”
If I have not pleaded with thee on behalf of the enemy is ambiguous in Hebrew. The preference of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which assumes that the LORD is speaker, is well represented by New International Version: “surely I will make your enemies plead with you.”
In the time of trouble and in the time of distress is also ambiguous. The phrase may refer either to Jeremiah’s distress or to that of his enemies. Both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch take a clear position: “… my enemies when they were in trouble and distress.” Translators who follow the recommendation of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, with the LORD as speaker, will probably also find that trouble and distress is best understood as referring to the troubles of Jeremiah’s enemies, so the last part of the verse can be rendered “Indeed I will make your enemies plead with you for help when they find themselves in trouble and in distress.” Trouble is first used in 1.14 (Revised Standard Version “evil”) and distress is first used in 4.31 (Revised Standard Version “anguish”).
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 .