For thus says the LORD, see 2.2.

Return … restore … turn … turn: In Hebrew there is a play on words (see the comment at 3.6). Return can be expressed as “come back to me” or “repent.” Restore is rendered in Good News Translation as “take you back.”

To stand before a person is to be his attendant or servant, which is the basis for “be my servant” (Good News Translation) and “be my preacher” (Luther 1984). Bright translates stand before me as “serve me once more.”

If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless is more literally “if you separate the precious from the worthless.” The adjective translated precious is found only here in the book of Jeremiah; it may carry the meaning “rare,” “precious,” or “valuable.” Presumably the words that came from the LORD himself are precious; whereas, what Jeremiah has just been saying in complaint is worthless. Good News Translation translates “If instead of talking nonsense you proclaim a worthwhile message,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “If you speak no more such nonsense, but weigh your words.”

You shall be as my mouth indicates that Jeremiah will function as the LORD’s spokesman (so New International Version and Revised English Bible); Good News Translation has “you will be my prophet again,” while the literal form is maintained in some other translations.

They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them: Good News Translation is representative of what is found in most other translations: “The people will come back to you, and you will not need to go to them.” New International Version has “Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch does away with the figure of turning: “Do not listen to them, but be certain that they listen to you!”

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 .