This verse begins with For, a transition that indicates that now comes the reason why the LORD gives Pashhur a new name in verse 3. Good News Translation does not bring this out, but in many languages some marker will be necessary; for example “This is why the LORD himself declares this.”
Behold: See 1.6.
I will make you a terror: This is the interpretation of most versions, but the Hebrew text may also mean “I am going to hand you over to terror” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly New American Bible). For make you a terror translators can say “make you a source of terror,” or the whole clause can be rendered “You will be the cause of terror, for yourself and for all your friends.”
As elsewhere, They shall fall by the sword of their enemies means “they will be killed in warfare” or “their enemies will slay them all in battle.” See 19.7.
While you look on is the way Revised Standard Version renders “while your eyes are seeing” of the Hebrew text. Good News Translation renders it simply “you will see,” but translators can also say something like “you will witness this,” “before your eyes,” or “as you watch.”
Into the hand of the king of Babylon is idiomatic for “under the power of…” (Good News Translation). See 12.7. Babylon here probably refers to the country around the city of Babylon and ruled over by it, so Good News Translation has “Babylonia,” which is the term for the country. Translators can have “the country of Babylon.”
He shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword: It may be either that both fates refer to the same people (which is what most translations mean), or more likely that the meaning is “he will take some away as prisoners to his country and put others to death” (Good News Translation; similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, New American Bible). New International Version has “who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword.”
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 .