Some versions set this verse apart from the rest of the chapter as a title; it is a separate paragraph in New Living Translation, for instance, and New Jerusalem Bible places it in parentheses.

In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah … Judah is rendered “Soon after Josiah’s son Zedekiah became king of Judah” by Good News Translation. For Zedekiah see 1.3. In place of Zedekiah (supported by three Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations), the Masoretic Text has “Jehoiakim” (see the Revised Standard Version note). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project believes that “Jehoiakim” is the text that should be accepted, though the context (verses 3, 12) indicates that the reign of Zedekiah is meant. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project furthermore believes that the entire verse is a secondary addition and is inaccurate. Their proposals are either that a note be included to show that the context points to Zedekiah or that the entire verse be included in a note. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Bible en français courant both include a note that gives “Jehoiakim” as an alternative possibility.

This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: See 1.2. Good News Translation has “the LORD told me,” shifting to a first person reference for Jeremiah.

The entire verse is translated by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch as follows:

• Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, had not long been king of Judah when the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.

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 .