It may be necessary for some languages to begin this verse with “He was saying to them.”

Thus says the LORD: See the comment at 2.2.

He who stays: Hebrew frequently uses a singular form where an inclusive form would be more acceptable for other languages; that is, translators can say “Whoever stays” or “Any people who stay.”

Sword … famine … pestilence: See 14.12; 21.9.

He who goes out: As Good News Translation makes clear, this means to go out of the city to surrender.

Chaldeans; that is, Babylonians.

Shall live: Good News Translation has “will not be killed,” referring to the Babylonian attack.

Shall have his life as a prize of war: See 21.9. Good News Translation renders “will at least escape with their life.” It is possible, as with Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Bible en français courant, to take shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war as equivalent expressions and compress them into one. The Traduction œcuménique de la Bible interpretation is also possible: “will live, and consider himself fortunate [literally, happy] to have at least saved his life.”

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 .