As I live: See 4.2; 22.24.

King: Although Revised Standard Version uses a capital “K” to indicate that the king is the LORD, the person who must depend upon hearing the text may assume that the reference is still to the king of Egypt. Translators should take care so as not to give this impression. For example, the translation of the first two lines can be “The LORD Almighty is king. He says, ‘As surely as I am the living God.’ ”

LORD of hosts: See 2.19.

Tabor: This mountain is located in the valley of Jezreel about 10 kilometers (six miles) southeast of Nazareth. It is only about 560 meters (1850 feet) high, but it stands isolated from other mountains and its steep sides give it the appearance of towering over them. Hence the meaning is as in Good News Translation “As Mount Tabor towers above the mountains.” Note that it will probably be helpful to show that Tabor and Carmel are mountains: “Mount Tabor”; “Mount Carmel.”

Carmel: This mountain of only 530 meters (1740 feet) is on the coast of northern Israel at the end of the plain of Jezreel, where it towers over the Mediterranean Sea. Hence the Good News Translation rendering is “[as] Mount Carmel stands high above the sea.”

Shall one come: The meaning of the imagery is that just as Mount Tabor overshadows the other hills and Mount Carmel stands high above the sea, so the enemy that comes to attack Egypt will be stronger than any others who have come that way. Thus the last part of the verse can be translated “someone will come whose strength will be greater than any other’s.”

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 .