The destroyer … has come up: See verse 8. The translation of Revised Standard Version actually represents a form of the Hebrew text with different vowels, which translates as “Moab is destroyed; and against her cities he has gone up” (Zr). This is also the proposal of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which understands the two verbs to refer to actions that happen at the same time rather than one after the other. Translators can say, for example, “The enemy has attacked [or, gone against] the cities and destroyed Moab.”

The choicest of his young men is much more naturally rendered “its finest young men” (Good News Translation).

Have gone down to slaughter; that is, “have been slaughtered” (Good News Translation) or “they [the enemy] have killed.”

Says the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts: Since the LORD is speaking, and remains speaking throughout this passage, Good News Translation shifts to a first person reference, “I am the king, the LORD Almighty, and I have spoken.” Or translators can also say “The king who is the LORD Almighty has said this.” See also 1.8. For the LORD of hosts, see 2.19.

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 .