At this point the thought of the prayer shifts. After talking about God’s threats against his people and his carrying them out, the writer goes on now to talk of God’s fairness and compassion. He just described the misery of the people, so it is quite remarkable that he goes on to describe God’s actions as kind or merciful. However, the writer is thinking primarily of the hope to return from exile, which God had also spoken about. God was merciful not to wipe them out completely; he was compassionate and promised them that they could return from exile if they repented. This is supported by a long quotation apparently attributed to Moses (verses 29-35). There is no such passage anywhere in the five books attributed to him, and the closest verbal parallels are to short passages in Jeremiah. Still, Deut 30.1-10 may be intended; it is pointed to by all scholars. Others refer as well to Deut 4.25-31; 28.58-64; 31.24-27; and Lev 26.32-45.
Another important point to note about the rest of the chapter before starting work on it is that in the quotation, verses 29-35, God begins by addressing Israel, but from that point on he speaks of Israel in the third person. Good News Translation has solved this problem by translating the entire discourse as second person address to Israel. See more on this problem in the comments on verse 29.
Yet or “But” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) is an appropriate introductory word, since the following passage is a stark contrast with what has gone before.
Thou hast dealt with us, O Lord our God, in all thy kindness and … great compassion: Dealt with us is combined with the following nouns kindness and compassion by Good News Translation. Contemporary English Version is similar, but it uses two sentences instead of one: “you, Lord God, have shown us mercy. You are always patient and kind.” The Greek noun rendered kindness has been interpreted in different ways by translators, each of which can be justified; it is really a matter of choosing a word or idiom that is appropriate to the context. One understanding is “fairness” (Moore; Good News Translation “patient”; New English Bible “forbearance”), which seems to be emphasizing the idea that God’s punishments were just and not out of line. Other versions prefer something more general; for example, Revised Standard Version kindness, New Jerusalem Bible “goodness,” and New American Bible “clemency.”
The restructuring of this verse in Good News Translation seems to express more clearly God’s patience and mercy. Note, however, that Good News Translation has omitted our God after “Lord.” The phrase is indeed the Lord our God (see Bar 1.10).
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.