A new paragraph begins here. In verses 14-15 God describes the fate of Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar destroys it. The words in these verses are addressed to the city itself.

Moreover I will make you a desolation and an object of reproach …: Moreover renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which may be omitted here (so Good News Translation). God says that he will make Jerusalem a desolation, that is, a heap of ruins, and an object of reproach, that is, something that has been so humiliated that people despise and make fun of it. This punishment will come on the city among the nations round about you and in the sight of all that pass by, that is, those who live in the nations nearby and those who are just passing through from far away will see it. Thus the shame of Jerusalem will be complete.

There is a play on words in the Hebrew in this verse. The words for desolation and object of reproach sound very similar: chorbah and cherpah. It is good if translators can reflect this play on words in their language. A model of this verse that does it in English is:

• “Jerusalem, I will make you a heap of ruins so that all the nations around you and everyone who passes by will heap scorn on you.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .