But the LORD is the true God: Here is a sentence where translators who transliterate the name (for example as “Yahweh”) have an easier time than those who follow the example of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation and use LORD. They can render this sentence as “But Yahweh is the true God,” which is closer to the Hebrew text and easier grammatically.

It is not clear whether is the true God is better rendered as “is the true God” or “is truly God.” However, the former is probably better since it contrasts with the previous verse describing the nothingness of the idols. If “is the true God” will not be understood by readers, the idea may be expressed as “is truly God” (so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “is God in reality,” or “is the one who is really God.”

The statement he is the living God can be expressed as “he is the God who lives.”

To say that he is the everlasting King means more than just being a king who goes on forever; it conveys the idea of being ruler over all of time and history. Translating this concept is difficult, however, but Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch attempts it. It renders the first two lines of this verse very effectively: “But the Lord is truly God, a God who lives, King forever and for all time to come!”

The word translated wrath is also used in 21.5; 32.37 (“indignation” in Revised Standard Version); 50.13. As is clear in Good News Translation, at his wrath means “when he is angry.”

The earth quakes: Although some have wanted to say that it is the people of the earth who tremble, it seems best to retain the literal meaning; that is, “His anger causes the earth to quake.”

The noun translated indignation is also used in 15.17; 50.25 (“wrath” in Revised Standard Version). Good News Translation understands the two terms wrath and indignation as having the same meaning: “When you are angry … your anger.” New English Bible translates the two nouns as “wrath … fury,” which is similar to New Jerusalem Bible (“wrathful … fury”). For the last line translators can also say “and his rage is too much for the nations to bear.”

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 .