In Hebrew the pronoun I is in the emphatic position. This emphasis is sometimes rendered with a phrase such as “But I, I…” or “For my part, I….”

Gentle more naturally carries the meaning of “trusting” (Good News Translation, New American Bible; New Jerusalem Bible “trustful”) or “obedient” (New English Bible); Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “without resisting.” Like a gentle lamb could be “I was trusting, like a lamb.”

Devised schemes is translated “planning evil things” by Good News Translation. Although the phrase is in itself neutral, the context definitely points to something negative and evil. Translators may say something like “I did not know it was against me they were planning to do things” or “… it was about me they were speaking when they said.”

Saying, though not present in Hebrew, is clearly required and something like it must be included in translation; Good News Translation introduces a new sentence with “They were saying….”

In Hebrew fruit is literally “bread.” It may be that “bread” may be used with the meaning “fruit,” but a majority of scholars believe this not to be the case. Good News Translation adopts a proposal that requires a slight alteration of the Hebrew (literally “in its sap”), thus translating “while it is still healthy.” Revised English Bible is similar: “while the sap is in it.” This seems to be what was done also by New Jerusalem Bible (“in its strength”), Moffatt (“in my full bloom”), and New American Bible (“in its vigor”).

Cut him off from the land of the living is a Hebrew way of saying “kill him” (Good News Translation). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “will bring his life to an end.” Since a person’s name may be used of the person himself, that his name be remembered no more is translated “so that no one will remember him any more” by Good News Translation. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “so that his name will no longer be mentioned.”

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 .