The translation of this verse is complicated by the fact that the word rendered speckled may also mean “hyena.” If we accept this alternative interpretation, then the first part of the verse may be rendered as in Revised English Bible “Is this land of mine a hyena’s lair, with birds of prey hovering all around it?” or Moffatt “Do I count my heritage a carcass torn by hyenas, that the vultures gather round her?” This interpretation is also the preference of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, and it is followed by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and New Revised Standard Version (“Is the hyena greedy for my heritage at my command? Are the birds of prey all around her?”). Translators who follow this interpretation should make it clear that the hyenas and birds of prey are all trying to destroy Israel. It might be helpful to join the two, as in “Are hyenas and birds of prey all trying to devour [or, destroy] the people I chose for myself?” But many translations still reflect the interpretation followed by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation: a bird of brightly colored feathers is attacked by other birds.

Translators who choose the alternative interpretation may have difficulty with “hyenas” if those are not known in their area. It is possible to render them as “dangerous [or, wild] animals [called ‘hyenas’].”

The imperative Go, assemble … may be interpreted as either the LORD’s command to the birds (the imperative is plural) or what the birds are saying to one another. In either case the impact is the same: Israel (whether pictured as a corpse eaten by hyenas and hovered over by carrion birds, or as a bird attacked by other birds) is to be completely ravaged by its enemies.

The term devour is commonly used as a metaphor or picture for “destroy,” both in the Bible (see 2.3 and 2.30, for example) and in many other cultures; this means that translators quite often are able to retain it.

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 .