Evil in my sight does not mean “evil where I can see it,” but “what I consider evil.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “what displeases me,” while Good News Translation has simply “evil.” See 7.30.

Not listening to my voice (see 11.4) means “not obeying me” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Good News Translation reverses the order of the first two clauses: “disobeys me and does evil.”

Since good refers back to “build and plant” in verse 9, I will repent of the good which I had intended to do to it may be rendered as in Good News Translation: “I will not do what I said I would.” For repent see verse 8. Translators can say something like “I will change my mind about doing the good things for them that I had intended.”

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 .