By the use of the two particles Now, therefore, a strong emphasis is placed upon what follows.

Men and inhabitants both have the same sense: “the people of Judah and of Jerusalem” (Good News Translation). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Note that men refers to all the people, not just the males. See 4.3.

Thus says the LORD: See 2.2.

Behold: See 1.6.

In Hebrew the pronoun I is emphatic.

The verb shaping comes from the same Hebrew root as the noun “potter” (see verses 2-6); there is possibly an intentional play on words. New Revised Standard Version has “I am a potter shaping evil against you.” However, the word can also mean “plan,” which is what translators usually have here: “I am planning evil against you” or “I am planning to do evil to you.” Here evil refers to the punishment or disaster that the LORD will bring.

The verb devising and the noun plan come from the same root and are neutral in their meaning (Good News Translation “making plans”; New American Bible “making a plan”). However, the context suggests that the meaning is negative.

In this context shaping and devising a plan have the same meaning. However, note how Good News Translation retains two actions, showing some progression from a general sense to a more particular sense: “I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them.”

Evil way … your ways and your doings is best taken to mean “the evil way you live and the evil things you do.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has the equivalent of “Turn back from your crooked way! Change your lives and your deeds!”

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 .