The LORD of hosts: This is its third occurrence in this passage (verses 3, 11). See 2.19.

Behold is an attention-getter, which may not need to be expressed in translation (see 1.6).

I am bringing indicates determination or intention (Good News Translation “I am going to bring”).

This city and … all its towns: Jerusalem was a walled city with outlying villages unprotected by walls. In times of war the people from the villages would run into the city for protection. Translators may find that the equivalent of towns in a modern setting gives quite the wrong impression of these ancient settlements. A rendering such as “villages” or “small settlements” may be more appropriate.

As elsewhere in this book, the evil the LORD is going to bring can be rendered as “punishment” (Good News Translation) or “disaster” (New International Version). Here it is punishment that the LORD has pronounced against it, meaning punishment “I said I would carry out” or “that I promised I would do.”

They have stiffened their neck indicates stubbornness (New Jerusalem Bible “they have stubbornly…”). See 7.26. Likewise, refusing to hear my words shows stubbornness, as the people refuse to pay attention or heed the LORD’s commands. Good News Translation has “will not listen to what I say.”

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 .