Woe: See 4.13, 31; the expression was last used in 22.13, where Good News Translation rendered it as “Doomed.” Here Good News Translation translates “How terrible will be the LORD’s judgment on….”

Shepherds (see 2.18; 3.15; 22.22) is translated “rulers” by Good News Translation. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “the leading men among my people.” Whereas Good News Translation does away completely with the figure of shepherd and sheep, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch follows with the figure: “Like shepherds who don’t care, they allow my flock to be scattered and destroyed.” The sheep and shepherd image is so common in the Bible that most translators do try to retain it. One way is to use a simile, as in “How terrible for those rulers who destroy my people and let them be scattered. They are like shepherds scattering and destroying my sheep.”

For says the LORD, see 1.8.

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 .