A horror: As the Revised Standard Version note indicates, the Hebrew text has “a horror for evil.” The textual choice of Revised Standard Version is also followed by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible. However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Hebrew, which is represented in Good News Translation by “I will bring such a disaster on them … will be terrified.” An American Translation (“a horror and offense”) is somewhat reflected in New International Version (“abhorrent and an offense”), while Luther 1984 has “I will make them a picture of horror, indeed of misfortune….” The noun rendered horror is used in the Old Testament only in Jeremiah (15.4; 29.18; 34.17) and in Isaiah (28.19, where Revised Standard Version has “terror”).

As in Good News Translation, the kingdoms of the earth can be “the nations of the world.”

The term reproach is first used in 6.10, where Revised Standard Version has “object of scorn.”

A byword is used only here in Jeremiah. This word covers a broad area of meaning, and is generally translated “proverb.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “their fate will be proverbial,” which really catches the meaning. Translators can also express this as “people will use them as an example of those ruined.”

The noun rendered taunt is used only three other times in the Old Testament (Deut 28.37; 1 Kgs 9.7; 2 Chr 7.20, where Revised Standard Version has “byword”), though elsewhere Revised Standard Version uses “taunt” to render the Hebrew noun it renders reproach earlier in this verse (42.18; 44.8, 12; 49.13). Translators can show the meaning with “people will taunt [or, make fun of] others by giving them the name of these people” or, perhaps simpler, “… use their name as an insult [or, to make fun of someone].”

Curse: This is the first occurrence of the Hebrew term in Jeremiah, but see also 25.18; 26.6; 29.22; 42.18; 44.8, 12, 22; 49.13. Good News Translation expresses this well: “use their name as a curse.”

Drive them can be expressed as “chase them” or “force them to go” (see 23.3).

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 .