The LORD of hosts: See 2.19.

The imperative verb drink has no object, but it is clearly understood to be the cup Jeremiah has brought the nations, full of the LORD’s anger and punishment. It may be necessary to say “Drink this” or “Drink from this.”

Be drunk is also an imperative, but it obviously follows on from the drinking. The same is true of vomit. Good News Translation has “drink until they are drunk and vomit.” Another good way to express this is “Drink this. It will make you drunk, and you will vomit.” If being drunk is unknown, translators can say something like “Drink this. It will make you lose control of yourself [or, your faculties], and you will vomit.” See 23.9.

For speakers of British English, the expression “be sick” (Revised English Bible) is more acceptable in general public use than the term vomit. For speakers of American English and other dialects, however, “be sick” simply means to be ill and does not involve vomiting. Translators are advised to choose an expression in their language which clearly means “vomit,” but which is acceptable in polite conversation rather than sounding humorous or colloquial.

Fall and rise no more are also imperatives, and they could be seen as results of being drunk as well. However, since rising no more seems to be a reference to death, it is more likely this clause should be tied to because of the sword which I am sending among you, as in “I am sending war upon you, and from that you will fall down and rise no more.”

Because of the sword is more literally “from the face of the sword,” a Hebrew idiomatic expression. Sword is here the equivalent of “war” (Good News Translation) or “slaughter” (Bible en français courant), as in verse 16.

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 .