Call upon me should not be translated with a term that means simply to call the name of someone. The idea here is to call to the LORD in prayer, to turn to him for help.

Hebrew Old Testament Text Project notes that come offers two possibilities of interpretation: (1) It may be taken together with pray (“come and pray” or “come to the place of prayer”), or (2) it may be taken with call upon me (“pray and come/go with success,” that is, “pray and be successful/prosperous”). Most versions follow the first interpretation. It is possible to combine the three verbs (call upon … come … pray), if the first and the third are considered to have the same meaning: “You must turn to me and ask for my help, then I will hear you” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Hear means more than the act of hearing with the ears, that is, simply hearing what the people say. It means to heed or to respond to, as in “answer” of Good News Translation.

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 .