The transition But may not be natural in many languages.

Seek the welfare of is translated “Work for the good of” by New Jerusalem Bible. The word rendered welfare is the frequently used word generally rendered “peace.” It carries the sense of prosperity, peace, and well-being (see “it shall be well with you” in 4.10).

In place of the city (that is, Babylon), the Septuagint has “country” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible note). Good News Translation takes the noun in a distributive sense, “cities.”

In its welfare you will find your welfare translates the Hebrew “in its peace will be to you peace,” which Good News Translation renders “if they are prosperous, you will be prosperous too.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “its prosperity is the condition of your own” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “if it is good for them, it will also be good for you.”

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 .