I will restore health to you: The noun health was first used in Jer 8.22 and is found again in 33.6. Its primary meaning is new flesh growing on a wound (Revised English Bible “I shall cause the new skin to grow”), though most translations prefer a more general rendering: “I will/shall restore you to health” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible); “I will bring healing to you” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

For says the LORD, see 1.8. Good News Translation, as in many other places, finds it more natural to move this expression to the end of the verse.

The connector because is better rendered “though,” as in Good News Translation.

They is obviously referring to Israel’s enemies, as Good News Translation makes clear with “your enemies.”

Outcast translates the passive participle of a verb that means “scatter” or “drive out” (see 8.3; 16.15; 23.2, 3, 8; 40.12; 43.5; 49.5). It has a highly derogatory sense (see New English Bible “the Outcast”). It is, unfortunately, probable that in most languages there is a word like this to describe an outcast, but where there is not, translators need to find a way to speak of someone who is not allowed to associate with his or her own people; for example, “someone we don’t have anything to do with.”

Zion is frequently used to represent not just the city of Jerusalem (see 3.14), but the whole nation of Judah, and in this case would include Israel as well. It seems best to keep the form in this verse, but if translators feel that its use in other passages has not helped readers understand what it refers to, then they can add a footnote or make sure that “Zion” is in their glossary for this book.

For whom no one cares is more literally “for whom no one seeks” (see verse 14).

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 .