Thus says the LORD here and in verse 15 and the use of says the LORD here and in verse 17 once again makes us aware of the difference between Jeremiah’s usage of these clauses and what would be normal for most languages. See 2.2 and 1.8.

Keep your voice from weeping: The same verb rendered Keep here is used in the passage in 3.3 (Revised Standard Version “withheld”). The whole expression is stated in a much more natural manner in Good News Translation “Stop your crying.” The same is true of the other imperative (Keep … your eyes from tears), which Good News Translation renders “and wipe away your tears.” Bright renders “Check your racking sobs, Restrain your tears!”

Your work shall be rewarded is more literally “there will be wages/ reward for your work.” Since God is the unexpressed actor, the text may be translated “God will reward you for what you have done.” Good News Translation makes clear that what they have done, which God is going to reward them for, has to do with their children. A note in the New International Version Study Bible also says that it was the bearing and raising of children that was the “work.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch agrees with “you have not raised your children in vain.” Translators can say something like “God will reward you for raising your children.” The pronoun they in the next line then refers to the children.

And they shall come back from the land of the enemy explains the nature of the reward. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “they shall return from the land of their enemies!”

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 .