Good News Translation (also Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Bible en français courant) places verses 18-19 together as a unit to achieve better restructuring. This makes the verses much easier to read and understand, and translators may find that this restructuring will make their own translations more natural too.
The men are those persons mentioned in verse 19, which is the basis for placing the two verses together as a unit.
Transgressed and did not keep the terms of may be understood as either equivalent in meaning or else as a general statement (transgressed), followed by a qualifying statement (“by failing to keep the terms of the covenant”). The first expression is generally translated as “broke the covenant,” and the second as “did not do what the covenant required.”
Before me: This is better expressed as “in my presence.”
As Revised Standard Version indicates, like the calf does not represent the Hebrew, which has “the calf.” It is felt that the text as it stands is ungrammatical, and the shift from “the calf” to like the calf requires a change in only one letter of the Hebrew text, and so a number of scholars accept this as the best rendering (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible). However, the text may be rendered with good sense as it stands if (1) calf is placed after they cut and (2) the main verb of verse 18 make, which is literally “give,” is assumed to be resumed in verse 20 “I will give them.” The resulting translation would then be “I will hand over the men who … when they cut the calf [literally young bull] in two and passed between its parts….” Translators may follow either interpretation. If they follow the Revised Standard Version text, then Good News Translation is a useful model: “So I will do to these people what they did to the bull.”
Which they cut in two and passed between its parts: This reflects the manner in which a covenant was ratified in ancient Israel (see Gen 15.7-18a, especially verse 17).
The princes … the eunuchs, the priests …: In verse 19 the persons referred to are listed and the ritual act of passing between the parts of the calf is mentioned again; then in verse 20 the LORD indicates who it is that he will hand them over to (“their enemies”). As elsewhere, princes does not refer only to the royal family, but was used for the leaders. See 1.18. For eunuchs see 29.2. Good News Translation renders “palace officials” and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “the personnel of the court.” In this context a literal translation may not be the best approach, because it could put the focus on their physical condition rather than on their positions in the court. For priests see 1.1.
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 .