There is a cause and result relationship between the first two clauses of the verse: I will grant you mercy (cause) and that he may have mercy on you (result). New Jerusalem Bible has expressed the relationship well with “I shall take pity on you, so that he pities you,” as has Good News Translation with “Because I am merciful, I will make him have mercy on 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 .