The first part of this verse in Hebrew is difficult because of the shift in the gender of the pronoun: And you (masculine), O desolate one (feminine), what do you (masculine) mean. The Septuagint does not contain desolate one, and this shorter text is followed by Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Bright. It is the opinion of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project that this item should be included, and this is apparently done by most translations without note. One commentator on the Hebrew text suggests that the feminine form (desolate one) may reflect a collective use (see verse 11; 7.29; 10.17). All scholars would agree that you refers to Jerusalem (see Jerusalem Bible footnote), and this information is included by Good News Translation (“Jerusalem, you are doomed!”) and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“And what will you do, Jerusalem? You are already destined for destruction…”).
Although it is found a number of times elsewhere in Jeremiah, in this context the verb stem from which desolate is derived means “doomed” or “about to be destroyed.”
The meaning of the first part of the verse can be expressed in sentences such as “Just what do you think you’re doing, you who are already doomed?” or “And you, you are going to be destroyed, so what are you doing, dressing in scarlet clothes?”
In the remaining part of this verse Jerusalem is compared to a prostitute who attempts to make herself attractive to her lovers. But they reject her and prefer rather to take her life.
Scarlet was a highly prized dye obtained from the eggs of certain insects. Cloth dyed this color would have been considered very valuable. To convey this meaning, some translators have had “dress in expensive [or, luxurious] red clothing.”
Ornaments of gold (Good News Translation “jewelry”) were prized in ancient days, as in the present.
The expression enlarge your eyes with paint (Good News Translation “paint your eyes”) refers to the use of antimony, a black powder placed around the edge of the eyelids, both above and below the eyes. Among ancient Egyptians both men and women followed this custom. For further reference to this usage, see 2Kgs 9.30; Ezek 23.40. One of Job’s daughters was named Kerenhappuch (Job 42.14), which means “horn of eye-paint,” and in Hebrew this name is similar in sound to enlarge … with paint in the present verse. Generally the context makes it clear that this was done to be more beautiful, but some translations do say “paint your eyes to be beautiful” or “make your eyes beautiful [with paint].”
The question in the first half of the verse is rhetorical. It is not asking for information but is emphasizing a point. Some translators may need to make this an affirmation; for example, “There is no point in dressing in scarlet, in putting on jewelry and in painting your eyes.”
In vain can be “to no purpose” (Revised English Bible) or “for nothing” (Good News Translation).
Lovers comes from a verb that means “lust after”; the verb is found only here and six times in Ezek 23.5-20, where it is also used in the context of prostitution.
Despise is more literally “reject.” Revised English Bible and New American Bible have “spurn,” while Moffatt has “despise” and An American Translation “scorn.”
Seek your life is a Hebrew way of saying “want to kill you” (Good News Translation).
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 .