Jerusalem is now compared to a woman in labor who is about to give birth to her first child.

I heard … her first child is somewhat abbreviated in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “I heard a cry like that of a woman who was in birth pangs for the first time.”

Daughter of Zion (see also 6.2, 23) simply means “Zion,” that is, Jerusalem. Whether to have “Zion” or “Jerusalem” in the translation will depend on what translators have done elsewhere, and on whether the readers will know that Zion refers to Jerusalem. Compare daughter of my people in 4.11. The cry … for breath is translated by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch as “It is the voice of Jerusalem. Jerusalem gasps for breath and cries out….”

Zion is stretching out her hands, probably asking for help (so New International Version Study Bible note). Translators can say “stretching out her hand for help.”

Woe is me is translated “I am doomed!” by Good News Translation and “Help!” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. See “woe to us” in verse 13.

I am fainting before murderers may have the order of subject and object changed around, as in Good News Translation: “They are coming to kill me!” In Hebrew the pronoun I is more literally “my soul,” which represents a typical Hebrew expression. Revised English Bible understands these lines to mean that Jerusalem is weary of all the slaughter, but the more usual interpretation is “I grow faint before those coming to kill me.” Another possible interpretation is “My life is slipping away from me before murderers [or, as my murderers are here].”

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 .