At this point of the text there is a powerful expression of something that the previous verse does not prepare the reader or hearer for: the judgment that is coming will fall on Egypt—they are the enemies of the LORD who are referred to. In English this calls for at least an expression like “But” (New International Version); and in other languages translators may need to use a more extensive restructuring. Contemporary English Version is a good example of such a restructuring; it begins verse 9 with “Go ahead, Egypt. Tell your chariots and cavalry to attack…,” and then begins this verse with “But the LORD All-Powerful will win this battle and take revenge….”

The day of the Lord GOD of hosts; that is, the day on which the Lord executes judgment on his enemies. Compare 25.30b-31. One way to render this line is to say, for example, “But that day belongs to the Lord, the LORD Almighty” (New International Version). Another is more like Bible en français courant: “But for the Lord, for the God of the universe, it is the awaited day.” For the Lord GOD of hosts, see 2.19.

A day of vengeance, to avenge himself on his foes: These lines may be combined as “the day when the Lord shall take revenge against all of his enemies.”

The sword shall devour … drink its fill of their blood: The reference is to the Lord’s sword, and so Good News Translation renders “His sword….” In what follows, The sword is described as if it were an animal that attacks and devours its enemies (compare 2.30), including their blood (New Living Translation “your blood”). Bible en français courant makes the metaphor into a simile: “The sword is like a monster that devours until it is full, and makes itself drunk on their blood.”

For the Lord … holds a sacrifice: The picture is that of a sacrificial feast in which the worshiper is allowed to eat part of the animal that has been sacrificed. The same idea is conveyed in Isa 34.5-7; Ezek 39.17-20; Zeph 1.7. New Jerusalem Bible expresses this clearly: “for Lord Yahweh Sabaoth is holding a sacrificial feast.” See also Good News Translation “the Almighty sacrifices his victims.”

The north country by the river Euphrates; that is, Babylonia.

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 .