Both here and in verse 18, Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Bible en français courant identify at the very first the persons addressed, before giving the message that is spoken to them. In many languages this will give a more natural translation.

Stand by the way and watch may be rendered “stand at the side of the road and wait.”

Inhabitant of Aroer: Aroer was a town on the northern rim of the Arnon River (verse 20), which flows into the Dead Sea at almost its midpoint and forms the northern boundary of Moab. Translators can identify it as “town of Aroer.” The text again has inhabitant in the singular, but the reference is to the population there: “You people who live in Aroer.”

Him who flees is parallel with her who escapes, and so Good News Translation renders “ask those who are running away.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch handles it somewhat differently: “Ask the fleeing men and women, ‘What has happened?’ ”

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 .