Though scholars agree that the following verses are spoken to the people of Babylonia, this would be almost impossible for average readers to work out unless they are told. That is why Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch introduce a noun of address (“People of Babylonia”). Moffatt also identifies the persons addressed in verse 11.

Though you rejoice, though you exult, O plunderers of my heritage: Rejoice is also used in 31.13; 41.13. In a causative sense the verb appears in 20.15 (Revised Standard Version “making glad”); 31.13 (Revised Standard Version “give gladness”). Though exult is used much less frequently in the Old Testament than the verb rejoice, it is found more often in Jeremiah: 11.15; 15.17 (Revised Standard Version “rejoice”); 51.39 (Revised Standard Version “rejoice” in a footnote). A person’s heritage (see 37.12, where Revised Standard Version has “portion”) was the land inherited from his or her ancestors. The LORD is here using it in a figure of speech to describe his people, who are his own special possession. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders “You who plundered my possessions.” This address form probably needs to come first in the sentence: “You people who plundered my possession, you may be rejoicing and gloating now.” Good News Translation uses short sentences, also a useful model for some languages: “you plundered my nation. You are happy and glad.”

Wanton as a heifer at grass is an almost impossible expression for English readers to understand without the help of a commentary! The picture would seem to be that of a young cow threshing grain (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). According to Deut 25.4, the Israelites were forbidden to muzzle cattle that were treading grain. Translators can say something like “though you run about happy as a young cow in the pasture” or “though you frolic like a young cow at the time of threshing grain.”

Neigh like stallions: See 8.16.

In the text the sentence continues in the next verse. See the discussion there for ways to structure the verses.

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 .