Because of the wrath of the LORD may be better rendered “Because the LORD is angry [with her/Babylon].” For wrath see 10.10.

She shall not be inhabited; that is, “no one will live in Babylon” (Good News Translation).

Desolation: See 4.27 for the first occurrence of the word. In this context translators can render it as “The land will be so desolate it will cause great shock [or, people to be shocked].”

Be appalled comes from the same root as the noun rendered “desolation.” It is first used in 2.12, and here it can be rendered “be horrified.”

Hiss: See 18.6; 19.8; 49.17.

Her wounds; that is, “the destruction they see there” (New Living Translation). See 19.8, where Revised Standard Version translates this same Hebrew expression as “its disasters.”

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 .