Their Redeemer: See the comment at 31.11. A number of translations retain “redeemer,” though New American Bible has “avenger” and Good News Translation “the one who will rescue.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible each have a word that may either mean “defense counsel” or “defender.” This is legitimate, since the last part of the verse assumes a court situation: He will surely plead their cause. For the first clause Revised English Bible renders “But they have a powerful advocate.”

The LORD of hosts: See 2.19.

He will surely plead their cause may be rendered “he will intervene on their behalf” or “he will plead on their behalf.”

Good News Translation understands rest and unrest to be the equivalent of “peace” and “trouble.” Since Babylon is also a part of the earth, translators may need to render the last part of the verse as “The LORD will bring trouble upon the people of Babylonia, but give peace to everyone else on earth.”

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 .