The verb eat up (used four times in this verse) may require translation by different verbs in its several occurrences: “devour … kill … slaughter … destroy” (Good News Translation). Of course, in many languages, repeating eat up would heighten the imagery of the text, and should therefore be retained. The scene is that of the ravages of war.
Harvest may be “crops.”
For your flocks and your herds, refer to 3.24.
Vines may have to be “cultivated vines” or “your fields for grapes [or, wine].” If fig trees are unknown, translators may say “fruit trees.”
Fortified cities: See the comments at 1.18; 4.5. The expression is also used in 8.14 and 34.7.
The sword (see verse 12) symbolizes the destructive effects of the invading army. Revised Standard Version maintains the Hebrew object-subject-verb arrangement (your fortified cities … they shall destroy), while Good News Translation shifts to a passive construction (“The fortified cities … will be destroyed”). However, it is quite possible that neither of these two constructions will be satisfactory in other languages. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch restructures the last two lines of this verse as follows: “They will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust, and slaughter their inhabitants with the sword.”
As Moffatt, An American Translation, and New English Bible indicate, the verb destroy literally means “batter down.” However, the rendering of Revised Standard Version adequately expresses the meaning in this context. Elsewhere in the Old Testament the verb is used only in Mal 1.4.
Without support of Hebrew manuscripts, New English Bible omits the phrase with the sword. The omission is made on the assumption that it was introduced as an afterthought and interrupts the Hebrew poetic meter. But this is not sufficient grounds on which to omit the phrase from translation.
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 .