Prophesy falsely is translated “speak nothing but lies” by Good News Translation and “speak lies and deception” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. “Lies and deception” (Lug und Trug) is a set phrase in German.

And the priests rule at their direction is interpreted by Good News Translation to mean “the priests rule as the prophets command.” But the pronoun their may refer back to the priests rather than the prophets, in which case we may translate “the priests teach whatever they please.” The New Revised Standard Version footnote has “rule by their own authority.” Thus just as the prophets are no longer speaking God’s word, the priests are no longer doing God’s work. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch supplies both of these translations in a footnote as alternative possibilities to their rendering: “the priests seek only their own advantage.”

Good News Translation “my people offer no objections” as a rendering of my people love to have it so is too weak. “And my people love it that way!” is better.

When the end comes does not mean the end of time here, but refers to the end result of the matter, as in Good News Translation “when it all comes to an end.”

In the last sentence of this verse there is a shift from the third person (the prophets … the priests … my people) to the second person (what will you do). But whereas in Hebrew this may be an emphatic way of drawing attention to the persons addressed, in other languages it may be more natural to retain the third person reference throughout. On the other hand, it is possible to restructure by using a second person reference throughout the verse: “you prophets … you priests … you people of mine … all of you….” See verses 14, 19.

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 .