As may be gathered from Revised Standard Version, verses 13-14 are a single sentence in Hebrew. Verse 13 states the reason for the LORD’s action (because …), while verse 14 states what the LORD will do in response (“therefore…”). In most languages it may be best to break this sentence into several smaller units; for example, Good News Translation divides the verses into four sentences, while Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch increases the number to five.

And now is used to make a logical connection between what has previously been said and what follows. Both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch believe the connection is obvious without putting this phrase into words. Most other translations are similar to Revised Standard Version.

Because you have done all these things includes all the sins mentioned thus far in chapter 7. Good News Translation translates “You have committed all these sins” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “You yourselves have behaved just as badly,” thereby making a close tie to verse 12.

Says the LORD: See 1.8.

Spoke is repeated in the Hebrew. It intensifies persistently, which translates a Hebrew idiom (literally “getting up early”) that indicates consistency of action: “even though I spoke to you over and over again” (Good News Translation) and “So often I have also spoken to you” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). New Jerusalem Bible renders “when I spoke so urgently, so persistently”; and Revised English Bible has “though I took pains to speak to you.”

The two verbs spoke and called carry essentially the same meaning, as do did not listen and did not answer. But since listen describes an action of the ears and answer an action of the tongue, it is best to retain the full form, as most translations have done. The sentence can be restructured slightly, however, as in “I spoke to you over and over, and called to you, but you wouldn’t listen or answer.”

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 .