The stork, turtledove, swallow, and crane (Good News Translation “thrushes”) are not known in all parts of the world, and translators may at times need to either substitute a bird from their area, or describe these. The important thing to note about each of these here is that they are migratory, and therefore appear in a region only at certain times of the year. Thus if local birds are used in a translation, they should also be migratory ones. Or translators can transliterate, possibly adding a description, as in “Even birds called storks, turtledoves, swallows and cranes which come only at certain times know when they should return and leave.”

In the heavens or “of the heavens” is frequently used in the Old Testament as a modifier following the noun “bird” or some particular type of bird. It is unnecessary to retain this expression in translation. In fact, to do so may leave the impression that there are two kinds of storks: one in the heavens, and one on the ground.

Knows her times is parallel with keep the time of their coming, and the reference is to the time of migration. Good News Translation renders “… when it is time to return … when it is time to migrate.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch uses only one verb of all the birds: “All migratory birds keep to the times which I have set for them: the stork, the dove, the swallow, the thrush.”

Since the LORD is speaking, it will perhaps be necessary to shift the ordinance of the LORD to a first person reference: “Only my people do not obey the laws that I have given them” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The noun ordinance is translated “law” in 5.4-5.

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 .