Verses 12-16 are a commentary on verses 10-11, explaining the reason for the threatened destruction. In verse 12 Jeremiah asks why this destruction is coming. This is answered in verses 13-14. Then verses 15-16 restate the terrible destiny that the LORD has in store for his people.

In the translation of verse 12, both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch place the third question raised by Jeremiah first (Why is the land … so that no one passes through?). This restructuring has the advantage of making an immediate tie between verses 12-16 and verses 10-11. Translators who retain the order of the text should at least be sure that the translation makes it clear that this in the first question and it in the second refer to the question that follows, the third one about why the land is ruined. Whereas Good News Translation retains the question form, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch shifts to a statement to begin: “The land is….” However, even if translators retain the questions, they may need to restructure them slightly, as in “Is there any person wise enough…?” or “Isn’t there anyone wise enough…?” for the first, and “Has the LORD explained this to anyone…?” or “Isn’t there someone the LORD has explained this to…?” for the second.

Who is the man so wise is translated “Who is wise enough” by Good News Translation, thus doing away with the masculine imagery.

To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken retains the Hebrew form of the expression, which Good News Translation translates more naturally as “To whom have you [the LORD] explained it.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch identifies the person the LORD spoke to as a prophet: “Is there no wise person who can explain this, a prophet to whom the Lord has revealed it and who can tell us?”

In translation it may be necessary to indicate who the person tells what the LORD has told him. Both Good News Translation (“they can tell others”) and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“who can tell us”) give this indication.

For laid waste and no one passes through, see verse 10.

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 .