Therefore thus (Good News Translation “Because of this”) represents a way of drawing a strong conclusion on the basis of what was previously said.

The LORD of hosts: See the comment at 2.19. See also 2.2 for thus says the LORD.

For behold see 1.6.

The verb refine was used earlier in 6.29. Test was used earlier in 6.27, where it is rendered “assayer” and “assay.” Refine has the idea of making something pure. In the case of metals, this is generally accomplished by fire. Thus translators have sometimes used “purify,” sometimes “purify in fire.” However, in this context with test, translators try to convey the idea that the LORD will test his people with fire, that is, with affliction: “I will test them with fire” or “As fire refines metal, I will test these people with affliction.”

The LORD asks for what else can I do? This question is not asking for an answer; it is, rather, stating “There is nothing else I can do with these people,” which is what some translations have said in languages where the question would be misunderstood.

Because of my people translates a Hebrew idiom, which is literally “from the face of the house of my people.” Here it is equivalent to “because of what my people have done” or “because of the evil things that my people have done.”

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 .