The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth is best taken as a continuation of the imagery in verse 30. Note Good News Translation “Everyone on earth will hear him, 31 and the sound will echo to the ends of the earth.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “It resounds across the land as the shout of people treading grapes, and it reaches all nations, to the circle of the earth!” The expression ends of the earth simply means “everywhere on earth.” Translators should use whatever expression or idiom has that meaning in their language, as in “The noise will be heard everywhere on earth” or “People everywhere on earth will be able to hear the noise.”
The remainder of verse 31 is in the form of a court scene in which the LORD puts the nations on trial and punishes those who are guilty (compare 2.9-13).
Indictment can be translated as “lawsuit” or “case” (Good News Translation). For has an indictment against, New International Version has “will bring charges against.”
Entering into judgment with: This means, as in Good News Translation, “bring to trial.” In 2.35 the same word was translated “bring to judgment.” Some versions have “argue his case.”
All flesh refers to “all people.”
In this context put to the sword is the equivalent of “put … to death” (Good News Translation).
Says the LORD: See 1.8.
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 .
