This verse is God’s reply to Israel’s statement of repentance, just as 4.1-2 is God’s response to Israel’s repentance of 3.22-25.

Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child?: The two rhetorical questions expect the answer “Yes,” and so Good News Translation renders them as a statement: “Israel you are my dearest child, the one I love best.” The word translated dear (Good News Translation “dearest”) is used only here in the Old Testament; in 20.5 an adjective from the same Hebrew root is rendered “prized,” referring to possessions. New American Bible translates “favored”; almost all other versions use “dear.”

Darling is used only here in Jeremiah, though it occurs five times in Psa 119 (verses 24, 77, 92, 143, 174), where the psalmist speaks of his “delight” in the law of the LORD. It occurs twice in Proverbs (8.30-31) and once in Isaiah (5.7, Revised Standard Version “pleasant”). Revised English Bible retains the sense of the psalmist with “in whom I so delight.” New International Version and New Revised Standard Version are similar. Other translations use “preferred” or “favoured” (New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation is also a good model: “the one I love best.”

I speak against him may also be rendered “I speak of him” or “I mention your/his name” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Jerusalem Bible takes the verb to mean “threaten” (see the Good News Translation note), while New English Bible has “I turn my back on him.”

I do remember him still is emphatic in Hebrew, which is literally “remembering I remember him still.” Most translators understand this as Good News Translation does: “I think of you with love.”

My heart yearns is literally “my inward parts rumble” (see 4.19, where “rumble” is rendered “beating wildly” by Revised Standard Version). For the Jews the interior of the body was the center for emotions such as mercy and pity. In English it is the heart (as in Good News Translation), but in other languages it may be other parts of the body. Translators should use whatever expression would naturally express great feelings of tender love and compassion here.

I will surely have mercy on him translates the Hebrew construction “showing mercy, I will show him mercy.” Translators can say “I will surely show him mercy.”

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 .

To avoid a somewhat long and complex sentence, Good News Translation uses two sentences, repeating the verb “gave.” Some translators will even find it more natural to have a third sentence at the end; for example, “The men who were sitting in the courtyard were also there.”

Son of … son of: Good News Translation renders this with the more natural English “son of … grandson of.”

Witnesses: See verse 10.

Jews is rendered “Judeans” by several translations, in part because the term “Jew” was not generally used at the time of Jeremiah. Good News Translation avoids the problem with “people.”

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 .

The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: See 1.4.

A second time: In this context the message of the previous chapter must be the “first time” (see 32.1).

Court of the guard: See 32.2.

Bible en français courant renders this verse:

• Jeremiah was still detained in the court of the guards when the Lord communicated to him a new message.

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 .

The descendants of Abraham, that is, the Israelites including the people of Judah, were known as the Hebrew race. Thus the law that Jeremiah cites here refers to setting free slaves from their own ethnic group. Translators might refer to slaves “of their own Hebrew race,” or they can put this information in a footnote.

Slaves are, unfortunately, a phenomenon too well known throughout the world, so that even where slavery was perhaps never practiced, there is often a word or expression for it. However, if that is not the case, then translators will have to use a descriptive phrase such as “people who belong to a master and have to work for him” or “people who are forced to work for others permanently with no salary.”

So that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother: The meaning is “and no one was any longer to keep a brother Jew in slavery.” For Jew see 32.12. In this context brother is inclusive, referring to both male and female slaves, hence “fellow Israelite” of Good News Translation.

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 .

The house of Judah may be rendered “the people of Judah” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) or “the citizens of Judah” (Bright). See 3.18.

Evil; that is, “destruction” (see 35.17).

Every one … his evil way: The meaning is inclusive (Good News Translation “they … their evil ways”).

Iniquity: See 2.22; 20.13 and 3.13, where Revised Standard Version has “guilt.”

Sin: See 5.25.

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 .

Verses 3-10 may reflect the same event referred to in 21.1-7, though there are differences.

Jehucal: This is the only place where this name occurs, but it is probably the same as “Jucal” (38.1). Zephaniah is first mentioned in 21.1; see also 29.25. He is not listed among those who asked for Jeremiah to be put to death (38.1).

Pray for us to the LORD our God: Good News Translation retains the first person reference to Jeremiah and shifts to indirect discourse. Translators should decide which is better for their readers, either direct speech (as in Revised Standard Version) or indirect. It may be that the expression Pray for us to the LORD our God can be retained and understood. However, for many readers, it may be necessary to say “Pray to the LORD our God that he will help us.” Good News Translation renders us as “our nation.”

Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch places verses 3-5 together in order to give the historical situation of verse 5 first. This is then followed by the information of verse 4, and the mention of the two men coming to Jeremiah from Zedekiah of verse 3.

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 .

In order to indicate that there is a break between verses 13 and 14, Good News Translation begins verse 14 with “On another occasion….”

Sent for … and received him: See 37.17.

At the third entrance of the temple: Where this entrance was in the temple is unknown. Some commentators refer to 2 Kgs 16.18 and suggest that this was the king’s private entrance. The rendering of Contemporary English Version here is “to his private entrance to the temple.”

In the statement I will ask you a question, the pronoun I is emphatic.

Hide nothing from me: This may be stated positively, as in Good News Translation “I want you to tell me the whole truth.”

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 .

Save you: Good News Translation has “keep you safe” and New Jerusalem Bible “rescue you.”

Fall by the sword: Most versions retain the literal rendering (New Jerusalem Bible “fall to the sword”), but Good News Translation translates “you will not be put to death.” For the first half of the verse, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “I will protect you so that no one will kill you” and Bible en français courant “I will protect you from death.”

You shall have your life as a prize of war: See 21.9

Says the LORD: For the sake of emphasis, Good News Translation makes this a separate statement and renders “I, the LORD, have spoken.” 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 .