Johanan the son of Kareah: See verse 4.

Took: In this verb we have the beginning of the action, and the rest of it comes in verse 7, “they came into the land of Egypt.” Many translators will find this unnatural, and will say something like “took … away to Egypt” (Good News Translation).

The remnant: See 6.9. Two groups are referred to: (1) those Judeans who had returned to live in their homeland (verse 5), and (2) those who had been left there by the Babylonians under the care of Gedaliah (verse 6). For this reason, Good News Translation renders “everybody left in Judea … together with all the people who had returned from the nations….”

As earlier, had been driven is more often expressed as “had been scattered.” See 40.12.

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 .

She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away: Egypt is compared to a snake driven away from its home by woodcutters. Like the snake, the nation can do nothing more than hiss and run in fear. The Hebrew text is literally “her sound is like a snake going,” and it is the Septuagint that has “hissing” in place of “going.” However, on translational grounds it is possible to arrive at the rendering of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, if we assume that the sound a snake makes as it leaves in fear is a hissing sound. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers “like a snake crawling away.” A possible translation, therefore, is “Egypt hisses like a snake crawling away.”

Her enemies march in force: This can be expressed as “her enemies are coming [or, attacking] in great numbers.”

And come against … fell trees may be rendered “Like men who are cutting down trees, they attack her with axes.”

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 .

Both here and in verse 18, Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Bible en français courant identify at the very first the persons addressed, before giving the message that is spoken to them. In many languages this will give a more natural translation.

Stand by the way and watch may be rendered “stand at the side of the road and wait.”

Inhabitant of Aroer: Aroer was a town on the northern rim of the Arnon River (verse 20), which flows into the Dead Sea at almost its midpoint and forms the northern boundary of Moab. Translators can identify it as “town of Aroer.” The text again has inhabitant in the singular, but the reference is to the population there: “You people who live in Aroer.”

Him who flees is parallel with her who escapes, and so Good News Translation renders “ask those who are running away.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch handles it somewhat differently: “Ask the fleeing men and women, ‘What has happened?’ ”

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 .

Concerning Edom: As with the messages about the other nations, this one begins with this title, which can be translated “This is the message about Edom.”

Thus says the LORD: See 2.2.

LORD of hosts: See 2.19.

Is wisdom no more in Teman?: Teman was a district in Edom, here used of the entire land. Some scholars assume that Edom was especially known for its wisdom, while other scholars do not hold this to be true. In either case, the question assumes that the people of Edom have not conducted themselves very wisely. Since the form of this question is a very awkward expression for English speakers, Good News Translation restructures to “Have the people of Edom lost their good judgment?” Another possible rendering is “Isn’t there any wise person left in Teman?” Or translators can use an affirmation: “It seems that no one is left in Teman who has good judgment.”

Counsel is taken by Good News Translation to mean “persons who give counsel or advice,” and so it has the rendering “Can their advisers no longer tell them what to do?”

Has their wisdom vanished?: If it would be unnatural in a language to speak of wisdom vanishing, then translators can say something like “Have all the wise people left?” or “Is there no wise person left?”

Repeating the question three times would tend to make it extremely emphatic for the Hebrew reader; however, in other languages this would diminish the effect of the question. Translators should do what would be appropriate in their case.

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 the latter days: Good News Translation has “later on” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “later.” See 48.47.

Restore the fortunes: See verse 6, and also 29.14; 48.47. Good News Translation renders “make … prosperous again.” An alternative interpretation of the Hebrew idiom is “bring Elam’s captives back” (New Jerusalem Bible); see the comments on 48.47.

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 .

The proud one: See verse 31. If this is retained as a name, translators can say, for example, “You [who are named] ‘Proud One.’ ”

I will kindle a fire in his cities is better rendered “I will set the cities of Babylonia [or, your cities] on fire.”

Devour; that is, “destroy.” See 8.16.

Round about him; that is, “around the proud one, that proud nation.”

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 land trembles and writhes in pain: Similar language is used elsewhere in the Old Testament for what happens when the God of Israel comes to attack his enemies; see Jdg 5.4, for example. The Hebrew text simply has that the land trembles and shakes (or, writhes), and quite a few versions have “in fear” instead of in pain. For trembles see 8.16, where Revised Standard Version has “quakes.” For writhes in pain, see 5.22, where Revised Standard Version has “tremble.”

The LORD’s purposes … a desolation without inhabitant may be compressed as “the LORD is determined to make Babylonia an uninhabited desert.” For desolation see 2.15, where Revised Standard Version has “waste.”

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 .