complete verse (Jeremiah 52:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 52:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “Nebuzaradan also went with the bowls, the utensils for taking charcoal, the bowl for receiving blood when they made sacrifices, things for placing lamps on, plates and bowls for pouring out wine. All those utensils were of gold or silver.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Nebuzaradan also took the basins, something-to-place the live-coal, bowls, clay-pots, lampstands/place-to-put the lamp, small-cups, bowls being-used to pour out the drinks offering, and the other golden and silver utensils/articles.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Nebuzaradan also told his soldiers to take away the small bowls, the dishes for burning incense, the basins, pots, lampstands, bowls for incense, and the bowls used for pouring out the wine offerings. They took all the other items that were made of pure gold or silver.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 52:19

The small bowls may have been used for storing blood (see Exo 12.22, where Revised Standard Version has “basin”).

The firepans were “the pans used for carrying live coals” (Good News Translation).

The basins, the pots, and the dishes for incense may have been the same articles mentioned in verse 18 or different articles with the same name.

The bowls for libation is translated “bowls used for pouring out wine offerings” by Good News Translation.

What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver: This statement is used distributively and is to be applied to each of the items in verse 19. For this reason, Good News Translation introduces the verse by saying, “They took away everything that was made of gold or silver:….” Similar restructurings are found in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Moffatt, and New Jerusalem Bible.

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 .