Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates They do not say in their hearts as “You did not think to say…” and Good News Translation has “You never thought to….” For the heart as the center of thought in Hebrew psychology, see verse 21. Translators can also express this as “You never decide….”

Fear is translated “honor” by Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (see verse 22). Translators can make the idea indirect, as in Good News Translation “You never thought to honor me,” or more direct, as in “You never decided, ‘We will honor the LORD our God.’ ”

The autumn rain and the spring rain: See the comment at 3.3. The rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain is translated “the rain in the fall and in the spring” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. In areas where there are no spring and fall seasons, translators may need to say “the rain at planting time and the rain in the harvest time.”

And keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest is translated “takes care that the grain in the fields ripens in its season” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. Good News Translation, which shifts to a second person reference throughout verses 21-25, translates “and give you the harvest season each year.”

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 .