Why did I come forth from the womb is more naturally expressed as “Why was I born?” by Good News Translation and “Why did I have to be born?” by Contemporary English Version.

To see toil and sorrow means to experience them.

Spend my days in shame refers to the end result of Jeremiah’s life, and so Good News Translation has “to end my life in disgrace”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “and to end in shame!” For shame see 2.26.

The verse is a rhetorical question, which Good News Translation breaks into two questions. Jeremiah is really saying that his life was for nothing, completely in vain. In most languages that is clear; but if it is not, then translators may have to turn the question into some kind of affirmation; for example, “I was born for no reason. I only have trouble and sorrow, and my life will end in disgrace.”

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 .