In Hebrew the first part of verse 36 says “Voice of the shout of the shepherds and crying of the mighty ones of the flock.” The structure, however, is an emphatic way of calling attention to the distress of the leaders of the people. On the assumption that the persons addressed are clear from verse 34, Good News Translation renders “You moan and cry out in distress.” Translators could also have something like “Listen as the leaders cry out in distress. Listen to the leaders of the people wailing in sorrow.”

Despoiling their pasture is translated by Good News Translation as “destroyed your nation.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch interprets pasture as a reference to people rather than land, so it has “destroyed their flocks.” The word here translated pasture was used at 10.21 to refer to the “flock” that feeds in the pasture, but here seems to mean where the people (the “sheep”) stay, that is, “the nation.” Their pasture and the peaceful folds in verse 37 are taken as having the same sense by Good News Translation and rendered “your nation … your peaceful country.”

Because of the fierce anger of the LORD: Good News Translation ties this with For the LORD is despoiling … of verse 36, and translates “because the LORD in his anger has destroyed….” The restructuring of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is also effective: “36 … because the Lord destroyed their flocks. 37 The scorching breath of his anger settles on the peaceful pastures….” For fierce anger of the LORD, see 4.8.

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 .