Both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch indicate that the words of this passage are addressed to the LORD. Since it is the people who are speaking, not Jeremiah, some translators begin by saying, “The people asked the LORD, ‘Have you really rejected Judah?’ ”

Utterly is translated “completely” by most translators, but in this context it can also be rendered as “really,” since the people cannot believe that the LORD would in fact reject Judah.

Soul is once again used as the equivalent of the personal pronoun, as the parallel between thou and thy soul of Revised Standard Version clearly indicates. Good News Translation more naturally renders “you … you.”

The verb loathe (Good News Translation “hate”) is found only here in the book of Jeremiah. Elsewhere in the Old Testament it is used in Lev 26.11, 15, 30, 43, 44; Ezek 16.45 (twice).

Judah represents the people of that territory, as Zion (Good News Translation “the people of Zion”) represents the people of the city of Jerusalem. However, “Zion” is used so frequently in the Bible that to put “Jerusalem” here would seem to be giving up a common figure. Rather, if necessary, translators can explain in a footnote or, better, the glossary, that “Zion” stands for “Jerusalem.”

Smitten derives from the same Hebrew root as the noun “blow” in verse 17. Smitten us is rendered “hurt us so badly” by Good News Translation and “struck us down” by New Jerusalem Bible. Revised English Bible has “wounded us.”

We looked for peace … but terror came instead: See the comment at 8.15.

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 .