Search the mind: Search may be used of spying out or exploring a city (2Sam 10.3) or a territory (Jdg 18.2). In Job 29.16 it is used of investigating a legal case. It can be expressed as “look into” or “examine.” In Hebrew the object of the verb is “heart,” which is correctly translated mind by Revised Standard Version (Good News Translation “minds”) and “thoughts” by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible.

Try the heart: Try translates the verb rendered “assay” by Revised Standard Version in 6.27, where the sense of “test” was appropriate. Heart is literally “kidneys,” the seat of the emotions in Hebrew thought. Revised Standard Version renders heart, as does Good News Translation.

If possible, translators should use two different words for search and try, and also distinguish between the mind, the place of thinking, and the heart, the seat of the emotions. For example, we can say “I the LORD examine the thoughts of people, and test them to see what are their desires and feelings.”

There are two things to note about to give. First, the word to expresses purpose, as in “I examine … in order to repay.” Secondly, give does not have an object here, but some languages may require one. We can say “give those people what they are due.” Good News Translation is good with “treat each of them….”

According to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings: Good News Translation interprets according to his ways to mean “according to the way he lives”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “according to his conduct.” The fruit of his doings focuses on the actions, whereas his ways refers more to conduct in general. Therefore translators can say “according to the way they live and on the basis of what they have done.” It is possible to interpret according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doing as parallel statements and so combine them to say “on the basis of his deeds” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

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 .