Terror is the same word translated “horror” by Revised Standard Version in 48.39, its only other occurrence in the book. In languages where it would not be possible or normal to express terror as something a person could be, translators can say “Don’t be someone who causes me to be in terror” or “Don’t be the one who terrifies me.”

Refuge translates a noun that occurs in the Old Testament elsewhere in Psa 14.6; Isa 4.6. It refers to a “place of safety” (Good News Translation).

In the day of evil is rendered “when trouble comes” by Good News Translation; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is similar. New English Bible has “on the day of disaster” and New Jerusalem Bible “in time of disaster.” In the day of evil in English is certainly better expressed as “in the time of trouble,” or with a clause like “when trouble comes” (Good News Translation).

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 .