May a cry be heard from their houses is more dramatically rendered “and let screams of terror ring out from their houses” by New English Bible. Some languages would require a subject: “May they scream in terror!” Both Good News Translation and New English Bible reverse the order of the two first clauses of this verse so that they follow the order in which the actions happen.

The real force of when thou bringest the marauder suddenly upon them is an imperative: “Bring raiders upon them without warning” (New English Bible) or “Send a mob to plunder their homes without warning” (Good News Translation). The marauder refers to raiding troops. “Mob” of Good News Translation does not really convey this, and “raiders” or “raiding soldiers” would be better.

Pit translates the same word used in verse 20.

Laid snares for my feet: Snares (a type of self-springing bird trap) is also used in 48.43, 44. Feet represents all of Jeremiah, of course, so that the last line of the verse can be “set traps to catch me in.”

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 .