And to the house of the king of Judah say: As the footnote in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch points out, this is probably a heading for the entire section 21.11–23.8. Good News Translation combines verses 11-12 because (1) the king of Judah (verse 11) is a descendant of David (verse 12) and (2) Hear the word of the LORD (verse 11) is equivalent to Thus says the LORD (verse 12). The house of the king of Judah refers to the royal line, the succession of kings. Translators might say something like “the royal family of Judah” or “the family of the king of Judah.”

Good News Translation renders house of David as “descendants of David,” and makes it clear that it refers to the same people as house of the king of Judah in the previous verse.

For Thus says the LORD, see 2.2.

Execute justice: The king was responsible for seeing that justice prevailed throughout the nation. The New Jewish Publication Society Version (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) translates this “Render just verdicts,” but Good News Translation is also a good model: “See that justice is done.”

In the morning is perhaps used in a distributive sense (Good News Translation “every day”; Bright “daily”). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “Begin your day…,” also indicating a distributive meaning. New Jerusalem Bible is similar to Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch.

Deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed: The reference is clearly to the judicial system. Good News Translation renders “Protect the person who is being cheated from the one who is cheating him.” The verb has been robbed is used elsewhere in Jeremiah only in 22.3. It may have the meaning of “robbed” (Jdg 9.25), but it may also be used in the sense of depriving someone of their rights (Isa 10.2). Note that although the text has him, “the person” or “people” would be better, since the reference is not to males alone.

Lest my wrath … your evil doings: See 4.4, where the Hebrew is the same.

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 .