The first occurrence of the pronoun I is emphatic in Hebrew. Both Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Bible en français courant have the equivalent of “I myself.” Another good way of expressing the emphasis is “I for my part.”

The remnant of my flock: See “the remnant of Israel” in 6.9. Good News Translation does away with the imagery and translates “the rest of my people.”

The text says I have driven them, which Good News Translation renders as “I have scattered them.” If a language does not have a word like “driving” for forcing animals or people to go where someone wants them, then translators can say “I have forced them to go.” See 8.3.

If the imagery of sheep is maintained, then fold may be rendered “pasture” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch); otherwise, we may follow “homeland” of Good News Translation.

Be fruitful and multiply is a frequently used biblical idiom (see Gen 1.22); Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “thrive and increase again” and Good News Translation “have many children and increase in number.”

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 .