Ruin translates the word rendered “desolations” (in its singular form) in the Revised Standard Version note of verse 9. See there for comments.

Waste translates the word rendered “horror” in verse 9.

These nations is understood by Good News Translation to refer to “the neighboring nations,” but most versions render this so as to include Judah, as in “all these nations” or “Judah and the neighboring nations.”

Serve the king of Babylon seventy years: Many translations render serve literally. Some, however, emphasize the aspect of being under the control of somebody, as in “will be in subjection” (Revised English Bible), “will be his subjects,” “will submit to,” or “will be under the authority of.” It is sometimes necessary to restructure slightly, as in “For seventy years the king of Babylon will be the one you will have to obey” or “I will make all of you the slaves of the king of Babylonia for seventy years” (Contemporary English Version). Seventy years is a way of referring to a lengthy period of time, more than an average person’s lifetime. This is also the approximate length of the Babylonian captivity (see 29.10; 2 Chr 36.21; Dan 9.2), if calculated from 605 B.C. until 538 B.C., when the Persian king Cyrus allowed the Jews to return.

The verse appears in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch as follows:

• All lie in ruins, and you and your neighbors will be under subjection to the king of Babylonia for seventy years.

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 .