Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch opens the verse thus: “Again Jeremiah said to him….”

In Hebrew Listen, Hananiah is very forceful, and in the construction you have made, the pronoun you is emphatic. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch expresses the force well: “Listen well Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you. You have misled the people to trust in a lie.”

This people is singular, and refers to the people of Judah. But in many languages “these people” (Good News Translation) will be more natural.

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 .