For thus says the LORD: See 2.2. Good News Translation uses indirect discourse and translates “The LORD has promised that a nation….”

Behold: See 1.6.

One shall fly swiftly like an eagle, and spread his wings against Moab: Good News Translation identifies this one as “a nation,” while Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “Enemies will sweep down like eagles and descend on Moab!” If the eagle (see 4.13) is unknown, translators can either substitute a local large bird of prey, or use a general term such as “large bird of prey.” As in the Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch examples, fly swiftly and spread his wings against give the image of an eagle attacking without warning, the way they swoop down from great heights on unsuspecting victims. Translators can say, for example, “Look, an enemy will swoop down and attack Moab with no warning, like an eagle diving from the sky.”

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 .