For Thus says the LORD, see 2.2. Both Good News Translation (“The LORD said to his people”) and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“The Lord said: ‘I have warned my people…’ ”) identify the persons the LORD addresses. This is particularly helpful at the beginning of a new section. It is not clear why both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch have shifted from present to past tense. This will not be necessary in most languages.

Stand by the roads, and look is “Stand at the crossroads and look” in Good News Translation. Most translations have something similar. The idea seems to be to take up a position from where the roads can be seen.

The ancient paths is a reference to the laws that God gave his people in times past; the author probably has in mind those laws as they are stated in the book of Deuteronomy.

The text says ask for the ancient paths, without saying who is to be asked. The Hebrew can mean to ask about something, as in “ask people what were the old ways” or “find out about how we used to behave”; or possibly it can mean to ask a question, so what follows is the actual wording of the question: “Ask the ancient paths, ‘Where is the way to good?’ ” But most translations take the first interpretation.

The good way is better understood as the way to good, not as the good way to follow. Consequently, one way to render this would be “Find out about the old ways, about which way leads to good,” or “Ask someone to show you the old ways. Find out which way will bring good to you.”

Walk in it uses a common image for conduct or behavior: “Follow that way” or “Behave that way.” “Do those things” can be used if translators believe the readers will not understand this image.

As frequently is the case in the Old Testament, souls is the equivalent of a personal pronoun, thus the basis for Jerusalem Bible (“and you shall find rest”) and Revised English Bible (“and you will find rest for yourselves”). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “so your life will find fulfillment.” Since the nature of the rest is peace from Israel’s enemies, Good News Translation translates “and you will live in peace.”

We will not walk in it can be simply “We refuse” (Revised English Bible), or possibly this can be rendered indirectly as “But they would not do that.”

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 .