Those translators who are following the outline of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (see verse 4) will have a section heading before verse 8, possibly “God warns those who mislead others [and also those who are misled].”

Since Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch begins a new section with verse 8, the speaker is immediately identified: “The Lord said….”

The law of the LORD is with us is a Hebrew way of saying “we have the law of the LORD” (Revised English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) or “we know the law of the LORD” (compare Good News Translation). Law is first used in 2.8.

The question How can you say…? is rhetorical, making a point. Translators can also express the sense as “Do you really think you are wise, and have the law of the LORD?” or “It is incredible that you say ‘We are wise, and we know the LORD’s laws.’ ”

The connector But is deleted in Good News Translation since there is no contrast here.

Behold: See the comment at 1.6.

False and lie represent two occurrences of the same Hebrew word. To speak of the false pen of the scribes is a way of saying that what the scribes write is false or a lie, as in “the lies the scribes teach about the law.” The scribes were the authoritative interpreters of the law. The noun scribes is here equivalent to “Those who handle the law” in 2.8.

Made it of Revised Standard Version represents one possible way of placing vowel marks in the Hebrew text. By a slight change the Hebrew would be “made” (without the object it), which is the preference of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. Revised Standard Version is representative of what most modern translations have done; for example, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “The law of the Lord has been completely falsified by its interpreters!” The sentence can also be “The lies of the experts in the law have made the law itself a lie.” Translators who follow the reading of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project here would have a translation such as “Look, the scribes have been making [or, writing] lies.”

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 .