At this point Jerusalem begins speaking to the exiles. Verses 17-20 are hardly comforting, but the purpose seems to be to show that while Jerusalem herself can offer the exiles no hope at all, God will surely rescue them, and Jerusalem has put her confidence in God to do that. The exiles are then exhorted to take courage.

But I, how can I help you?: The Greek here makes it clear that the speaker is feminine; we know, then, that Jerusalem is still speaking. The pronoun you here is plural. It is absolutely essential to indicate who is being addressed here; otherwise any reader or hearer would assume that you refers to Zion’s neighbors. But the verse looks forward, not backward. Good News Translation makes it clear that Jerusalem is now talking to the exiles by beginning with “My children in exile.” The question how can I help you? is not just a polite question, such as a sales clerk might ask a customer. It is an expression of helplessness. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version make this clear by converting the question to an almost despairing statement: “I can do nothing to help you.” The connector But expresses the idea “In spite of all this” or “As bad as things are.” The word serves to emphasize Jerusalem’s helplessness. The personified city is powerless to help her own children, that is, her citizens.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.