Rather than continuing a long construction, many translators will find it more natural to begin this verse with a new sentence, as Good News Translation has done. And some may also wish to begin another new sentence at the end of the verse to affirm the attributes of God, as Good News Translation has done with “You are a great and powerful God.”

Steadfast love; that is, love that is constant, that does not waver. See 9.24. If it is not natural to speak of showing constant love, translators can say “you continue to love without changing.”

Thousands is thousands of people.

Dost requite the guilt of fathers to their children after them: See 31.29. The phrase is more literally “you repay the fathers’ guilt, even into the lap of their sons who follow them” (New American Bible), but for English readers this sounds quite odd. Good News Translation renders this naturally as “you also punish people for the sins of their parents.” Guilt is first used in 2.22.

The LORD of hosts: See verse 15 and 2.19.

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 .