complete verse (Jeremiah 44:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 44:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘The God of power of Israel is saying: Have you (plur.) seen all the sufferings/troubles that I sent to Jerusalem and other cities of Judah that made (them) deserted until now?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel said: ‘You yourselves have-seen the terrible destruction which I sent to Jerusalem and to all the towns of Juda. It is- now -ruined and no one is- now -living (there)” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘This is what I, the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom you Israelis say you belong to, say: ‘You saw the disaster that I caused the people in Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah to experience. Those towns are now ruined and deserted.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 44:2

Thus says the LORD: See 2.2.

The LORD of hosts: See 2.19.

You: Since this is a plural form in Hebrew, Good News Translation renders “You yourselves.” It is important to indicate the plural reference to the people, as opposed to Jeremiah who is addressed in verse 1. Translators can also say “You people.”

For evil in the sense of “disaster” or “destruction,” see 1.14.

Upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah: Since Jerusalem is also a city of Judah, we may need to translate “on Jerusalem and all the other cities of Judah” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Behold (see 1.6) here serves to highlight and call attention to the nature of the evil that the LORD brought upon Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah. New Revised Standard Version is a good model: “Look at them; today they are a….”

Desolation: See 7.34, where Revised Standard Version has “waste.”

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 .