82 Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this title see the study note on .
83 Heb “Oppressed are the people of Israel and the people of Judah together,” i.e., both the people of Israel and Judah are oppressed. However, neither of these renderings is very poetic. The translation seeks to achieve the same meaning with better poetic expression.
84 Heb “their redeemer.” The Hebrew term “redeemer” referred in Israelite family law to the nearest male relative who was responsible for securing the freedom of a relative who had been sold into slavery. For further discussion of this term as well as its metaphorical use to refer to God as the one who frees Israel from bondage in Egypt and from exile in Assyria and Babylonia see the study note on .
85 Heb “Yahweh of armies is his name.” For the rendering of this title see the study note on .
86 Or “he will certainly champion.” The infinitive absolute before the finite verb here is probably functioning to intensify the verb rather than to express the certainty of the action (cf. §112.n and compare usage in Gen 43:3 and 1 Sam 20:6 listed there).
87 This appears to be another case where the particle לְמַעַן (léma’an) introduces a result rather than giving the purpose or goal. See the translator’s note on for a listing of other examples in the book of Jeremiah and also the translator’s note on .
88 Heb “he will bring rest to the earth and will cause unrest to.” The terms “rest” and “unrest” have been doubly translated to give more of the idea underlying these two concepts.
89 This translation again reflects the problem often encountered in these prophecies where the Lord appears to be speaking but refers to himself in the third person. It would be possible to translate here using the first person as and do. However, to sustain that over the whole verse results in a considerably greater degree of paraphrase. The verse could be rendered “But I am strong and I will rescue them. I am the Lord who rules over all. I will champion their cause. And I will bring peace and rest to.…”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them. All who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“The people of Israel are oppressed,

and the people of Judah as well.

All their captors hold them fast,

refusing to let them go.

Yet their Redeemer is strong;

the Lord Almighty is his name.

He will vigorously defend their cause

so that he may bring rest to their land,

but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

This is what the Lord of Armies says:

Israelites and Judeans alike have been oppressed.

All their captors hold them fast;

they refuse to release them.

Their Redeemer is strong;

the Lord of Armies is his name.

He will fervently champion their cause

so that he might bring rest to the earth

but turmoil to those who live in Babylon.

NLTNew Living Translation

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“The people of Israel and Judah have been wronged.

Their captors hold them and refuse to let them go.

But the one who redeems them is strong.

His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

He will defend them

and give them rest again in Israel.

But for the people of Babylon

there will be no rest!

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Thus says Yahweh of hosts:

“The people of Israel are oppressed,

and the people of Judah likewise,

for all their captors have seized them,

they refuse to let them go free.

Their redeemer is strong,

his name is Yahweh of hosts.

Surely he will plead their case,

in order to make peace for the earth,

but to cause unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.

KJV 1900King James Version

Thus saith the Lord of hosts;

The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together:

And all that took them captives held them fast;

They refused to let them go.

Their Redeemer is strong;

The Lord of hosts is his name:

He shall throughly plead their cause,

That he may give rest to the land,

And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

Public Domain