For he who brought these calamities upon you: Notice the interpretive force that Good News Translation gives here: “Only the one….” Without that clue, verse 18 simply does not follow from verse 17. Jerusalem is saying, as Good News Translation indicates with that one well-placed word, that while she cannot help her children, God can and will help. Some translators may want to make it clear that “God” is the agent here and that calamities refers to God’s punishment; for example, “God punished you in these terrible ways” (Contemporary English Version).

Will deliver you from the hand of your enemies: The Greek does say will and not “can,” but it needs to be established that unlike Jerusalem, God is in a position to rescue the exiles; the word “can” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) is understood from verse 17, where Jerusalem admits she cannot help. That God will rescue them will be stated with great vigor and confidence in verses 21-29. From the hand of your enemies is merely the common Hebrew idiom for “from your enemies” (Good News Translation). The force of the idiom could be expressed by “free you from the power of your enemies” or “from your enemies’ grip [grasp/clutches/hold].” The simple Good News Translation “from your enemies” states the meaning adequately.

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.