The weary soul refers to the individual, and is here used collectively, which gives the basis for Good News Translation “those who are weary.” Moreover, a verb such as “refresh” (Good News Translation, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible) suits the context better than satisfy (Revised Standard Version). The adjective weary is formed from the verb rendered “faint” by Revised Standard Version in 4.31.

Every languishing soul: The construction is the same as weary soul (Good News Translation “everyone who is weak from hunger”). The participle translated languishing is made from the verb rendered “languish” in verse 12. Elsewhere in the Old Testament it is found only in Psa 88.9, where Revised Standard Version renders “grows dim.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch distinguishes the meaning of languishing from weary: “All who are weary from thirst, I will give them something to drink, and all who are famished from hunger, I will feed them richly!” But some versions do not bring out the element of “hunger” in the last clause, and instead have a rendering such as “I will strengthen every person who has no strength left.”

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 .