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Jeremias 17:18

Let them be confounded that persecute me, and let not me be confounded: let them be afraid, and let not me be afraid: bring upon them the day of affliction, and with a double destruction, destroy them.

Challoner: Let them be confoundedSuch expressions as these in the writings of the prophets, are not to be understood as imprecations proceeding from malice or desire of revenge: but as prophetic predictions of evils that were about to fall upon impenitent sinners, and approbations of the ways of divine justice.

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The verse in its languages

Vulgate (Clementine): Confundantur qui me persequuntur, et non confundar ego : paveant illi, et non paveam ego : induc super eos diem afflictionis, et duplici contritione contere eos.
Septuagint (Swete): καταισχυνθήτωσαν οἱ διώκοντές με, καὶ μὴ καταισχυνθείην ἐγώ· πτοηθείησαν αὐτοί, καὶ μὴ πτοηθείην ἐγώ· ἐπάγαγε ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἡμέραν πονηράν, δισσὸν σύντριμμα σύντριψον αὐτούς.
Hebrew (WLC): יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ רֹדְפַי֙ וְאַל אֵבֹ֣שָׁה אָ֔נִי יֵחַ֣תּוּ הֵ֔מָּה וְאַל אֵחַ֖תָּה אָ֑נִי הָבִ֤יא עֲלֵיהֶם֙ י֣וֹם רָעָ֔ה וּמִשְׁנֶ֥ה שִׁבָּר֖וֹן שָׁבְרֵֽם

Haydock's commentary

Let them be confounded, &c. Such expressions as these in the writings of the prophets, are not to be understood as imprecations proceeding from malice or desire of revenge, but as prophetic predictions of evils that were about to fall upon impenitent sinners, and approbations of the ways of the divine justice. (Challoner)

The prophet has already prevented this objection, ver. 16. (Haydock)

From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.

The Fathers on this verse

St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter XXI. Of the fact that devils struggle with men not without effort on their part

But our belief is that they undertake this struggle not without effort on their part. For in their conflict they themselves have some sort of anxiety and depression, and especially when they are matched with stronger rivals, i.e., saints and perfect men. Otherwise no contest or struggle, but only a simple deception of men, and one free from anxiety on their part would be assigned to them. And how then would the Apostle’s words stand, where he says: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places;” and this too: “So fight I, not as one that beateth the air;” and again: “I have fought a good fight”? For where it is spoken of as a fight, and conflict, and battle, there must be effort and exertion and anxiety on both sides, and equally there must either be in store for …