Yahweh uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that no one should mourn for Jerusalem. This question can be written as a statement. AT: "No one should have compassion on you, Jerusalem. No one should mourn for your destruction. No one should ask about your well-being." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
# You have forsaken me ... you have gone back from me
These two phrases mean basically the same thing and emphasize that the people have, indeed, forsaken Yahweh. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])
# this is Yahweh's declaration
Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Jeremiah 1:8](../01/07.md). AT: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]])
# gone back from me
"left me" or "gone away from me"
# I will strike you with my hand
Here "hand" represents power. AT: "I will use my power to strike you" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])
# So I will winnow them with a pitchfork at the gates of the land
Here Yahweh speaks of scattering the people and causing them to leave Jersalem as if they were winnowed chaff being blown away on the wind. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
# pitchfork
a farm tool with a long handle and sharp metal prongs, used especially for lifting and tossing grain in the air for winnowing
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