24:16 From the ends of the earth we 1 hear songs –
the Just One is majestic. 2
But I 3 say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!
Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” 4
33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, 5
you who have not been destroyed!
The deceitful one is as good as dead, 6
the one whom others have not deceived!
When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;
when you finish 7 deceiving, others will deceive you!
33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, 8
you who have not been destroyed!
The deceitful one is as good as dead, 9
the one whom others have not deceived!
When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;
when you finish 10 deceiving, others will deceive you!
24:13 This is what will happen throughout 11 the earth,
among the nations.
It will be like when they beat an olive tree,
and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest. 12
51:44 I will punish the god Bel in Babylon.
I will make him spit out what he has swallowed.
The nations will not come streaming to him any longer.
Indeed, the walls of Babylon will fall.” 13
51:48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
will sing for joy over Babylon.
For destroyers from the north will attack it,”
says the Lord. 14
51:49 “Babylon must fall 15
because of the Israelites she has killed, 16
just as the earth’s mortally wounded fell
because of Babylon. 17
51:53 Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky 18
and fortifies her elevated stronghold, 19
I will send destroyers against her,” 20
says the Lord. 21
13:10 If anyone is meant for captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed by the sword, 22
then by the sword he must be killed.
This 23 requires steadfast endurance 24 and faith from the saints.
1 sn The identity of the subject is unclear. Apparently in vv. 15-16a an unidentified group responds to the praise they hear in the west by exhorting others to participate.
2 tn Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may summarize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.
3 sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.
4 tn Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.”
5 tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”
6 tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
7 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
8 tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”
9 tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
10 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
11 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
12 sn The judgment will severely reduce the earth’s population. See v. 6.
13 tn Heb “And I will punish Bel in Babylon…And the nations will not come streaming to him anymore. Yea, the walls of Babylon have fallen.” The verbs in the first two lines are vav consecutive perfects and the verb in the third line is an imperfect all looking at the future. That indicates that the perfect that follows and the perfects that precede are all prophetic perfects. The translation adopted seemed to be the best way to make the transition from the pasts which were adopted in conjunction with the taunting use of אֵיךְ (’ekh) in v. 41 to the futures in v. 44. For the usage of גַּם (gam) to indicate a climax, “yea” or “indeed” see BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 3. It seemed to be impossible to render the meaning of v. 44 in any comprehensible way, even in a paraphrase.
14 tn Heb “Oracle of the
15 tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate what is about to take place. See IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.
16 tn Heb “the slain of Israel.” The words “because of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The preceding context makes it clear that Babylon would be judged for its atrocities against Israel (see especially 50:33-34; 51:10, 24, 35).
17 tn The juxtaposition of גַם…גַם (gam...gam), often “both…and,” here indicates correspondence. See BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 4. Appropriately Babylon will fall slain just as her victims, including God’s covenant people, did.
18 tn Or “ascends [into] heaven.” Note the use of the phrase in Deut 30:12; 2 Kgs 2:11; and Amos 9:2.
19 tn Heb “and even if she fortifies her strong elevated place.”
20 tn Heb “from me destroyers will go against her.”
21 tn Heb “Oracle of the
22 tc Many
23 tn On ὧδε (Jwde) here, BDAG 1101 s.v. 2 states: “a ref. to a present event, object, or circumstance, in this case, at this point, on this occasion, under these circumstances…in this case moreover 1 Cor 4:2. ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν…Rv 13:18; cf. 17:9. ὧδέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπομονή…13:10; 14:12.”
24 tn Or “perseverance.”