45:8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers 1 of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it 2 so salvation may grow, 3
and deliverance may sprout up 4 along with it.
I, the Lord, create it. 5
59:14 Justice is driven back;
godliness 6 stands far off.
Indeed, 7 honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter.
1 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
2 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
3 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
4 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
5 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).
6 tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”
7 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).