49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! 1
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth; 2
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. 3
3:1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armies 4
is about to remove from Jerusalem 5 and Judah
every source of security, including 6
all the food and water, 7
3:2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders, 8
3:3 captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens, 9
advisers and those skilled in magical arts, 10
and those who know incantations.
3:4 The Lord says, 11 “I will make youths their officials;
malicious young men 12 will rule over them.
3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;
men will oppose each other;
neighbors will fight. 13
Youths will proudly defy the elderly
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. 14
3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s house 15 and say, 16
‘You own a coat –
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ 17
3:7 At that time 18 the brother will shout, 19
‘I am no doctor, 20
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord; 21
they rebel against his royal authority. 22
3:9 The look on their faces 23 testifies to their guilt; 24
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. 25
Too bad for them! 26
For they bring disaster on themselves.
3:10 Tell the innocent 27 it will go well with them, 28
for they will be rewarded for what they have done. 29
3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve. 30
3:12 Oppressors treat my 31 people cruelly;
creditors rule over them. 32
My people’s leaders mislead them;
they give you confusing directions. 33
3:13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people. 34
3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says, 35 “It is you 36 who have ruined 37 the vineyard! 38
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. 39
3:15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?” 40
The sovereign Lord who commands armies 41 has spoken.
3:16 The Lord says,
“The women 42 of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads high 43
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip along 44
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. 45
3:17 So 46 the sovereign master 47 will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women 48 with skin diseases, 49
the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.” 50
3:18 51 At that time 52 the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, 53 neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, 54 amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. 55
3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, 56
a rope will replace a belt,
baldness will replace braided locks of hair,
a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,
and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.
3:25 Your 57 men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle. 58
3:26 Her gates will mourn and lament;
deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground. 59
5:1 I 60 will sing to my love –
a song to my lover about his vineyard. 61
My love had a vineyard
on a fertile hill. 62
5:2 He built a hedge around it, 63 removed its stones,
and planted a vine.
He built a tower in the middle of it,
and constructed a winepress.
He waited for it to produce edible grapes,
but it produced sour ones instead. 64
5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, 65
people 66 of Judah,
you decide between me and my vineyard!
5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard
beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,
why did it produce sour ones instead?
5:5 Now I will inform you
what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, 67
I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. 68
5:6 I will make it a wasteland;
no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, 69
and thorns and briers will grow there.
I will order the clouds
not to drop any rain on it.
5:7 Indeed 70 Israel 71 is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,
the people 72 of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.
He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! 73
He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! 74
5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, 75
those who also accumulate landed property 76
until there is no land left, 77
and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. 78
5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 79
“Many houses will certainly become desolate,
large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. 80
5:10 Indeed, a large vineyard 81 will produce just a few gallons, 82
and enough seed to yield several bushels 83 will produce less than a bushel.” 84
5:11 Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead, 85
those who keep drinking long after dark
until they are intoxicated with wine. 86
5:12 They have stringed instruments, 87 tambourines, flutes,
and wine at their parties.
So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,
they do not perceive what he is bringing about. 88
5:13 Therefore my 89 people will be deported 90
because of their lack of understanding.
Their 91 leaders will have nothing to eat, 92
their 93 masses will have nothing to drink. 94
5:14 So Death 95 will open up its throat,
and open wide its mouth; 96
Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,
including those who revel and celebrate within her. 97
5:15 Men will be humiliated,
they will be brought low;
the proud will be brought low. 98
5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted 99 when he punishes, 100
the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. 101
5:17 Lambs 102 will graze as if in their pastures,
amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze. 103
5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, 104
who pull sin as with cart ropes. 105
5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, 106
so we can see;
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel 107 take shape 108 and come to pass,
then we will know it!”
5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, 109
who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,
who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. 110
5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, 111
those who think they possess understanding. 112
5:22 Those who are champions 113 at drinking wine are as good as dead, 114
who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
5:23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,
they ignore the just cause of the innocent. 115
5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire 116 devours straw,
and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,
so their root will rot,
and their flower will blow away like dust. 117
For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies,
they have spurned the commands 118 of the Holy One of Israel. 119
5:25 So the Lord is furious 120 with his people;
he lifts 121 his hand and strikes them.
The mountains shake,
and corpses lie like manure 122 in the middle of the streets.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 123
5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, 124
he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.
Look, they 125 come quickly and swiftly.
5:27 None tire or stumble,
they don’t stop to nap or sleep.
They don’t loosen their belts,
or unstrap their sandals to rest. 126
5:28 Their arrows are sharpened,
and all their bows are prepared. 127
The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, 128
and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. 129
5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s;
they roar like young lions.
They growl and seize their prey;
they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.
5:30 At that time 130 they will growl over their prey, 131
it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. 132
One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,
clouds will turn the light into darkness. 133
1 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”
2 tn Heb “called me from the womb.”
3 tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”
4 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
5 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
6 tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC 394 §122.v.
7 tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
7 tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”
10 tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
11 tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).
13 tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.
14 tn תַעֲלוּלִים (ta’alulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. NLT). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”; cf. ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the MT highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.
16 tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
17 tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.
19 tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”
20 tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
21 tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”
22 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
23 tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
24 tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”
25 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
26 tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
28 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
29 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
30 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
31 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
31 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
32 tn Heb “that it is good.”
33 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
34 tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
37 sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
38 tc The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of נֹגְשָׂיו (nogÿsayv, “his oppressors”) to נֹגְשִׂים (nogÿshim, “oppressors”) by moving the mem (ם) on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the vav (ו) as virtually dittographic; (2) an emendation of מְעוֹלֵל (mÿ’olel, a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to עֹלְלוּ (’olÿlu), a third plural Poel perfect from עָלַל (’alal, “deal severely”; note that the following form begins with a vav [ו]; the text may be haplographic or misdivided); and (3) an emendation (with support from the LXX) of נָשִׁים (nashim, “women”) to נֹשִׁים (noshim, “creditors”; a participle from נָשַׁא, nasa’). Another option is to emend מְעוֹלֵל to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”) and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case the point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community – children and women. (The text reflects the ancient Israelite patriarchal mindset.)
39 tn Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”; HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”; see HALOT 134 s.v. בלע).
40 tc The Hebrew text has “nations,” but the preceding and following contexts make it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. עָמִים (’amim) should be changed (with support from the LXX) to עמו. The final mem (ם) on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the vav (ו) was then misread as a yod (י).
43 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
44 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
45 tn The verb בָּעַר (ba’ar, “graze, ruin”; HALOT 146 s.v. II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (ba’ar, “burn”; see HALOT 145 s.v. I בער).
46 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
47 tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).
46 sn The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.
47 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
49 tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).
50 tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.
51 tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”
52 tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”
52 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 16-17 and one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk…, the sovereign master will afflict….” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
53 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
54 tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
55 tn Or “a scab” (KJV, ASV); NIV, NCV, CEV “sores.”
56 tn The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word פֹּת (pot). Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take פֹּת as a reference to the genitals (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV, CEV). (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun פֹּת appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:139, n. 2), basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes פֹּת as “forehead.”
55 sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.
56 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
57 tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”
58 tn Heb “houses of breath.” HALOT 124 s.v. בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. NAB, NRSV “perfume boxes.”
61 tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.
64 tn Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.” The nouns for “spices” and “stench” are right next to each other in the MT for emphatic contrast. The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
67 tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.
68 tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.
70 tn Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Jerusalem is personified as a destitute woman who sits mourning the empty city.
73 tn It is uncertain who is speaking here. Possibly the prophet, taking the role of best man, composes a love song for his friend on the occasion of his wedding. If so, יָדִיד (yadid) should be translated “my friend.” The present translation assumes that Israel is singing to the Lord. The word דוֹד (dod, “lover”) used in the second line is frequently used by the woman in the Song of Solomon to describe her lover.
74 sn Israel, viewing herself as the Lord’s lover, refers to herself as his vineyard. The metaphor has sexual connotations, for it pictures her capacity to satisfy his appetite and to produce children. See Song 8:12.
75 tn Heb “on a horn, a son of oil.” Apparently קֶרֶן (qeren, “horn”) here refers to the horn-shaped peak of a hill (BDB 902 s.v.) or to a mountain spur, i.e., a ridge that extends laterally from a mountain (HALOT 1145 s.v. קֶרֶן; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:180). The expression “son of oil” pictures this hill as one capable of producing olive trees. Isaiah’s choice of קֶרֶן, a rare word for hill, may have been driven by paronomastic concerns, i.e., because קֶרֶן sounds like כֶּרֶם (kerem, “vineyard”).
76 tn Or, “dug it up” (so NIV); KJV “fenced it.’ See HALOT 810 s.v. עזק.
77 tn Heb “wild grapes,” i.e., sour ones (also in v. 4).
79 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
80 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
82 tn Heb “and it will become [a place for] grazing.” בָּעַר (ba’ar, “grazing”) is a homonym of the more often used verb “to burn.”
83 tn Heb “and it will become a trampled place” (NASB “trampled ground”).
85 tn Heb “it will not be pruned or hoed” (so NASB); ASV and NRSV both similar.
88 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
89 tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
90 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
91 tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
92 tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
91 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who make a house touch a house.” The exclamation הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death.
92 tn Heb “[who] bring a field near a field.”
93 tn Heb “until the end of the place”; NASB “until there is no more room.”
94 tn Heb “and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”
94 tn Heb “in my ears, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
95 tn Heb “great and good [houses], without a resident.”
97 tn Heb “a ten-yoke vineyard.” The Hebrew term צֶמֶד (tsemed, “yoke”) is here a unit of square measure. Apparently a ten-yoke vineyard covered the same amount of land it would take ten teams of oxen to plow in a certain period of time. The exact size is unknown.
98 tn Heb “one bath.” A bath was a liquid measure. Estimates of its modern equivalent range from approximately six to twelve gallons.
99 tn Heb “a homer.” A homer was a dry measure, the exact size of which is debated. Cf. NCV “ten bushels”; CEV “five bushels.”
100 tn Heb “an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure; there were ten ephahs in a homer. So this verse envisions major crop failure, where only one-tenth of the anticipated harvest is realized.
100 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who arise early in the morning, [who] chase beer.”
101 tn Heb “[who] delay until dark, [until] wine enflames them.”
103 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
104 tn Heb “the work of the Lord they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).
106 sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.
107 tn The suffixed (perfect) form of the verb is used; in this way the coming event is described for rhetorical effect as occurring or as already completed.
108 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
109 tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) is in opposition to הָמוֹן (hamon, “masses”) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint מְתֵי (mÿtey, “men of”) as מִתֵי (mitey, “dead ones of”).
110 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
111 tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”
109 tn Heb “Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); the underworld, the land of the dead, according to the OT world view. Cf. NAB “the nether world”; TEV, CEV “the world of the dead”; NLT “the grave.”
110 tn Heb “so Sheol will make wide its throat, and open its mouth without limit.”
111 tn Heb “and her splendor and her masses will go down, and her tumult and the one who exults in her.” The antecedent of the four feminine singular pronominal suffixes used in v. 14b is unclear. The likely referent is personified Zion/Jerusalem (see 3:25-26; 4:4-5).
112 tn Heb “men are brought down, men are brought low, the eyes of pride are brought low.”
115 tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”
116 tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.
117 tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note on the phrase “the sovereign king of Israel” in 1:4). When God judges evildoers as they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.
118 tn Or “young rams”; NIV, NCV “sheep”; NLT “flocks.”
119 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and ruins, fatlings, resident aliens, will eat.” This part of the verse has occasioned various suggestions of emendation. The parallelism is tighter if the second line refers to animals grazing. The translation, “amid the ruins the fatlings and young sheep graze,” assumes an emendation of “resident aliens” (גָּרִים, garim) to “young goats/sheep” (גְּדַיִם, gÿdayim) – confusion of dalet and resh is quite common – and understands “fatlings” and “young sheep” taken as a compound subject or as in apposition as the subject of the verb. However, no emendations are necessary if the above translation is correct. The meaning of מֵחִים (mekhim) has a significant impact on one’s textual decision and translation. The noun can refer to a sacrificial (“fat”) animal as it does in its only other occurrence (Ps 66:15). However, it could signify the rich of the earth (“the fat ones of the earth”; Ps 22:29 [MT 30]) using a different word for “fatness” (דָּשֶׁן, dashen). If so, it serves a figurative reference to the rich. Consequently, the above translation coheres with the first half of the verse. Just as the sheep are out of place grazing in these places (“as in their pasture”), the sojourners would not have expected to have the chance to eat in these locations. Both animals and itinerant foreigners would eat in places not normal for them.
121 sn See the note at v. 8.
122 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Woe to those who pull evil with the ropes of emptiness, and, as [with] ropes of a cart, sin.” Though several textual details are unclear, the basic idea is apparent. The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared here to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them. If שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness”) is retained, it makes a further comment on their lifestyle, denouncing it as one that is devoid of what is right and destined to lead to nothing but destruction. Because “emptiness” does not form a very tight parallel with “cart” in the next line, some emend שָׁוְא to שֶׂה (she, “sheep”) and עֲגָלָה (’agalah, “cart”) to עֵגֶל (’egel, “calf”): “Those who pull evil along with a sheep halter are as good as dead who pull sin with a calf rope” (following the lead of the LXX and improving the internal parallelism of the verse). In this case, the verse pictures the sinners pulling sin along behind them as one pulls an animal with a halter. For a discussion of this view, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:163, n. 1. Nevertheless, this emendation is unnecessary. The above translation emphasizes the folly of the Israelites who hold on to their sin (and its punishment) even while they hope for divine intervention.
124 tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
125 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
126 tn Heb “draw near” (so NASB); NRSV “hasten to fulfillment.”
127 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. 8.
128 sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.
130 tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.
131 tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”
133 tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.
134 tn Heb “Woe [to]….” See the note at v. 8.
136 tn Heb “and the just cause of the innocent ones they turn aside from him.”
139 tn Heb “a tongue of fire” (so NASB), referring to a tongue-shaped flame.
140 sn They are compared to a flowering plant that withers quickly in a hot, arid climate.
141 tn Heb “the word.”
142 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
142 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord rages.”
143 tn Or “extends”; KJV, ASV “he hath stretched forth.”
144 tn Or “garbage” (NCV, CEV, NLT); NAB, NASB, NIV “refuse.”
145 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
145 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.
146 tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.
148 tn Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”
151 tn Heb “bent” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “are strung.”
152 tn Heb “regarded like flint.”
153 sn They are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way they kick up dust.
154 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
155 tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
156 tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”
157 tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”