Isaiah 1:26

1:26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,

wise advisers as in earlier days. ¹ 

Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,

Faithful Town.’”

Isaiah 22:2

22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;

the town is filled with revelry. ² 

Your slain were not cut down by the sword;

they did not die in battle. ³ 

Isaiah 25:2

25:2 Indeed, ⁴  you have made the city ⁵  into a heap of rubble,

the fortified town into a heap of ruins;

the fortress of foreigners ⁶  is no longer a city,

it will never be rebuilt.

Isaiah 26:5

26:5 Indeed, ⁷  the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,

he brings down an elevated town;

he brings it down to the ground, ⁸ 

he throws it down to the dust.

Isaiah 32:13

32:13 Mourn ⁹  over the land of my people,

which is overgrown with thorns and briers,

and over all the once-happy houses ¹⁰ 

in the city filled with revelry. ¹¹ 

[1:26]  ¹ tn Heb “I will restore your judges as in the beginning; and your counselors as in the beginning.” In this context, where social injustice and legal corruption are denounced (see v. 23), the “judges” are probably government officials responsible for making legal decisions, while the “advisers” are probably officials who helped the king establish policies. Both offices are also mentioned in 3:2.

[22:2]  ² tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.

[22:2]  ³ sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:409.

[25:2]  ³ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[25:2]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem (מ) on עִיר (’ir, “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.

[25:2]  ⁵ tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).

[26:5]  ⁴ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[26:5]  ⁵ tn The translation assumes that יַשְׁפִּילֶנָּה (yashpilennah) goes with the preceding words “an elevated town,” and that יַשְׁפִּילָהּ (yashpilah) belongs with the following words, “to the ground.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:469, n. 7.

[32:13]  ⁵ tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.

[32:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.

[32:13]  ⁷ sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.