Isaiah 13:12

13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,

and people more scarce ¹  than gold from Ophir.

Isaiah 45:12

45:12 I made the earth,

I created the people who live ²  on it.

It was me – my hands ³  stretched out the sky, ⁴ 

I give orders to all the heavenly lights. ⁵ 

[13:12]  ¹ tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.

[45:12]  ² tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[45:12]  ³ tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.

[45:12]  ⁴ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[45:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.