Isaiah 19:25

19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, ¹  “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, ²  Israel!”

Isaiah 65:16

65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth ³ 

will do so in the name of the faithful God; ⁴ 

whoever makes an oath in the earth

will do so in the name of the faithful God. ⁵ 

For past problems will be forgotten;

I will no longer think about them. ⁶ 

Isaiah 51:2

51:2 Look at Abraham, your father,

and Sarah, who gave you birth. ⁷ 

When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, ⁸ 

but I blessed him ⁹  and gave him numerous descendants. ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 61:9

61:9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,

their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will recognize that

the Lord has blessed them.” ¹¹ 

Isaiah 65:23

65:23 They will not work in vain,

or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹² 

For the Lord will bless their children

and their descendants. ¹³ 

Isaiah 66:3

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; ¹⁴ 

the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; ¹⁵ 

the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; ¹⁶ 

the one who offers incense also praises an idol. ¹⁷ 

They have decided to behave this way; ¹⁸ 

they enjoy these disgusting practices. ¹⁹ 

[19:25]  ¹ tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.

[19:25]  ² tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

[65:16]  ³ tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.

[65:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”

[51:2]  ⁵ sn Although Abraham and Sarah are distant ancestors of the people the prophet is addressing, they are spoken of as the immediate parents.

[51:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “one”; NLT “was alone”; TEV “was childless.”

[51:2]  ⁷ tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28.

[51:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”

[61:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”

[65:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”

[65:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”

[66:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

[66:3]  ¹² tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

[66:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

[66:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

[66:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

[66:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”