Isaiah 3:12

3:12 Oppressors treat my ¹  people cruelly;

creditors rule over them. ² 

My people’s leaders mislead them;

they give you confusing directions. ³ 

Isaiah 8:4

8:4 for before the child knows how to cry out, ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria ⁴  will be carried off by the king of Assyria.” ⁵ 

Isaiah 19:3

19:3 The Egyptians will panic, ⁶ 

and I will confuse their strategy. ⁷ 

They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,

from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. ⁸ 

Isaiah 40:2

40:2 “Speak kindly to ⁹  Jerusalem, ¹⁰  and tell her

that her time of warfare is over, ¹¹ 

that her punishment is completed. ¹² 

For the Lord has made her pay double ¹³  for all her sins.”

Isaiah 43:1

The Lord Will Rescue His People

43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,

the one who created you, O Jacob,

and formed you, O Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect ¹⁴  you.

I call you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 44:7

44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! ¹⁵ 

Let him announce it and explain it to me –

since I established an ancient people – ¹⁶ 

let them announce future events! ¹⁷ 

Isaiah 45:19

45:19 I have not spoken in secret,

in some hidden place. ¹⁸ 

I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,

‘Seek me in vain!’ ¹⁹ 

I am the Lord,

the one who speaks honestly,

who makes reliable announcements. ²⁰ 

Isaiah 46:11

46:11 who summons an eagle ²¹  from the east,

from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.

Yes, I have decreed, ²² 

yes, I will bring it to pass;

I have formulated a plan,

yes, I will carry it out.

Isaiah 47:12

47:12 Persist ²³  in trusting ²⁴  your amulets

and your many incantations,

which you have faithfully recited ²⁵  since your youth!

Maybe you will be successful ²⁶  –

maybe you will scare away disaster. ²⁷ 

[3:12]  ¹ sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.

[3:12]  ² 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.)

[3:12]  ³ 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).

[8:4]  ⁴ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[8:4]  ⁵ sn The child’s name foreshadows what will happen to Judah’s enemies; when their defeat takes place, the child will be a reminder that God predicted the event and brought it to pass. As such the child will be a reminder of God’s protective presence with his people.

[19:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”

[19:3]  ⁸ tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.

[19:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.

[40:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.

[40:2]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[40:2]  ¹² tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.

[40:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”

[40:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).

[43:1]  ¹³ tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”

[44:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”

[44:7]  ¹⁷ tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.

[44:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”

[45:19]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”

[45:19]  ²⁰ tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”

[45:19]  ²¹ tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”

[46:11]  ²² tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).

[46:11]  ²³ tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”

[47:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”

[47:12]  ²⁶ tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.

[47:12]  ²⁷ tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”

[47:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”

[47:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.