Isaiah 3:9

3:9 The look on their faces ¹  testifies to their guilt; ² 

like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. ³ 

Too bad for them! ⁴ 

For they bring disaster on themselves.

Isaiah 7:16

7:16 Here is why this will be so: ⁵  Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land ⁶  whose two kings you fear will be desolate. ⁷ 

Isaiah 13:11

13:11 ⁸ I will punish the world for its evil, ⁹ 

and wicked people for their sin.

I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,

I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ¹¹  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ¹² 

He will attack the wicked nation, ¹³ 

and the nation that helps ¹⁴  those who commit sin. ¹⁵ 

Isaiah 32:7

32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; ¹⁶ 

he dreams up evil plans ¹⁷ 

to ruin the poor with lies,

even when the needy are in the right. ¹⁸ 

Isaiah 45:7

45:7 I am ¹⁹  the one who forms light

and creates darkness; ²⁰ 

the one who brings about peace

and creates calamity. ²¹ 

I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.

Isaiah 47:10-11

47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; ²² 

you thought, ²³  ‘No one sees me.’

Your self-professed ²⁴  wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,

when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ ²⁵ 

47:11 Disaster will overtake you;

you will not know how to charm it away. ²⁶ 

Destruction will fall on you;

you will not be able to appease it.

Calamity will strike you suddenly,

before you recognize it. ²⁷ 

Isaiah 56:2

56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, ²⁸ 

the people who commit themselves to obedience, ²⁹ 

who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,

who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. ³⁰ 

Isaiah 57:1

57:1 The godly ³¹  perish,

but no one cares. ³² 

Honest people disappear, ³³ 

when no one ³⁴  minds ³⁵ 

that the godly ³⁶  disappear ³⁷  because of ³⁸  evil. ³⁹ 

Isaiah 59:7

59:7 They are eager to do evil, ⁴⁰ 

quick to shed innocent blood. ⁴¹ 

Their thoughts are sinful;

they crush and destroy. ⁴² 

Isaiah 59:15

59:15 Honesty has disappeared;

the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.

The Lord watches and is displeased, ⁴³ 

for there is no justice.

[3:9]  ¹ sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.

[3:9]  ² tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”

[3:9]  ³ tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”

[3:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “woe to their soul.”

[7:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “for, because.” The particle introduces the entire following context (vv. 16-25), which explains why Immanuel will be an appropriate name for the child, why he will eat sour milk and honey, and why experiencing such a diet will contribute to his moral development.

[7:16]  ⁶ sn Since “two kings” are referred to later in the verse, the “land” must here refer to Syria-Israel.

[7:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “the land will be abandoned, which you fear because of its two kings.” After the verb קוּץ (quts, “loathe, dread”) the phrase מִפְּנֵי (mipney, “from before”) introduces the cause of loathing/dread (see Gen 27:46; Exod 1:12; Num 22:3).

[13:11]  ⁹ sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.

[13:11]  ¹⁰ tn Or “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew רָעָה (ra’ah) could refer to the judgment (i.e., disaster, calamity) or to the evil that prompts it. The structure of the parallel line favors the latter interpretation.

[13:11]  ¹¹ tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”

[31:2]  ¹³ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ¹⁶ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[32:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”

[32:7]  ¹⁸ tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”

[32:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”

[45:7]  ²¹ tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.

[45:7]  ²² tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”

[45:7]  ²³ sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).

[47:10]  ²⁵ tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”

[47:10]  ²⁶ tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”

[47:10]  ²⁷ tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[47:10]  ²⁸ tn See the note at v. 8.

[47:11]  ²⁹ tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.

[47:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”

[56:2]  ³³ tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”

[56:2]  ³⁴ tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”

[56:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

[57:1]  ³⁷ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”

[57:1]  ³⁸ tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”

[57:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.

[57:1]  ⁴¹ tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:1]  ⁴² tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”

[57:1]  ⁴³ tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ⁴⁴ tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).

[57:1]  ⁴⁵ tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.

[59:7]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

[59:7]  ⁴² tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

[59:7]  ⁴³ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

[59:15]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”