Isaiah 31:4

The Lord Will Defend Zion

31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:

“The Lord will be like a growling lion,

like a young lion growling over its prey. ¹ 

Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,

it is not afraid of their shouts

or intimidated by their yelling. ² 

In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. ³ 

Isaiah 47:8

47:8 So now, listen to this,

O one who lives so lavishly, ⁴ 

who lives securely,

who says to herself, ⁵ 

‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! ⁶ 

I will never have to live as a widow;

I will never lose my children.’ ⁷ 

Isaiah 66:5

66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,

you who respect what he has to say! ⁸ 

Your countrymen, ⁹  who hate you

and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,

say, “May the Lord be glorified,

then we will witness your joy.” ¹⁰ 

But they will be put to shame.

[31:4]  ¹ tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ² tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”

[31:4]  ³ tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.

[47:8]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”

[47:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”

[47:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.

[47:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”

[66:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”

[66:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”

[66:5]  ⁹ tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.