Isaiah 41:17

41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;

their tongues are parched from thirst.

I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; ¹ 

I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

Isaiah 50:2

50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?

Why does no one respond when I call? ² 

Is my hand too weak ³  to deliver ⁴  you?

Do I lack the power to rescue you?

Look, with a mere shout ⁵  I can dry up the sea;

I can turn streams into a desert,

so the fish rot away and die

from lack of water. ⁶ 

[41:17]  ¹ tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[50:2]  ² sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.

[50:2]  ³ tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ⁴ tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “with my rebuke.”

[50:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”