Isaiah 41:22-23

41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!

Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, ¹ 

so we may examine them ²  and see how they were fulfilled. ³ 

Or decree for us some future events!

41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, ⁴ 

so we might know you are gods.

Yes, do something good or bad,

so we might be frightened and in awe. ⁵ 

Isaiah 43:9

43:9 All nations gather together,

the peoples assemble.

Who among them announced this?

Who predicted earlier events for us? ⁶ 

Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;

let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’

Isaiah 44:7-8

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

Let him announce it and explain it to me –

since I established an ancient people – ⁸ 

let them announce future events! ⁹ 

44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! ¹⁰ 

Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?

You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?

There is no other sheltering rock; ¹¹  I know of none.

Isaiah 46:9-10

46:9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! ¹² 

Truly I am God, I have no peer; ¹³ 

I am God, and there is none like me,

46:10 who announces the end from the beginning

and reveals beforehand ¹⁴  what has not yet occurred,

who says, ‘My plan will be realized,

I will accomplish what I desire,’

Isaiah 48:3

48:3 “I announced events beforehand, ¹⁵ 

I issued the decrees and made the predictions; ¹⁶ 

suddenly I acted and they came to pass.

Isaiah 48:14

48:14 All of you, gather together and listen!

Who among them ¹⁷  announced these things?

The Lord’s ally ¹⁸  will carry out his desire against Babylon;

he will exert his power against the Babylonians. ¹⁹ 

[41:22]  ¹ tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”

[41:22]  ² tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”

[41:22]  ³ tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”

[41:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”

[41:23]  ⁵ tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).

[43:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”

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

[44:7]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”

[44:8]  ¹⁰ tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a.

[44:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”

[46:9]  ¹² tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”

[46:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[46:10]  ¹⁴ tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”

[48:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the former things beforehand I declared.”

[48:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and from my mouth they came forth and I caused them to be heard.”

[48:14]  ¹⁷ sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).

[48:14]  ¹⁸ tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.”

[48:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”