Isaiah 5:19

5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, ¹ 

so we can see;

let the plan of the Holy One of Israel ²  take shape ³  and come to pass,

then we will know it!”

Isaiah 41:22-23

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

Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, ⁴ 

so we may examine them ⁵  and see how they were fulfilled. ⁶ 

Or decree for us some future events!

41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, ⁷ 

so we might know you are gods.

Yes, do something good or bad,

so we might be frightened and in awe. ⁸ 

Isaiah 41:26

41:26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?

Who announced it ⁹  ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?

Indeed, none of them decreed it!

Indeed, none of them announced it!

Indeed, no one heard you say anything!

[5:19]  ¹ tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.

[5:19]  ² sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[5:19]  ³ tn Heb “draw near” (so NASB); NRSV “hasten to fulfillment.”

[41:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”

[41:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”

[41:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”

[41:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”

[41:23]  ⁸ tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).

[41:26]  ¹⁰ tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).