Isaiah 55:8-9

55:8 “Indeed, ¹  my plans ²  are not like ³  your plans,

and my deeds ⁴  are not like ⁵  your deeds,

55:9 for just as the sky ⁶  is higher than the earth,

so my deeds ⁷  are superior to ⁸  your deeds

and my plans ⁹  superior to your plans.

Isaiah 59:7

59:7 They are eager to do evil, ¹⁰ 

quick to shed innocent blood. ¹¹ 

Their thoughts are sinful;

they crush and destroy. ¹² 

Isaiah 55:7

55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle ¹³ 

and sinful people their plans. ¹⁴ 

They should return ¹⁵  to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, ¹⁶ 

and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. ¹⁷ 

Isaiah 65:2

65:2 I spread out my hands all day long

to my rebellious people,

who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,

and who did what they desired. ¹⁸ 

Isaiah 66:18

66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming ¹⁹  to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; ²⁰  they will come and witness my splendor.

[55:8]  ¹ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).

[55:8]  ² tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).

[55:8]  ³ tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.

[55:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).

[55:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.

[55:9]  ⁶ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[55:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).

[55:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “are higher than.”

[55:9]  ⁹ tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).

[59:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

[59:7]  ¹² tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

[59:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

[55:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”

[55:7]  ¹⁹ tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.

[55:7]  ²⁰ sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.

[65:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”

[66:18]  ²⁶ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[66:18]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”