Isaiah 56:1--66:24

The Lord Invites Outsiders to Enter

56:1 This is what the Lord says,

“Promote ¹  justice! Do what is right!

For I am ready to deliver you;

I am ready to vindicate you openly. ² 

56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, ³ 

the people who commit themselves to obedience, ⁴ 

who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,

who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. ⁵ 

56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of ⁶  the Lord should say,

‘The Lord will certainly ⁷  exclude me from his people.’

The eunuch should not say,

‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”

56:4 For this is what the Lord says:

“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths

and choose what pleases me

and are faithful to ⁸  my covenant,

56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument ⁹ 

that will be better than sons and daughters.

I will set up a permanent monument ¹⁰  for them that will remain.

56:6 As for foreigners who become followers of ¹¹  the Lord and serve him,

who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants –

all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,

and who are faithful to ¹²  my covenant –

56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;

I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. ¹³ 

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,

for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” ¹⁴ 

56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,

the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:

“I will still gather them up.” ¹⁵ 

The Lord Denounces Israel’s Paganism

56:9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,

all you wild animals in the forest!

56:10 All their watchmen ¹⁶  are blind,

they are unaware. ¹⁷ 

All of them are like mute dogs,

unable to bark.

They pant, ¹⁸  lie down,

and love to snooze.

56:11 The dogs have big appetites;

they are never full. ¹⁹ 

They are shepherds who have no understanding;

they all go their own way,

each one looking for monetary gain. ²⁰ 

56:12 Each one says, ²¹ 

‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!

Let’s guzzle some beer!

Tomorrow will be just like today!

We’ll have everything we want!’ ²² 

57:1 The godly ²³  perish,

but no one cares. ²⁴ 

Honest people disappear, ²⁵ 

when no one ²⁶  minds ²⁷ 

that the godly ²⁸  disappear ²⁹  because of ³⁰  evil. ³¹ 

57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;

they rest on their beds. ³² 

57:3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,

you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! ³³ 

57:4 At whom are you laughing?

At whom are you opening your mouth

and sticking out your tongue?

You are the children of rebels,

the offspring of liars, ³⁴ 

57:5 you who practice ritual sex ³⁵  under the oaks and every green tree,

who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. ³⁶ 

57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;

they, they are the object of your devotion. ³⁷ 

You pour out liquid offerings to them,

you make an offering.

Because of these things I will seek vengeance. ³⁸ 

57:7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;

you go up there to offer sacrifices.

57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. ³⁹ 

Indeed, ⁴⁰  you depart from me ⁴¹  and go up

and invite them into bed with you. ⁴² 

You purchase favors from them, ⁴³ 

you love their bed,

and gaze longingly ⁴⁴  on their genitals. ⁴⁵ 

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute ⁴⁶  to your king, ⁴⁷ 

along with many perfumes. ⁴⁸ 

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol. ⁴⁹ 

57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, ⁵⁰ 

but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ ⁵¹ 

You get renewed energy, ⁵² 

so you don’t collapse. ⁵³ 

57:11 Whom are you worried about?

Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully

and not remember me

or think about me? ⁵⁴ 

Because I have been silent for so long, ⁵⁵ 

you are not afraid of me. ⁵⁶ 

57:12 I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds, ⁵⁷ 

but they will not help you.

57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols ⁵⁸  help you!

The wind blows them all away, ⁵⁹ 

a breeze carries them away. ⁶⁰ 

But the one who looks to me for help ⁶¹  will inherit the land

and will have access to ⁶²  my holy mountain.”

57:14 He says, ⁶³ 

“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!

Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”

57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,

the one who rules ⁶⁴  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ⁶⁵ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ⁶⁶ 

57:16 For I will not be hostile ⁶⁷  forever

or perpetually angry,

for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, ⁶⁸ 

the life-giving breath I created.

57:17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;

I attacked them and angrily rejected them, ⁶⁹ 

yet they remained disobedient and stubborn. ⁷⁰ 

57:18 I have seen their behavior, ⁷¹ 

but I will heal them and give them rest,

and I will once again console those who mourn. ⁷² 

57:19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate. ⁷³ 

Complete prosperity ⁷⁴  is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”

says the Lord, “and I will heal them.

57:20 But the wicked are like a surging sea

that is unable to be quiet;

its waves toss up mud and sand.

57:21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

The Lord Desires Genuine Devotion

58:1 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!

Yell as loud as a trumpet!

Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; ⁷⁵ 

confront Jacob’s family with their sin! ⁷⁶ 

58:2 They seek me day after day;

they want to know my requirements, ⁷⁷ 

like a nation that does what is right

and does not reject the law of their God.

They ask me for just decrees;

they want to be near God.

58:3 They lament, ⁷⁸  ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?

Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’

Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, ⁷⁹ 

you oppress your workers. ⁸⁰ 

58:4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by ⁸¹  arguments, brawls,

and fistfights. ⁸² 

Do not fast as you do today,

trying to make your voice heard in heaven.

58:5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want? ⁸³ 

Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, ⁸⁴ 

bowing their heads like a reed

and stretching out ⁸⁵  on sackcloth and ashes?

Is this really what you call a fast,

a day that is pleasing to the Lord?

58:6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. ⁸⁶ 

I want you ⁸⁷  to remove the sinful chains,

to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,

to set free the oppressed, ⁸⁸ 

and to break every burdensome yoke.

58:7 I want you ⁸⁹  to share your food with the hungry

and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. ⁹⁰ 

When you see someone naked, clothe him!

Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! ⁹¹ 

58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; ⁹² 

your restoration will quickly arrive; ⁹³ 

your godly behavior ⁹⁴  will go before you,

and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. ⁹⁵ 

58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;

you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’

You must ⁹⁶  remove the burdensome yoke from among you

and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.

58:10 You must ⁹⁷  actively help the hungry

and feed the oppressed. ⁹⁸ 

Then your light will dispel the darkness, ⁹⁹ 

and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. ¹⁰⁰ 

58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;

he will feed you even in parched regions. ¹⁰¹ 

He will give you renewed strength, ¹⁰² 

and you will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring that continually produces water.

58:12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; ¹⁰³ 

you will reestablish the ancient foundations.

You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls,

the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’ ¹⁰⁴ 

58:13 You must ¹⁰⁵  observe the Sabbath ¹⁰⁶ 

rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. ¹⁰⁷ 

You must look forward to the Sabbath ¹⁰⁸ 

and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. ¹⁰⁹ 

You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,

and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. ¹¹⁰ 

58:14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord, ¹¹¹ 

and I will give you great prosperity, ¹¹² 

and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” ¹¹³ 

Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. ¹¹⁴ 

Injustice Brings Alienation from God

59:1 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak ¹¹⁵  to deliver you;

his ear is not too deaf to hear you. ¹¹⁶ 

59:2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;

your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. ¹¹⁷ 

59:3 For your hands are stained with blood

and your fingers with sin;

your lips speak lies,

your tongue utters malicious words.

59:4 No one is concerned about justice; ¹¹⁸ 

no one sets forth his case truthfully.

They depend on false words ¹¹⁹  and tell lies;

they conceive of oppression ¹²⁰ 

and give birth to sin.

59:5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

a poisonous snake is hatched. ¹²¹ 

59:6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.

Their deeds are sinful;

they commit violent crimes. ¹²² 

59:7 They are eager to do evil, ¹²³ 

quick to shed innocent blood. ¹²⁴ 

Their thoughts are sinful;

they crush and destroy. ¹²⁵ 

59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace;

their deeds are unjust. ¹²⁶ 

They use deceitful methods,

and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace. ¹²⁷ 

Israel Confesses its Sin

59:9 For this reason deliverance ¹²⁸  is far from us ¹²⁹ 

and salvation does not reach us.

We wait for light, ¹³⁰  but see only darkness; ¹³¹ 

we wait for ¹³²  a bright light, ¹³³  but live ¹³⁴  in deep darkness. ¹³⁵ 

59:10 We grope along the wall like the blind,

we grope like those who cannot see; ¹³⁶ 

we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.

Though others are strong, we are like dead men. ¹³⁷ 

59:11 We all growl like bears,

we coo mournfully like doves;

we wait for deliverance, ¹³⁸  but there is none,

for salvation, but it is far from us.

59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, ¹³⁹ 

and our sins testify against us;

indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;

we know our sins all too well. ¹⁴⁰ 

59:13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;

we turned back from following our God.

We stir up ¹⁴¹  oppression and rebellion;

we tell lies we concocted in our minds. ¹⁴² 

59:14 Justice is driven back;

godliness ¹⁴³  stands far off.

Indeed, ¹⁴⁴  honesty stumbles in the city square

and morality is not even able to enter.

59:15 Honesty has disappeared;

the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.

The Lord watches and is displeased, ¹⁴⁵ 

for there is no justice.

The Lord Intervenes

59:16 He sees there is no advocate; ¹⁴⁶ 

he is shocked ¹⁴⁷  that no one intervenes.

So he takes matters into his own hands; ¹⁴⁸ 

his desire for justice drives him on. ¹⁴⁹ 

59:17 He wears his desire for justice ¹⁵⁰  like body armor, ¹⁵¹ 

and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. ¹⁵² 

He puts on the garments of vengeance ¹⁵³ 

and wears zeal like a robe.

59:18 He repays them for what they have done,

dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries

and punishing his enemies. ¹⁵⁴ 

He repays the coastlands. ¹⁵⁵ 

59:19 In the west, people respect ¹⁵⁶  the Lord’s reputation; ¹⁵⁷ 

in the east they recognize his splendor. ¹⁵⁸ 

For he comes like a rushing ¹⁵⁹  stream

driven on by wind sent from the Lord. ¹⁶⁰ 

59:20 “A protector ¹⁶¹  comes to Zion,

to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” ¹⁶²  says the Lord.

59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to ¹⁶³  them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” ¹⁶⁴  says the Lord.

Zion’s Future Splendor

60:1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!

The splendor ¹⁶⁵  of the Lord shines on you!

60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth

and deep darkness covers ¹⁶⁶  the nations,

but the Lord shines on you;

his splendor ¹⁶⁷  appears over you.

60:3 Nations come to your light,

kings to your bright light.

60:4 Look all around you! ¹⁶⁸ 

They all gather and come to you –

your sons come from far away

and your daughters are escorted by guardians.

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ¹⁶⁹ 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ¹⁷⁰ 

For the riches of distant lands ¹⁷¹  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

60:6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, ¹⁷² 

young camels from Midian and Ephah.

All the merchants of Sheba ¹⁷³  will come,

bringing gold and incense

and singing praises to the Lord. ¹⁷⁴ 

60:7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. ¹⁷⁵ 

They will go up on my altar acceptably, ¹⁷⁶ 

and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.

60:8 Who are these who float along ¹⁷⁷  like a cloud,

who fly like doves to their shelters? ¹⁷⁸ 

60:9 Indeed, the coastlands ¹⁷⁹  look eagerly for me,

the large ships ¹⁸⁰  are in the lead,

bringing your sons from far away,

along with their silver and gold,

to honor the Lord your God, ¹⁸¹ 

the Holy One of Israel, ¹⁸²  for he has bestowed honor on you.

60:10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls;

their kings will serve you.

Even though I struck you down in my anger,

I will restore my favor and have compassion on you. ¹⁸³ 

60:11 Your gates will remain open at all times;

they will not be shut during the day or at night,

so that the wealth of nations may be delivered,

with their kings leading the way. ¹⁸⁴ 

60:12 Indeed, ¹⁸⁵  nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish;

such nations will be totally destroyed. ¹⁸⁶ 

60:13 The splendor of Lebanon will come to you,

its evergreens, firs, and cypresses together,

to beautify my palace; ¹⁸⁷ 

I will bestow honor on my throne room. ¹⁸⁸ 

60:14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you;

all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet.

They will call you, ‘The City of the Lord,

Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’ ¹⁸⁹ 

60:15 You were once abandoned

and despised, with no one passing through,

but I will make you ¹⁹⁰  a permanent source of pride

and joy to coming generations.

60:16 You will drink the milk of nations;

you will nurse at the breasts of kings. ¹⁹¹ 

Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,

your protector, ¹⁹²  the powerful ruler of Jacob. ¹⁹³ 

60:17 Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold,

instead of iron, I will bring you silver,

instead of wood, I will bring you ¹⁹⁴  bronze,

instead of stones, I will bring you ¹⁹⁵  iron.

I will make prosperity ¹⁹⁶  your overseer,

and vindication your sovereign ruler. ¹⁹⁷ 

60:18 Sounds of violence ¹⁹⁸  will no longer be heard in your land,

or the sounds of ¹⁹⁹  destruction and devastation within your borders.

You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance,’

and your gates, ‘Praise.’

60:19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day,

nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you;

the Lord will be your permanent source of light –

the splendor of your God will shine upon you. ²⁰⁰ 

60:20 Your sun will no longer set;

your moon will not disappear; ²⁰¹ 

the Lord will be your permanent source of light;

your time ²⁰²  of sorrow will be over.

60:21 All of your people will be godly; ²⁰³ 

they will possess the land permanently.

I will plant them like a shoot;

they will be the product of my labor,

through whom I reveal my splendor. ²⁰⁴ 

60:22 The least of you will multiply into ²⁰⁵  a thousand;

the smallest of you will become a large nation.

When the right time comes, I the Lord will quickly do this!” ²⁰⁶ 

The Lord Will Rejuvenate His People

61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has chosen ²⁰⁷  me. ²⁰⁸ 

He has commissioned ²⁰⁹  me to encourage ²¹⁰  the poor,

to help ²¹¹  the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,

the day when our God will seek vengeance, ²¹² 

to console all who mourn,

61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,

by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,

oil symbolizing joy, ²¹³  instead of mourning,

a garment symbolizing praise, ²¹⁴  instead of discouragement. ²¹⁵ 

They will be called oaks of righteousness, ²¹⁶ 

trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. ²¹⁷ 

61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins

and restore the places that were desolate; ²¹⁸ 

they will reestablish the ruined cities,

the places that have been desolate since ancient times.

61:5 ²¹⁹ “Foreigners will take care of ²²⁰  your sheep;

foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.

61:6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,

servants of our God.’ ²²¹ 

You will enjoy ²²²  the wealth of nations

and boast about ²²³  the riches you receive from them. ²²⁴ 

61:7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion; ²²⁵ 

instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive. ²²⁶ 

Yes, ²²⁷  they will possess a double portion in their land

and experience lasting joy.

61:8 For I, the Lord, love justice

and hate robbery and sin.

I will repay them because of my faithfulness; ²²⁸ 

I will make a permanent covenant with them.

61:9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,

their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will recognize that

the Lord has blessed them.” ²²⁹ 

61:10 I ²³⁰  will greatly rejoice ²³¹  in the Lord;

I will be overjoyed because of my God. ²³² 

For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;

he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. ²³³ 

I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;

I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. ²³⁴ 

61:11 For just as the ground produces its crops

and a garden yields its produce,

so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance ²³⁵  to grow,

and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations. ²³⁶ 

The Lord Takes Delight in Zion

62:1 “For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;

for the sake of Jerusalem ²³⁷  I will not be quiet,

until her vindication shines brightly ²³⁸ 

and her deliverance burns like a torch.”

62:2 Nations will see your vindication,

and all kings your splendor.

You will be called by a new name

that the Lord himself will give you. ²³⁹ 

62:3 You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the Lord,

a royal turban in the hand of your God.

62:4 You will no longer be called, “Abandoned,”

and your land will no longer be called “Desolate.”

Indeed, ²⁴⁰  you will be called “My Delight is in Her,” ²⁴¹ 

and your land “Married.” ²⁴² 

For the Lord will take delight in you,

and your land will be married to him. ²⁴³ 

62:5 As a young man marries a young woman,

so your sons ²⁴⁴  will marry you.

As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride,

so your God will rejoice over you.

62:6 I ²⁴⁵  post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;

they should keep praying all day and all night. ²⁴⁶ 

You who pray to ²⁴⁷  the Lord, don’t be silent!

62:7 Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem, ²⁴⁸ 

until he makes Jerusalem the pride ²⁴⁹  of the earth.

62:8 The Lord swears an oath by his right hand,

by his strong arm: ²⁵⁰ 

“I will never again give your grain

to your enemies as food,

and foreigners will not drink your wine,

which you worked hard to produce.

62:9 But those who harvest the grain ²⁵¹  will eat it,

and will praise the Lord.

Those who pick the grapes will drink the wine ²⁵² 

in the courts of my holy sanctuary.”

62:10 Come through! Come through the gates!

Prepare the way for the people!

Build it! Build the roadway!

Remove the stones!

Lift a signal flag for the nations!

62:11 Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth: ²⁵³ 

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘Look, your deliverer comes!

Look, his reward is with him

and his reward goes before him!’” ²⁵⁴ 

62:12 They will be called, “The Holy People,

the Ones Protected ²⁵⁵  by the Lord.”

You will be called, “Sought After,

City Not Abandoned.”

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ²⁵⁶ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ²⁵⁷ 

Who ²⁵⁸  is this one wearing royal attire, ²⁵⁹ 

who marches confidently ²⁶⁰  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ²⁶¹ 

63:2 Why are your clothes red?

Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? ²⁶² 

63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;

no one from the nations joined me.

I stomped on them ²⁶³  in my anger;

I trampled them down in my rage.

Their juice splashed on my garments,

and stained ²⁶⁴  all my clothes.

63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,

and then payback time arrived. ²⁶⁵ 

63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;

I was shocked because there was no one offering support. ²⁶⁶ 

So my right arm accomplished deliverance;

my raging anger drove me on. ²⁶⁷ 

63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,

I made them drunk ²⁶⁸  in my rage,

I splashed their blood on the ground.” ²⁶⁹ 

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,

of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.

I will tell about all ²⁷⁰  the Lord did for us,

the many good things he did for the family of Israel, ²⁷¹ 

because of ²⁷²  his compassion and great faithfulness.

63:8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,

children who are not disloyal.” ²⁷³ 

He became their deliverer.

63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. ²⁷⁴ 

The messenger sent from his very presence ²⁷⁵  delivered them.

In his love and mercy he protected ²⁷⁶  them;

he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. ²⁷⁷ 

63:10 But they rebelled and offended ²⁷⁸  his holy Spirit, ²⁷⁹ 

so he turned into an enemy

and fought against them.

63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. ²⁸⁰ 

Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,

along with the shepherd of ²⁸¹  his flock?

Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, ²⁸² 

63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, ²⁸³ 

who divided the water before them,

gaining for himself a lasting reputation, ²⁸⁴ 

63:13 who led them through the deep water?

Like a horse running on flat land ²⁸⁵  they did not stumble.

63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, ²⁸⁶ 

so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.

In this way ²⁸⁷  you guided your people,

gaining for yourself an honored reputation. ²⁸⁸ 

63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,

from your holy, majestic palace!

Where are your zeal ²⁸⁹  and power?

Do not hold back your tender compassion! ²⁹⁰ 

63:16 For you are our father,

though Abraham does not know us

and Israel does not recognize us.

You, Lord, are our father;

you have been called our protector from ancient times. ²⁹¹ 

63:17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray ²⁹²  from your ways, ²⁹³ 

and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? ²⁹⁴ 

Return for the sake of your servants,

the tribes of your inheritance!

63:18 For a short time your special ²⁹⁵  nation possessed a land, ²⁹⁶ 

but then our adversaries knocked down ²⁹⁷  your holy sanctuary.

63:19 We existed from ancient times, ²⁹⁸ 

but you did not rule over them,

they were not your subjects. ²⁹⁹ 

64:1 (63:19b) ³⁰⁰  If only you would tear apart the sky ³⁰¹  and come down!

The mountains would tremble ³⁰²  before you!

64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,

or fire makes water boil,

let your adversaries know who you are, ³⁰³ 

and may the nations shake at your presence!

64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, ³⁰⁴ 

you came down, and the mountains trembled ³⁰⁵  before you.

64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, ³⁰⁶ 

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who intervenes for those who wait for him.

64:5 You assist ³⁰⁷  those who delight in doing what is right, ³⁰⁸ 

who observe your commandments. ³⁰⁹ 

Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.

How then can we be saved? ³¹⁰ 

64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,

all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. ³¹¹ 

We all wither like a leaf;

our sins carry us away like the wind.

64:7 No one invokes ³¹²  your name,

or makes an effort ³¹³  to take hold of you.

For you have rejected us ³¹⁴ 

and handed us over to our own sins. ³¹⁵ 

64:8 Yet, ³¹⁶  Lord, you are our father.

We are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the product of your labor. ³¹⁷ 

64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!

Do not hold our sins against us continually! ³¹⁸ 

Take a good look at your people, at all of us! ³¹⁹ 

64:10 Your chosen ³²⁰  cities have become a desert;

Zion has become a desert,

Jerusalem ³²¹  is a desolate ruin.

64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, ³²² 

the place where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire;

all our prized possessions have been destroyed. ³²³ 

64:12 In light of all this, ³²⁴  how can you still hold back, Lord?

How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

The Lord Will Distinguish Between Sinners and the Godly

65:1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; ³²⁵ 

I appeared to those who did not look for me. ³²⁶ 

I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’

to a nation that did not invoke ³²⁷  my name.

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. ³²⁸ 

65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me ³²⁹ 

as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards ³³⁰ 

and burn incense on brick altars. ³³¹ 

65:4 They sit among the tombs ³³² 

and keep watch all night long. ³³³ 

They eat pork, ³³⁴ 

and broth ³³⁵  from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.

65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!

Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’

These people are like smoke in my nostrils,

like a fire that keeps burning all day long.

65:6 Look, I have decreed: ³³⁶ 

I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;

I will pay them back exactly what they deserve, ³³⁷ 

65:7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” ³³⁸  says the Lord.

“Because they burned incense on the mountains

and offended ³³⁹  me on the hills,

I will punish them in full measure.” ³⁴⁰ 

65:8 This is what the Lord says:

“When ³⁴¹  juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,

someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ ³⁴² 

So I will do for the sake of my servants –

I will not destroy everyone. ³⁴³ 

65:9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,

and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.

My chosen ones will take possession of the land; ³⁴⁴ 

my servants will live there.

65:10 Sharon ³⁴⁵  will become a pasture for sheep,

and the Valley of Achor ³⁴⁶  a place where cattle graze; ³⁴⁷ 

they will belong to my people, who seek me. ³⁴⁸ 

65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord

and forget about worshiping at ³⁴⁹  my holy mountain,

who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ ³⁵⁰ 

and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ ³⁵¹  –

65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, ³⁵² 

all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, ³⁵³ 

because I called to you, and you did not respond,

I spoke and you did not listen.

You did evil before me; ³⁵⁴ 

you chose to do what displeases me.”

65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:

“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!

Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!

Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!

65:14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts! ³⁵⁵ 

But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; ³⁵⁶ 

you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. ³⁵⁷ 

65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. ³⁵⁸ 

The sovereign Lord will kill you,

but he will give his servants another name.

65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth ³⁵⁹ 

will do so in the name of the faithful God; ³⁶⁰ 

whoever makes an oath in the earth

will do so in the name of the faithful God. ³⁶¹ 

For past problems will be forgotten;

I will no longer think about them. ³⁶² 

65:17 For look, I am ready to create

new heavens and a new earth! ³⁶³ 

The former ones ³⁶⁴  will not be remembered;

no one will think about them anymore. ³⁶⁵ 

65:18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore

over what I am about to create!

For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem ³⁶⁶  to be a source of joy, ³⁶⁷ 

and her people to be a source of happiness. ³⁶⁸ 

65:19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,

and my people will bring me happiness. ³⁶⁹ 

The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow

will never be heard in her again.

65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days ³⁷⁰ 

or an old man die before his time. ³⁷¹ 

Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, ³⁷² 

anyone who fails to reach ³⁷³  the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.

65:21 They will build houses and live in them;

they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

65:22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, ³⁷⁴ 

or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, ³⁷⁵ 

for my people will live as long as trees, ³⁷⁶ 

and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. ³⁷⁷ 

65:23 They will not work in vain,

or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ³⁷⁸ 

For the Lord will bless their children

and their descendants. ³⁷⁹ 

65:24 Before they even call out, ³⁸⁰  I will respond;

while they are still speaking, I will hear.

65:25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together; ³⁸¹ 

a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, ³⁸² 

and a snake’s food will be dirt. ³⁸³ 

They will no longer injure or destroy

on my entire royal mountain,” ³⁸⁴  says the Lord.

66:1 This is what the Lord says:

“The heavens are my throne

and the earth is my footstool.

Where then is the house you will build for me?

Where is the place where I will rest?

66:2 My hand made them; ³⁸⁵ 

that is how they came to be,” ³⁸⁶  says the Lord.

I show special favor ³⁸⁷  to the humble and contrite,

who respect what I have to say. ³⁸⁸ 

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; ³⁸⁹ 

the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; ³⁹⁰ 

the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; ³⁹¹ 

the one who offers incense also praises an idol. ³⁹² 

They have decided to behave this way; ³⁹³ 

they enjoy these disgusting practices. ³⁹⁴ 

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment ³⁹⁵  for them;

I will bring on them what they dread,

because I called, and no one responded,

I spoke and they did not listen.

They did evil before me; ³⁹⁶ 

they chose to do what displeases me.”

66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,

you who respect what he has to say! ³⁹⁷ 

Your countrymen, ³⁹⁸  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.” ³⁹⁹ 

But they will be put to shame.

66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city;

the sound comes from the temple!

It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.

66:7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!

Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!

66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?

Who has ever seen this?

Can a country ⁴⁰⁰  be brought forth in one day?

Can a nation be born in a single moment?

Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!

66:9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”

asks the Lord.

“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”

asks your God. ⁴⁰¹ 

66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem

and rejoice with her, all you who love her!

Share in her great joy,

all you who have mourned over her!

66:11 For ⁴⁰²  you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; ⁴⁰³ 

you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. ⁴⁰⁴ 

66:12 For this is what the Lord says:

“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,

the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. ⁴⁰⁵ 

You will nurse from her breast ⁴⁰⁶  and be carried at her side;

you will play on her knees.

66:13 As a mother consoles a child, ⁴⁰⁷ 

so I will console you,

and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”

66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, ⁴⁰⁸ 

and you will be revived. ⁴⁰⁹ 

The Lord will reveal his power to his servants

and his anger to his enemies. ⁴¹⁰ 

66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,

his chariots come like a windstorm, ⁴¹¹ 

to reveal his raging anger,

his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. ⁴¹² 

66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity ⁴¹³ 

with fire and his sword;

the Lord will kill many. ⁴¹⁴ 

66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, ⁴¹⁵  those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice ⁴¹⁶  – they will all be destroyed together,” ⁴¹⁷  says the Lord. 66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming ⁴¹⁸  to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; ⁴¹⁹  they will come and witness my splendor. 66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ⁴²⁰  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ⁴²¹  Lud ⁴²²  (known for its archers ⁴²³ ), Tubal, Javan, ⁴²⁴  and to the distant coastlands ⁴²⁵  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. 66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen ⁴²⁶  from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them ⁴²⁷  on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels ⁴²⁸  to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. 66:21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain. 66:23 From one month ⁴²⁹  to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people ⁴³⁰  will come to worship me,” ⁴³¹  says the Lord. 66:24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, ⁴³²  and the fire that consumes them will not die out. ⁴³³  All people will find the sight abhorrent.” ⁴³⁴ 

[56:1]  ¹ tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”

[56:1]  ² tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”

[56:2]  ³ tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”

[56:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”

[56:2]  ⁵ tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

[56:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”

[56:3]  ⁶ tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[56:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”

[56:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.

[56:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[56:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”

[56:6]  ¹² tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”

[56:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”

[56:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

[56:8]  ¹⁵ tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition -לְ (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (’alayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”

[56:10]  ¹⁷ sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.

[56:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”

[56:10]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.

[56:11]  ¹⁹ sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.

[56:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”

[56:12]  ²¹ tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[56:12]  ²² tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.

[57:1]  ²³ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”

[57:1]  ²⁴ tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”

[57:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.

[57:1]  ²⁷ tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:1]  ²⁸ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”

[57:1]  ²⁹ tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ³⁰ tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).

[57:1]  ³¹ tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.

[57:2]  ²⁵ tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.

[57:3]  ²⁷ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “offspring of an adulterer [masculine] and [one who] has committed adultery.” Perhaps the text has suffered from transposition of vav (ו) and tav (ת) and מְנָאֵף וַתִּזְנֶה (mÿna’ef vattizneh) should be emended to מְנָאֶפֶת וְזֹנָה (mÿna’efet vÿzonah, “an adulteress and a prostitute”). Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense. Most modern English versions render both forms as nouns.

[57:4]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Are you not children of rebellion, offspring of a lie?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course you are!”

[57:5]  ³¹ tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.

[57:5]  ³² sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).

[57:6]  ³³ tn Heb “among the smooth stones of the stream [is] your portion, they, they [are] your lot.” The next line indicates idols are in view.

[57:6]  ³⁴ tn The text reads literally, “Because of these am I relenting?” If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question would be rhetorical, with the Niphal of נָחָם (nakham) probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.” One could translate: “Because of these things, how can I relent?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he [ה] on the preceding word). In this case one may understand the verb in the sense of “console oneself, seek vengeance,” as in 1:24.

[57:8]  ³⁵ tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.

[57:8]  ³⁶ tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

[57:8]  ³⁷ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).

[57:8]  ³⁸ tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).

[57:8]  ³⁹ tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.

[57:8]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).

[57:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.

[57:9]  ³⁷ tn Heb “you journey with oil.”

[57:9]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.

[57:9]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”

[57:9]  ⁴⁰ sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.

[57:10]  ³⁹ tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”

[57:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”

[57:10]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” The term חַיָּה (khayyah, “life”) is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB 312 s.v.) while יָד (yad) is used of “strength.”

[57:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”

[57:11]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”

[57:11]  ⁴² tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”

[57:11]  ⁴³ sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.

[57:12]  ⁴³ tn Heb “I, I will declare your righteousness and your deeds.”

[57:13]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.

[57:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”

[57:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”

[57:13]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”

[57:13]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.

[57:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.

[57:15]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.

[57:15]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.

[57:15]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”

[57:16]  ⁵¹ tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:16]  ⁵² tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”

[57:17]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנַיִם (panayim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”

[57:17]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”

[57:18]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”

[57:18]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and I will restore consolation to him, to his mourners.”

[57:19]  ⁵⁷ tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (’ani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם[אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵא (bore’ [’ani] nuv sÿfatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).

[57:19]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.

[58:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”

[58:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[58:2]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”

[58:3]  ⁶³ tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[58:3]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”

[58:3]  ⁶⁵ tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.

[58:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”

[58:4]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”

[58:5]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “choose” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “wish.”

[58:5]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “a day when man humbles himself.” The words “Do I want” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[58:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “making [their] bed.”

[58:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[58:6]  ⁷⁰ tn The words “I want you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[58:6]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “crushed.”

[58:7]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”

[58:7]  ⁷² tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.

[58:7]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”

[58:8]  ⁷³ tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”

[58:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”

[58:8]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.

[58:8]  ⁷⁶ sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.

[58:9]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.

[58:10]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.

[58:10]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry [with] your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”

[58:10]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”

[58:10]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “and your darkness [will be] like noonday.”

[58:11]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”

[58:11]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”

[58:12]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and they will build from you ancient ruins.”

[58:12]  ⁸² tc The Hebrew text has “the one who restores paths for dwelling.” The idea of “paths to dwell in” is not a common notion. Some have proposed emending נְתִיבוֹת (nÿtivot, “paths”) to נְתִיצוֹת (nÿtitsot, “ruins”), a passive participle from נָתַץ (natats, “tear down”; see HALOT 732 s.v. *נְתִיצָה), because tighter parallelism with the preceding line is achieved. However, none of the textual sources support this emendation. The line may mean that paths must be repaired in order to dwell in the land.

[58:13]  ⁸³ tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in v. 13), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.

[58:13]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”

[58:13]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”

[58:13]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”

[58:13]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “and [call] the holy [day] of the Lord honored.” On קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy”) as indicating a time period, see BDB 872 s.v. 2.e (cf. also Neh 8:9-11).

[58:13]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and you honor it [by refraining] from accomplishing your ways, from finding your desire and speaking a word.” It is unlikely that the last phrase (“speaking a word”) is a prohibition against talking on the Sabbath; instead it probably refers to making transactions or plans (see Hos 10:4). Some see here a reference to idle talk (cf. 2 Sam 19:30).

[58:14]  ⁸⁵ tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (Hitpael of עָנַג [’anag] followed by the preposition עַל [’al]), see Ps 37:4.

[58:14]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the land.” The statement seems to be an allusion to Deut 32:13, where it is associated, as here, with God’s abundant provision of food.

[58:14]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “and I will cause you to eat the inheritance of Jacob your father.” The Hebrew term נַחֲלָה (nakhalah) likely stands by metonymy for the crops that grow on Jacob’s “inheritance” (i.e., the land he inherited as a result of God’s promise).

[58:14]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the preceding promise will become reality (because it is guaranteed by the divine word).

[59:1]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[59:1]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “or his ear too heavy [i.e., “dull”] to hear.”

[59:2]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and your sins have caused [his] face to be hidden from you so as not to hear.”

[59:4]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”

[59:4]  ⁹² tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”

[59:4]  ⁹³ tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”

[59:5]  ⁹³ tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”

[59:6]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “their deeds are deeds of sin, and the work of violence [is] in their hands.”

[59:7]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

[59:7]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

[59:7]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

[59:8]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”

[59:8]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”

[59:9]  ¹⁰¹ tn מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), which refers to “justice” in the earlier verses, here refers to “justice from God,” or “vindication.” Because the people are unjust, God refuses to vindicate them before their enemies. See v. 11.

[59:9]  ¹⁰² sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.

[59:9]  ¹⁰³ sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.

[59:9]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”

[59:9]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[59:9]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

[59:9]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”

[59:9]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

[59:10]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”

[59:10]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”

[59:11]  ¹⁰⁵ tn See the note at v. 9.

[59:12]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”

[59:12]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”

[59:13]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[59:13]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”

[59:14]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”

[59:14]  ¹¹² tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

[59:15]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”

[59:16]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”

[59:16]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”

[59:16]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”

[59:16]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”

[59:17]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”

[59:17]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”

[59:17]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”

[59:17]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”

[59:18]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”

[59:18]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).

[59:19]  ¹²¹ tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew mss read “see.”

[59:19]  ¹²² tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”

[59:19]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”

[59:19]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”

[59:19]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).

[59:20]  ¹²³ tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[59:20]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”

[59:21]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”

[59:21]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”

[60:1]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).

[60:2]  ¹²⁹ tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[60:2]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”

[60:4]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”

[60:5]  ¹³³ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[60:6]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”

[60:6]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”

[60:6]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”

[60:7]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “will serve you,” i.e., be available as sacrifices (see the next line). Another option is to understood these “rams” as symbolic of leaders who will be subject to the people of Zion. See v. 10.

[60:7]  ¹³⁸ tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance [on] my altar.” Some have suggested that the preposition עַל (’al) is dittographic (note the preceding יַעֲלוּ [ya’alu]). Consequently, the form should be emended to לְרָצוֹן (lÿratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has both לרצון followed by the preposition על, which would argue against deleted the preposition. As the above translation seeks to demonstrate, the preposition עַל (’al) indicates a norm (“in accordance with acceptance” or “acceptably”; IBHS 218 §11.2.13e, n. 111) and the “altar” functions as an objective accusative with a verb of motion (cf. Gen 49:4; Lev 2:2; Num 13:17; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:534, n. 14).

[60:8]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “fly” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “fly along.”

[60:8]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “to their windows,” i.e., to the openings in their coops. See HALOT 83 s.v. אֲרֻבָּה.

[60:9]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”

[60:9]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.

[60:9]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”

[60:9]  ¹⁴⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[60:10]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “in my favor I will have compassion on you.”

[60:11]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.

[60:12]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); TEV “But.”

[60:12]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

[60:13]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “holy place, sanctuary.”

[60:13]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “the place of my feet.” See Ezek 43:7, where the Lord’s throne is called the “place of the soles of my feet.”

[60:14]  ¹⁵¹ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[60:15]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”

[60:16]  ¹⁵⁵ sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.

[60:16]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[60:16]  ¹⁵⁷ sn See 1:24 and 49:26.

[60:17]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).

[60:17]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the first two lines of the verse).

[60:17]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Or “peace” (KJV and many other English versions).

[60:17]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The plural indicates degree. The language is ironic; in the past Zion was ruled by oppressive tyrants, but now personified prosperity and vindication will be the only things that will “dominate” the city.

[60:18]  ¹⁵⁹ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[60:18]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[60:19]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”

[60:20]  ¹⁶³ sn In this verse “sun” and “moon” refer to the Lord’s light, which will replace the sun and moon (see v. 19). Light here symbolizes the restoration of divine blessing and prosperity in conjunction with the Lord’s presence. See 30:26.

[60:20]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[60:21]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “righteous” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “just.”

[60:21]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”

[60:22]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).

[60:22]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “I, the Lord, in its time, I will quickly do it.”

[61:1]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.

[61:1]  ¹⁷⁰ sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).

[61:1]  ¹⁷¹ tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”

[61:1]  ¹⁷² tn Or “proclaim good news to.”

[61:1]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”

[61:2]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.

[61:3]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”

[61:3]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “garment of praise.”

[61:3]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”

[61:3]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”

[61:3]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”

[61:4]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”

[61:5]  ¹⁷⁷ sn The Lord speaks in vv. 7-8 (and possibly v. 9). It is not clear where the servant’s speech (see vv. 1-3a) ends and the Lord’s begins. Perhaps the direct address to the people signals the beginning of the Lord’s speech.

[61:5]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “will stand [in position] and shepherd.”

[61:6]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”

[61:6]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”

[61:6]  ¹⁸¹ tc The form in the Hebrew text is probably a corruption of יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yit’ammÿru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (’amar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר).

[61:6]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).

[61:7]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”

[61:7]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “and [instead of] humiliation they will rejoice [over] their portion.” The term תָחָת (takhat, “instead of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[61:7]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “therefore” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “and so.”

[61:8]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”

[61:9]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”

[61:10]  ¹⁸⁷ sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.

[61:10]  ¹⁸⁸ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

[61:10]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”

[61:10]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”

[61:10]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.

[61:11]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).

[61:11]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”

[62:1]  ¹⁹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[62:1]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”

[62:2]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”

[62:4]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Or “for”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “but.”

[62:4]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Hebrew חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (kheftsi-vah), traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).

[62:4]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Hebrew בְּעוּלָה (bÿ’ulah), traditionally transliterated “Beulah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).

[62:4]  ¹⁹⁸ tn That is, the land will be restored to the Lord’s favor and once again enjoy his blessing and protection. To indicate the land’s relationship to the Lord, the words “to him” have been supplied at the end of the clause.

[62:5]  ¹⁹⁷ tc The Hebrew text has “your sons,” but this produces an odd metaphor and is somewhat incongruous with the parallelism. In the context (v. 4b, see also 54:5-7) the Lord is the one who “marries” Zion. Therefore several prefer to emend “your sons” to בֹּנָיִךְ (bonayikh, “your builder”; e.g., NRSV). In Ps 147:2 the Lord is called the “builder of Jerusalem.” However, this emendation is not the best option for at least four reasons. First, although the Lord is never called the “builder” of Jerusalem in Isaiah, the idea of Zion’s children possessing the land does occur (Isa 49:20; 54:3; cf. also 14:1; 60:21). Secondly, all the ancient versions support the MT reading. Thirdly, although the verb בָּעַל (ba’al) can mean “to marry,” its basic idea is “to possess.” Consequently, the verb stresses a relationship more than a state. All the ancient versions render this verb “to dwell in” or “to dwell with.” The point is not just that the land will be reinhabited, but that it will be in a relationship of “belonging” to the Israelites. Hence a relational verb like בָּעַל is used (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:581). Finally, “sons” is a well-known metaphor for “inhabitants” (J. de Waard, Isaiah, 208).

[62:6]  ¹⁹⁹ sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.

[62:6]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.

[62:6]  ²⁰¹ tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”

[62:7]  ²⁰¹ tn “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.

[62:7]  ²⁰² tn Heb “[the object of] praise.”

[62:8]  ²⁰³ tn The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.

[62:9]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.

[62:9]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh, “wine”) in v. 8b.

[62:11]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).

[62:11]  ²⁰⁸ sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.

[62:12]  ²⁰⁹ tn Or “the redeemed of the Lord” (KJV, NAB).

[63:1]  ²¹¹ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ²¹² tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ²¹³ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ²¹⁴ tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ²¹⁵ tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).

[63:1]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”

[63:2]  ²¹³ tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”

[63:3]  ²¹⁵ sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.

[63:3]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).

[63:4]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.

[63:5]  ²¹⁹ sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.

[63:5]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”

[63:6]  ²²¹ sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.

[63:6]  ²²² tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).

[63:7]  ²²³ tn Heb “according to all which.”

[63:7]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”

[63:7]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “according to.”

[63:8]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.

[63:9]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).

[63:9]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”

[63:9]  ²²⁹ tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”

[63:9]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”

[63:10]  ²²⁹ tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”

[63:10]  ²³⁰ sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.

[63:11]  ²³¹ tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.

[63:11]  ²³² tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, ra’ah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.

[63:11]  ²³³ sn See the note at v. 10.

[63:12]  ²³³ tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”

[63:12]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”

[63:13]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”

[63:14]  ²³⁷ tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[63:14]  ²³⁸ tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).

[63:14]  ²³⁹ tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”

[63:15]  ²³⁹ tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.

[63:15]  ²⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (’al). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, tit’appaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (’afaq) also occurs in 42:14.

[63:16]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”

[63:17]  ²⁴³ tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (ta’ah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.

[63:17]  ²⁴⁴ tn This probably refers to God’s commands.

[63:17]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[63:18]  ²⁴⁵ tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[63:18]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”

[63:18]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”

[63:19]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation עוֹלָם + מִן + הָיָה (hayah + min + ’olam) occurs only here.

[63:19]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “you did not rule them, your name was not called over them.” The expression “the name is called over” indicates ownership; see the note at 4:1. As these two lines stand they are very difficult to interpret. They appear to be stating that the adversaries just mentioned in v. 18 have not been subject to the Lord’s rule in the past, perhaps explaining why they could commit the atrocity described in v. 18b.

[64:1]  ²⁴⁹ sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[64:1]  ²⁵⁰ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[64:1]  ²⁵¹ tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.

[64:2]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”

[64:3]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”

[64:3]  ²⁵⁴ tn See the note at v. 1.

[64:4]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”

[64:5]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”

[64:5]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”

[64:5]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”

[64:5]  ²⁶⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).

[64:6]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”

[64:7]  ²⁶¹ tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”

[64:7]  ²⁶² tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”

[64:7]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”

[64:7]  ²⁶⁴ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.

[64:8]  ²⁶³ tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.

[64:8]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “the work of your hand.”

[64:9]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”

[64:9]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”

[64:10]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”

[64:10]  ²⁶⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[64:11]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “our source of pride.”

[64:11]  ²⁷⁰ tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”

[64:12]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”

[65:1]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”

[65:1]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”

[65:1]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”

[65:2]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”

[65:3]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”

[65:3]  ²⁷⁸ tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[65:3]  ²⁷⁹ tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”

[65:4]  ²⁷⁹ sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.

[65:4]  ²⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nÿtsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).

[65:4]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”

[65:4]  ²⁸² tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a, reads מְרַק (mÿraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).

[65:6]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”

[65:6]  ²⁸² tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”

[65:7]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”

[65:7]  ²⁸⁴ tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”

[65:7]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.

[65:8]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”

[65:8]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”

[65:8]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”

[65:9]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.

[65:10]  ²⁸⁹ sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.

[65:10]  ²⁹⁰ sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.

[65:10]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”

[65:10]  ²⁹² tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”

[65:11]  ²⁹¹ tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[65:11]  ²⁹² tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.

[65:11]  ²⁹³ tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.

[65:12]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.

[65:12]  ²⁹⁴ tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”

[65:12]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[65:14]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”

[65:14]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”

[65:14]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”

[65:15]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”

[65:16]  ²⁹⁹ tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.

[65:16]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ³⁰² tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”

[65:17]  ³⁰¹ sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.

[65:17]  ³⁰² tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”

[65:17]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”

[65:18]  ³⁰³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[65:18]  ³⁰⁴ tn Heb “Jerusalem, joy.” The next verse suggests the meaning: The Lord will create Jerusalem to be a source of joy to himself.

[65:18]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.

[65:19]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”

[65:20]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.

[65:20]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”

[65:20]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.

[65:20]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.”

[65:22]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”

[65:22]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”

[65:22]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”

[65:22]  ³¹² tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”

[65:23]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”

[65:23]  ³¹² tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”

[65:24]  ³¹³ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[65:25]  ³¹⁵ sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.

[65:25]  ³¹⁶ sn These words also appear in 11:7.

[65:25]  ³¹⁷ sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)

[65:25]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.

[66:2]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.

[66:2]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”

[66:2]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).

[66:2]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”

[66:3]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

[66:3]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

[66:3]  ³²¹ tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

[66:3]  ³²² tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

[66:3]  ³²³ tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

[66:3]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”

[66:4]  ³²¹ tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

[66:4]  ³²² tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[66:5]  ³²³ tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”

[66:5]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”

[66:5]  ³²⁵ tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.

[66:8]  ³²⁵ tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).

[66:9]  ³²⁷ sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”

[66:11]  ³²⁹ tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”

[66:11]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”

[66:11]  ³³¹ tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”

[66:12]  ³³¹ tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”

[66:12]  ³³² tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).

[66:13]  ³³³ tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”

[66:14]  ³³⁵ tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”

[66:14]  ³³⁶ tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”

[66:14]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”

[66:15]  ³³⁷ sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.

[66:15]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”

[66:16]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”

[66:16]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”

[66:17]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards [or “gardens”] after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.

[66:17]  ³⁴² tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”

[66:17]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”

[66:18]  ³⁴³ 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]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”

[66:19]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ³⁴⁶ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ³⁴⁷ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ³⁴⁸ tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ³⁴⁹ sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ³⁵⁰ tn Or “islands” (NIV).

[66:20]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”

[66:20]  ³⁴⁸ tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[66:20]  ³⁴⁹ tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.

[66:23]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[66:23]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”

[66:23]  ³⁵¹ tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).

[66:24]  ³⁵¹ tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”

[66:24]  ³⁵² tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”

[66:24]  ³⁵³ tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”