14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 1 he will again choose Israel as his special people 2 and restore 3 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 4 of Jacob.
18:6 They will all be left 5 for the birds of the hills
and the wild animals; 6
the birds will eat them during the summer,
and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.
26:14 The dead do not come back to life,
the spirits of the dead do not rise. 10
That is because 11 you came in judgment 12 and destroyed them,
you wiped out all memory of them.
30:22 You will desecrate your silver-plated idols 13
and your gold-plated images. 14
You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag,
saying to them, “Get out!”
30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, 15
with which the Lord will beat them, 16
will be accompanied by music from the 17 tambourine and harp,
and he will attack them with his weapons. 18
35:10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way. 19
They will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 20
happiness and joy will overwhelm 21 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 22
40:26 Look up at the sky! 23
Who created all these heavenly lights? 24
He is the one who leads out their ranks; 25
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
47:6 I was angry at my people;
I defiled my special possession
and handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy; 26
you even placed a very heavy burden on old people. 27
48:21 They do not thirst as he leads them through dry regions;
he makes water flow out of a rock for them;
he splits open a rock and water flows out.’ 28
51:8 For a moth will eat away at them like clothes;
a clothes moth will devour them like wool.
But the vindication I provide 29 will be permanent;
the deliverance I give will last.”
51:11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;
they will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 30
happiness and joy will overwhelm 31 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 32
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle 33
and sinful people their plans. 34
They should return 35 to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, 36
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 37
57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. 38
Indeed, 39 you depart from me 40 and go up
and invite them into bed with you. 41
You purchase favors from them, 42
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly 43 on their genitals. 44
57:19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate. 45
Complete prosperity 46 is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. 47
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd of 48 his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, 49
1 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
2 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
4 tn Heb “house.”
5 tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).
6 tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).
7 tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.
8 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”
9 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
10 sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
11 tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.
12 tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”
13 tn Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”
14 tn Heb “the covering of your gold image.”
15 tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew
16 tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”
17 tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).
18 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.
19 tn Heb “and the redeemed will walk, the ransomed of the Lord will return.”
20 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
21 tn Heb “will overtake” (NIV); NLT “they will be overcome with.”
22 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee”; KJV “sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
23 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
24 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
25 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
26 tn Or “compassion.”
27 tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
28 sn The translation above (present tense) assumes that this verse describes God’s provision for returning Babylonian exiles (see v. 20; 35:6; 49:10) in terms reminiscent of the Exodus from Egypt (see Exod 17:6).
29 tn Heb “my vindication”; many English versions “my righteousness”; NRSV, TEV “my deliverance”; CEV “my victory.”
30 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
31 tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”
32 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
33 tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
34 tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
35 tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”
36 tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
37 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.
38 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.
39 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
40 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”).
41 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
42 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.
43 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
44 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.
45 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).
46 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
47 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.
48 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.
49 sn See the note at v. 10.
50 tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”
51 tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”
52 tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
sn This verse depicts a huge mass burial site where the seemingly endless pile of maggot-infested corpses are being burned.