Isaiah 26:16

O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline. ¹ 

LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.

O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Your chastening was upon them.

LORD, in distress we searched for you. We were bowed beneath the burden of your discipline.

O GOD, they begged you for help when they were in trouble, when your discipline was so heavy they could barely whisper a prayer.

Lord, in trouble our eyes have been turned to you, we sent up a prayer when your punishment was on us.

O LORD, in distress they sought you, they poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.

LORD, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.

O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline. ¹ 

¹ tn The meaning of this verse is unclear. It appears to read literally, “O Lord, in distress they visit you, they pour out [?] an incantation, your discipline to them.” פָּקַד (paqad) may here carry the sense of “seek with interest” (cf. Ezek 23:21 and BDB 823 s.v.) or “seek in vain” (cf. Isa 34:16), but it is peculiar for the Lord to be the object of this verb. צָקוּן (tsaqun) may be a Qal perfect third plural form from צוּק (tsuq, “pour out, melt”), though the verb is not used of pouring out words in its two other occurrences. Because of the appearance of צַר (tsar, “distress”) in the preceding line, it is tempting to emend the form to a noun and derive it from צוּק (“be in distress”) The term לַחַשׁ (lakhash) elsewhere refers to an incantation (Isa 3:3; Jer 8:17; Eccl 10:11) or amulet (Isa 3:20). Perhaps here it refers to ritualistic prayers or to magical incantations used to ward off evil.