Yesaya 35:3

35:3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,

steady the knees that shake! ¹ 

Yesaya 45:14

The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope

45:14 This is what the Lord says:

“The profit ²  of Egypt and the revenue ³  of Ethiopia,

along with the Sabeans, those tall men,

will be brought to you ⁴  and become yours.

They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. ⁵ 

They will bow down to you

and pray to you: ⁶ 

‘Truly God is with ⁷  you; he has no peer; ⁸ 

there is no other God!’”

Yesaya 45:23

45:23 I solemnly make this oath ⁹  –

what I say is true and reliable: ¹⁰ 

‘Surely every knee will bow to me,

every tongue will solemnly affirm; ¹¹ 

Yesaya 65:12

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

all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, ¹³ 

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

I spoke and you did not listen.

You did evil before me; ¹⁴ 

you chose to do what displeases me.”

Yesaya 66:12

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. ¹⁵ 

You will nurse from her breast ¹⁶  and be carried at her side;

you will play on her knees.

[35:3]  ¹ tn Heb “staggering knees”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “feeble knees”; NIV “knees that give way.”

[45:14]  ² tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”

[45:14]  ³ tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”

[45:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”

[45:14]  ⁵ sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.

[45:14]  ⁶ sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.

[45:14]  ⁷ tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”

[45:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.

[45:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”

[45:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”

[45:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”

[65:12]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”

[65:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[66:12]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).