Yesaya 19:12

19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? ¹ 

Let them tell you, let them find out

what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.

Yesaya 28:28

28:28 Grain is crushed,

though one certainly does not thresh it forever.

The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it,

but his horses do not crush it.

Yesaya 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ²  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ³ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ⁴ 

and the nation that helps ⁵  those who commit sin. ⁶ 

Yesaya 31:7

31:7 For at that time ⁷  everyone will get rid of ⁸  the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. ⁹ 

Yesaya 41:23

41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, ¹⁰ 

so we might know you are gods.

Yes, do something good or bad,

so we might be frightened and in awe. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 41:28

41:28 I look, but there is no one,

among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,

that I might ask questions and receive answers.

Yesaya 47:12

47:12 Persist ¹²  in trusting ¹³  your amulets

and your many incantations,

which you have faithfully recited ¹⁴  since your youth!

Maybe you will be successful ¹⁵  –

maybe you will scare away disaster. ¹⁶ 

Yesaya 48:21

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.’ ¹⁷ 

Yesaya 52:6

52:6 For this reason my people will know my name,

for this reason they will know ¹⁸  at that time ¹⁹  that I am the one who says,

‘Here I am.’”

Yesaya 59:8-9

59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace;

their deeds are unjust. ²⁰ 

They use deceitful methods,

and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace. ²¹ 

Israel Confesses its Sin

59:9 For this reason deliverance ²²  is far from us ²³ 

and salvation does not reach us.

We wait for light, ²⁴  but see only darkness; ²⁵ 

we wait for ²⁶  a bright light, ²⁷  but live ²⁸  in deep darkness. ²⁹ 

Yesaya 64:4

64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, ³⁰ 

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who intervenes for those who wait for him.

[19:12]  ¹ tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.

[31:2]  ² sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ³ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ⁵ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[31:7]  ⁷ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[31:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”

[31:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.

[41:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”

[41:23]  ¹¹ tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).

[41:23]  tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb שָׁתָע (shata’), see the note at v. 10.

[47:12]  ¹² tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”

[47:12]  ¹³ tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.

[47:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”

[47:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”

[47:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.

[48:21]  ¹⁷ 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).

[52:6]  ¹⁸ tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[52:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[59:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”

[59:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”

[59:9]  ²² 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]  ²³ sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.

[59:9]  ²⁴ sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.

[59:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”

[59:9]  ²⁶ tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[59:9]  ²⁷ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

[59:9]  ²⁸ tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”

[59:9]  ²⁹ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

[64:4]  ³⁰ tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”