Yesaya 27:11

27:11 When its branches get brittle, ¹  they break;

women come and use them for kindling. ² 

For these people lack understanding, ³ 

therefore the one who made them has no compassion on them;

the one who formed them has no mercy on them.

Yesaya 41:7

41:7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,

the one who wields the hammer encourages ⁴  the one who pounds on the anvil.

He approves the quality of the welding, ⁵ 

and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”

Yesaya 44:23

44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; ⁶ 

shout out, you subterranean regions ⁷  of the earth.

O mountains, give a joyful shout;

you too, O forest and all your trees! ⁸ 

For the Lord protects ⁹  Jacob;

he reveals his splendor through Israel. ¹⁰ 

[27:11]  ¹ tn Heb “are dry” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[27:11]  ² tn Heb “women come [and] light it.” The city is likened to a dead tree with dried up branches that is only good for firewood.

[27:11]  ³ tn Heb “for not a people of understanding [is] he.”

[41:7]  ⁴ tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[41:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”

[44:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”

[44:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.

[44:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”

[44:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[44:23]  ¹⁰ tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”