Yesaya 27:6

27:6 The time is coming when Jacob will take root; ¹ 

Israel will blossom and grow branches.

The produce ²  will fill the surface of the world. ³ 

Yesaya 41:17-23

41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;

their tongues are parched from thirst.

I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; ⁴ 

I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

41:18 I will make streams flow down the slopes

and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.

I will turn the desert into a pool of water

and the arid land into springs.

41:19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;

I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the desert.

41:20 I will do this so ⁵  people ⁶  will observe and recognize,

so they will pay attention and understand

that the Lord’s power ⁷  has accomplished this,

and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” ⁸ 

The Lord Challenges the Pagan Gods

41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.

“Produce your evidence,” ⁹  says Jacob’s king. ¹⁰ 

41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!

Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, ¹¹ 

so we may examine them ¹²  and see how they were fulfilled. ¹³ 

Or decree for us some future events!

41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, ¹⁴ 

so we might know you are gods.

Yes, do something good or bad,

so we might be frightened and in awe. ¹⁵ 

[27:6]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “the coming ones, let Jacob take root.” הַבָּאִים (habba’im, “the coming ones”) should probably be emended to יָמִים בָאִים (yamim va’im, “days [are] coming”) or בְּיָמִים הַבָּאִים (biyamim habba’im, “in the coming days”).

[27:6]  ² tn Heb “fruit” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[27:6]  ³ sn This apparently refers to a future population explosion. See 26:18.

[41:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[41:20]  ⁵ tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”

[41:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”

[41:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[41:20]  ⁸ tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”

[41:21]  ⁹ tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.

[41:21]  ¹⁰ sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.

[41:22]  ¹¹ tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”

[41:22]  ¹² tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”

[41:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”

[41:23]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”

[41:23]  ¹⁵ 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.