Yesaya 40:26

40:26 Look up at the sky! ¹ 

Who created all these heavenly lights? ² 

He is the one who leads out their ranks; ³ 

he calls them all by name.

Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,

not one of them is missing.

Yesaya 65:16

65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth ⁴ 

will do so in the name of the faithful God; ⁵ 

whoever makes an oath in the earth

will do so in the name of the faithful God. ⁶ 

For past problems will be forgotten;

I will no longer think about them. ⁷ 

[40:26]  ¹ tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”

[40:26]  ² tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.

[40:26]  ³ tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)

[65:16]  ⁴ tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.

[65:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”