OET interlinear ISA 1:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

אֵיכָה֙ הָיְתָ֣ה לְ⁠זוֹנָ֔ה קִרְיָ֖ה נֶאֱמָנָ֑ה

how she/it_was (into)_a,prostitute city faithful

Isaiah is using the word How to express a strong feeling of grief and dismay. There may be an equivalent word or phrase in your language that you can use in your translation to convey this feeling. If not, you could say what Isaiah was feeling, or you could say what made him grieve. Alternate translation: [It grieves me that the faithful city has become a prostitute]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הָיְתָ֣ה לְ⁠זוֹנָ֔ה

she/it_was (into)_a,prostitute

Isaiah is speaking as if the city of Jerusalem were a prostitute who had abandoned faithful commitment. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [has become unfaithful]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מִשְׁפָּ֗ט צֶ֛דֶק

justice righteousness

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of justice and righteousness, you could express the same ideas in other ways. Alternate translation: [what is just; what is right]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

צֶ֛דֶק יָלִ֥ין בָּ֖⁠הּ

righteousness lodged in,it

Isaiah is speaking of righteousness as if it were a living thing that could lodge in the city. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [people acted righteously in her]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠עַתָּ֥ה מְרַצְּחִֽים

and=now murderers

Isaiah is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [but now murderers dwell in her]