OET interlinear ISA 24:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / reduplication

נ֣וֹעַ תָּנ֤וּעַ אֶ֨רֶץ֙

to_reel she_reels earth/land

Isaiah is repeating forms of the verb reels in order to intensify his expression of the idea that it conveys. If your language can repeat words for intensification, it would be appropriate to do that here in your translation. If not, your language may have another way of expressing the intensification. Alternate translation: [The earth reels and reels] or [The earth reels wildly]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

תָּנ֤וּעַ אֶ֨רֶץ֙ כַּ⁠שִּׁכּ֔וֹר

she_reels earth/land like,drunkard

The point of this comparison is that just as a drunkard staggers and is unable to stand steadily, so the earth will be unable to remain stable. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [the earth wobbles like an unsteady drunkard]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠הִֽתְנוֹדְדָ֖ה כַּ⁠מְּלוּנָ֑ה

and,it_will_sway like,hut

The point of this comparison is that just as a hut sways in the wind because it is flimsy, so the earth will sway because of the weight of its transgression. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [and it sways the way a flimsy hut sways in a wind]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠כָבַ֤ד עָלֶ֨י⁠הָ֙ פִּשְׁעָ֔⁠הּ

and,it_will_be_heavy on/upon=it(f) transgression_of,its

Isaiah is speaking as if its transgression were a heavy physical weight pressing down on the earth. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And the transgression of its people is too great for the earth to bear]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

פִּשְׁעָ֔⁠הּ

transgression_of,its

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of transgression, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [what its people have done wrong]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠לֹא תֹסִ֥יף קֽוּם

and=not again rise

Isaiah is using not add to arise as a common expression of the culture to mean “never recover.” If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and never recover]