OET interlinear ISA 28:17

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠שַׂמְתִּ֤י מִשְׁפָּט֙ לְ⁠קָ֔ו וּ⁠צְדָקָ֖ה לְ⁠מִשְׁקָ֑לֶת

and,I_will_make justice (into)_a,measuring-line and,righteousness (into)_a,leveling_tool

Yahweh is speaking as if justice and righteousness were construction tools like the line and the plumb line. He means that he will use the standard of justice and righteousness to evaluate the leaders of Jerusalem. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And I will use justice and righteousness as my standard to judge the leaders of Jerusalem]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מִשְׁפָּט֙

justice

See how you translated the similar expression in [28:6](../28/06.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וּ⁠צְדָקָ֖ה

and,righteousness

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of righteousness, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [and right behavior]

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

לְ⁠מִשְׁקָ֑לֶת

(into)_a,leveling_tool

A plumb line is a kind of tool used by builders to check whether walls are perfectly vertical. It consists of a weight hanging from a string. If your readers would not be familiar with what a plumb line is, you could use the name of a similar thing that your readers would recognize, or you could use a more general term. See the UST.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠יָעָ֤ה בָרָד֙ מַחְסֵ֣ה כָזָ֔ב

and,it_will_sweep_away hail refuge_of lies

Yahweh is speaking as if his judgment were hail that would destroy the leaders’ false security. He means that his judgment will completely eliminate the protection they thought their lies provided. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [But his judgment will completely destroy the protection that their lies provided]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

מַחְסֵ֣ה כָזָ֔ב

refuge_of lies

Yahweh is using the possessive form to describe a refuge that is characterized by lying, that is, a false sense of safety based on deception. If a speaker of your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the refuge built on lies]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠סֵ֥תֶר מַ֖יִם יִשְׁטֹֽפוּ

and_[the],shelter waters overflow

Yahweh is speaking as if his judgment were waters that would flood the leaders’ hiding place. He means that no deception will be able to shield them from his judgment. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and Yahweh’s judgment will completely expose those who are hiding]