OET interlinear ISA 29:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠שָׁפַלְתְּ֙

and,you_will_become_low

Isaiah is speaking as if Jerusalem’s humiliation were physically going down, as expressed by the phrase become low. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And you will be humiliated]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ⁠מֵֽ⁠עָפָ֖ר תִּשַּׁ֣ח אִמְרָתֵ֑⁠ךְ

and,from_[the],dust low utterance_of,your

Isaiah is speaking as if Jerusalem’s humiliation were being brought down to the dust. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and your speech will be from a position of deep humiliation]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

כְּ⁠א֤וֹב

like,a_necromancer

A ritual pit is a kind of hole in the ground that people used to try to summon the spirits of the dead. If your readers would not be familiar with what a ritual pit is, you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [like a pit used to consult the spirits of the dead]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְֽ֠⁠הָיָה כְּ⁠א֤וֹב מֵ⁠אֶ֨רֶץ֙ קוֹלֵ֔⁠ךְ

and=it_was like,a_necromancer from_[the],ground voice_of,your

The point of this comparison is that just as a ritual pit produces a faint, eerie sound from underground, so Jerusalem’s voice will be weak and ghostly after its defeat. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point of comparison explicit. Alternate translation: [And your voice will sound as faint and eerie as a the sounds in a ritual pit from the earth]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ⁠מֵ⁠עָפָ֖ר אִמְרָתֵ֥⁠ךְ תְּצַפְצֵֽף

and,from_[the],dust utterance_of,your whisper

Isaiah is speaking as if Jerusalem’s faint speech would chirp like a bird chirping from the dust. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and your speech will be high-pitched but faint, from the dust]