OET interlinear ISA 40:15

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-foreground

הֵ֤ן

if

Isaiah is using the term Behold to focus his listeners’ attention on what he is about to say. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: [Look! the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and they are regarded like dust on the scales. And look, he lifts the coastlands like fine dust]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

גּוֹיִם֙ כְּ⁠מַ֣ר מִ⁠דְּלִ֔י

nations [are]_like,a_drop from,a_bucket

The point of this comparison is that just as a drop from a bucket is tiny and insignificant compared to all the water, so are the nations small and insignificant before Yahweh. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [the nations are tiny and insignificant]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

גּוֹיִם֙

nations

Here, the nations represents the people who make up those nations. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [the people of those nations]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וּ⁠כְ⁠שַׁ֥חַק מֹאזְנַ֖יִם נֶחְשָׁ֑בוּ

and,like_[the],dust_of scales regarded

The point of this comparison is that just as dust on the scales is too light to make any difference in weighing, so do they, the nations, count for nothing before Yahweh. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [and they count for nothing before him]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וּ⁠כְ⁠שַׁ֥חַק מֹאזְנַ֖יִם נֶחְשָׁ֑בוּ

and,like_[the],dust_of scales regarded

The expression are regarded is a passive verbal form. If it would be unnatural to use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [and he regards them like dust on the scales]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אִיִּ֖ים

islands

Here, coastlands represents “ends of the earth.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [the ends of the earth]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

אִיִּ֖ים כַּ⁠דַּ֥ק יִטּֽוֹל

islands like_(the),[dust] weighs

The point of this comparison is that just as fine dust is light and easy to pick up, so easily can Yahweh lift up the coastlands. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [he easily lifts the coastlands, for they are as light to him as fine dust]