OET interlinear ISA 48:18

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-contrary

ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְ⁠מִצְוֺתָ֑⁠י

if_only paid_attention to,commandments_of,my

Yahweh is making a conditional statement that sounds hypothetical, but he knows that the condition is not true. He is stating it as a condition to show that the peace and prosperity he goes on to describe also did not come about. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that the speaker believes is not true. Alternate translation: [You did not attend to my commandments, but if you had]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְ⁠מִצְוֺתָ֑⁠י

if_only paid_attention to,commandments_of,my

Yahweh is using a phrase that expresses a strong feeling of longing and grief. There may be an equivalent word or phrase in your language that you can use in your translation to convey this feeling. Alternate translation: [How I wish you had attended to my commandments]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְ⁠מִצְוֺתָ֑⁠י

if_only paid_attention to,commandments_of,my

The word you is singular here, even though Yahweh is addressing the whole nation of Israel. If your language distinguishes singular and plural forms of “you,” use whichever form is natural for addressing a group as a single person.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וַ⁠יְהִ֤י כַ⁠נָּהָר֙ שְׁלוֹמֶ֔⁠ךָ

and=he/it_was like,river peace_of,your

The point of this comparison is that just as a river flows continually and abundantly, so your peace would have been constant and plentiful. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [Then your peace would have been continuous and abundant]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

שְׁלוֹמֶ֔⁠ךָ

peace_of,your

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of peace, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [your peaceful life]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠צִדְקָתְ⁠ךָ֖ כְּ⁠גַלֵּ֥י הַ⁠יָּֽם

and,righteousness_of,your like,the_waves_of the=sea

Yahweh 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: [and your righteousness would have been like the waves of the sea]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠צִדְקָתְ⁠ךָ֖ כְּ⁠גַלֵּ֥י הַ⁠יָּֽם

and,righteousness_of,your like,the_waves_of the=sea

The point of this comparison is that just as the waves of the sea keep coming without ceasing, so your righteousness would have continued without stopping. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [and your righteousness, like waves of the sea that never stop coming]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וְ⁠צִדְקָתְ⁠ךָ֖

and,righteousness_of,your

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 your right actions]