OET interlinear ISA 51:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּֽי

that/for/because/then/when

The word translated as For indicates that what follows is a reason for what came before. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: [This is because]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

נִחַ֨ם יְהוָ֜ה צִיּ֗וֹן נִחַם֙

comfort YHWH Tsiyyōn/(Zion) comfort

Here, Zion represents the people who live there. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [Yahweh will comfort the people of Zion; he will comfort]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

נִחַם֙ כָּל חָרְבֹתֶ֔י⁠הָ

comfort all/each/any/every places_of,its_waste

Here, all of her desolations represents all the ruined places where no one lives. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [he will restore people to all of ruined places]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וַ⁠יָּ֤שֶׂם מִדְבָּרָ⁠הּ֙ כְּ⁠עֵ֔דֶן וְ⁠עַרְבָתָ֖⁠הּ כְּ⁠גַן יְהוָ֑ה

and=he/it_assigned wilderness_of,its like,Eden and,its_desert_of,plain like,the_garden_of YHWH

The point of this comparison is that just as Eden was fertile and beautiful, so her wilderness will become. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [and he will make her wilderness as fertile and beautiful as Eden and her desert plain as lush as the garden of Yahweh]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

מִדְבָּרָ⁠הּ֙

wilderness_of,its

Isaiah is speaking of Zion as if it were a woman who could own a wilderness, which is why he calls it her wilderness. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Zion’s wilderness]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

שָׂשׂ֤וֹן וְ⁠שִׂמְחָה֙ יִמָּ֣צֵא בָ֔⁠הּ

joy and,gladness found in,it

The expression will be found 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: [Joy and gladness will fill her]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

שָׂשׂ֤וֹן וְ⁠שִׂמְחָה֙

joy and,gladness

The terms Joy and gladness mean similar things. Isaiah is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [Great joy]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

שָׂשׂ֤וֹן וְ⁠שִׂמְחָה֙

joy and,gladness

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of Joy and gladness, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [People rejoicing and being glad]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

תּוֹדָ֖ה וְ⁠ק֥וֹל זִמְרָֽה

thanksgiving and_[the],sound_of song

Isaiah 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: [thanksgiving and the voice of song will be found in her]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

תּוֹדָ֖ה

thanksgiving

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of thanksgiving, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the sound of people giving thanks]

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠ק֥וֹל זִמְרָֽה

and_[the],sound_of song

Here, the voice of song represents the sound of people singing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [and the sound of singing]