ISA 51:19 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Διὸ ταῦτα ἀντικείμενά σοι, τίς συλλυπηθήσεταί σοι; πτῶμα καὶ σύντριμμα, λιμὸς καὶ μάχαιρα, τίς παρακαλέσει σε;
(Dio tauta antikeimena soi, tis sullupaʸthaʸsetai soi; ptōma kai suntrimma, limos kai maⱪaira, tis parakalesei se;)

BrTr Wherefore these things are against thee; who shall sympathise with thee in thy grief? downfall, and destruction, famine, and sword: who shall comfort thee?

ULT These two are meeting you—
⇔ who will sympathize with you?—
⇔ destruction and breaking,
⇔ and famine and the sword;
⇔ who will comfort you?

UST Two very bad things have happened to you.
⇔ Enemies have destroyed your land, ruining your cities,
⇔ and your people have died from hunger and in battle.
⇔ No one is comforting you.

BSB These pairs have befallen you:
⇔ devastation and destruction,
⇔ famine and sword.
⇔ Who will grieve for you?
⇔ Who can comfort you?[fn]

51:19 DSS, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; MT How can I comfort you?

MSB (Same as BSB above including footnotes)

OEB No OEB ISA book available

WEBBE These two things have happened to you—
⇔ who will grieve with you?—
⇔ desolation and destruction,
⇔ and famine and the sword.
⇔ How can I comfort you?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET These double disasters confronted you.
⇔ But who feels sorry for you?
⇔ Destruction and devastation,
⇔ famine and sword.
⇔ But who consoles you?

LSV These two are meeting you,
Who is moved for you? Spoiling and destruction, famine and sword! By whom do I comfort you?

FBV Two tragedies have struck you: devastation caused by famine, and destruction caused by war.[fn] Who is going to sympathize with you? Who is going to comfort you?

51:19 “War”: literally, “the sword.”

T4T You have experienced several disasters:
⇔ Your country has become desolate/deserted;
⇔ your cities have been destroyed;
⇔ many people have died from hunger;
⇔ many people have been killed by your enemies’ swords.
⇔ Now, there is no one [RHQ] left to console/comfort you and sympathize with you.

LEB • Two things here have happened to you—who will show sympathy[fn] for you?—
• devastation and destruction, famine and sword—who will comfort you?

51:? Literally “wander”

BBE These two things have come on you; who will be weeping for you? wasting and destruction; death from need of food, and from the sword; how may you be comforted?

Moff No Moff ISA book available

JPS These two things are befallen thee; who shall bemoan thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee?

ASV These two things are befallen thee, who shall bemoan thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee?

DRA There are two things that have happened to thee: who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword, who shall comfort thee?

YLT These two are meeting thee, who is moved for thee? Spoiling and destruction — Famine and sword, who — I comfort thee?

Drby These two [things] are come unto thee; who will bemoan thee? — desolation and destruction, and famine and sword: how shall I comfort thee?

RV These two things are befallen thee; who shall bemoan thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee?
(These two things are befallen thee/you; who shall bemoan thee/you? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee/you?)

SLT These two encountering thee; who shall be moved for thee? desolation and breaking, and famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

Wbstr These two things have come to thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

KJB-1769 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?[fn][fn]
(These two things are come unto thee/you; who shall be sorry for thee/you? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee/you?)

51.19 are…: Heb. happened

51.19 destruction: Heb. breaking

KJB-1611 [fn][fn]These two things are come vnto thee; who shall be sorie for thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

51:19 Hebr. happened.

51:19 Heb. breaking.

Bshps Both these thinges are happened vnto thee, but who is sory for it? yea destruction, wastyng, hunger, and sworde, but who wyll comfort thee?
(Both these things are happened unto thee/you, but who is sorry for it? yea destruction, wasting, hunger, and sword, but who will comfort thee/you?)

Gnva These two thinges are come vnto thee: who will lament thee? desolation and destruction and famine, and the sworde: by whome shall I comfort thee?
(These two things are come unto thee/you: who will lament thee/you? desolation and destruction and famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee/you?)

Cvdl Both these thinges are happened vnto the, but who is sory for it? Yee, destruction, waistinge, hunger & swerde: but who hath conforted the?
(Both these things are happened unto them, but who is sorry for it? Yee, destruction, wasting, hunger and sword: but who hath/has comforted the?)

Wycl Twei thingis ben that camen to thee; who schal be sori on thee? distriyng, and defoulyng, and hungur, and swerd. Who schal coumforte thee?
(Twain/Two_or_both things been that came to thee/you; who shall be sorry on thee/you? destroying, and defouling, and hunger, and sword. Who shall comfort thee/you?)

Luth Diese zwei sind dir begegnet; wer trug Leid mit dir? Da war Verstörung, Schaden, Hunger und Schwert; wer sollte dich trösten?
(This/These two are you/to_you(sg) encountered; who wore/brought sorrow with you/to_you(sg)? So what/which disturbance, damage/harm(n), hunger and sword; who should you/yourself comfort(v)?)

ClVg Duo sunt quæ occurrerunt tibi; quis contristabitur super te? Vastitas, et contritio, et fames, et gladius; quis consolabitur te?
(Duo are which occurrerunt to_you; who/any contristabitur over you(sg)? Vessel/Utensiltitas, and contritio, and hungers, and sword; who/any will_be_comforted you(sg)?)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֨נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִ⁠ךְ & הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר וְ⁠הָ⁠רָעָ֥ב וְ⁠הַ⁠חֶ֖רֶב

two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you & the,devastation and,the,destruction and,the,famine and,the,sword

If it would be more natural in your language, you may want to put the information about what the two disasters are together with the statement that they are meeting Jerusalem. Alternate translation: [These two disasters are meeting you: destruction and breaking, and famine and the sword; who will sympathize with you? Who will comfort you]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֨נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִ⁠ךְ מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑⁠ךְ הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר וְ⁠הָ⁠רָעָ֥ב וְ⁠הַ⁠חֶ֖רֶב מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you who? grieve to/for=you(fs) the,devastation and,the,destruction and,the,famine and,the,sword who? do,I_comfort_you

The word you is feminine singular here because it refers to Jerusalem in verses 19-23. So use the singular form in your translation if your language marks that distinction, and use the feminine form if your language marks that distinction. Alternate translation: [These two are meeting you, Jerusalem—who will sympathize with you?—destruction and breaking, and famine and the sword; who will comfort you, Jerusalem]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֨נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִ⁠ךְ

two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you

Isaiah is speaking of the two disasters as if they were living things that could come and meet Jerusalem. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [These two things have happened to you]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑⁠ךְ & מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

who? grieve to/for=you(fs) & who? do,I_comfort_you

Isaiah is using the question form to emphasize that there is no one to sympathize with or comfort Jerusalem in her disasters. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate these as statements or as exclamations. Alternate translation: [no one will sympathize with you. … no one will comfort you.]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑⁠ךְ & מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

who? grieve to/for=you(fs) & who? do,I_comfort_you

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The first phrase states the general idea, and then the second phrase gives a specific example. Translate these phrases according to the decisions your team has made regarding translating parallelism in Hebrew poetry. Alternate translation: [who will sympathize with you, indeed, who wll comfort you]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר

the,devastation and,the,destruction

The terms destruction and breaking 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: [total destruction]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר

the,devastation and,the,destruction

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of destruction and breaking, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [being destroyed and broken]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠הָ⁠רָעָ֥ב וְ⁠הַ⁠חֶ֖רֶב

and,the,famine and,the,sword

Here, the sword represents war and violent death in battle. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [and famine and violent death in war]

Note 9 topic: translate-textvariants

מִ֥י & אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

who? & (Some words not found in UHB: two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you who? grieve to/for=you(fs) the,devastation and,the,destruction and,the,famine and,the,sword who? do,I_comfort_you )

Some ancient manuscripts read “who will comfort you.” The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts read “who, I will comfort you.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT. Alternate translation: [who, I will comfort you]

Parallel ISA 51:19