2tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (v˙li hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”

3tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).

4tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”

5tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

6tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.

7tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

8tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

9tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

10tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”

11tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

12tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

13tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”

14tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”

15tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.

16tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).

17sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”

18tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”

19tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”

20tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”

sn Zion’s residents will benefit from and enjoy her great material prosperity. See v. 12.

21tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”

22tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).

23tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”

24tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”

25tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”

26tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”

27sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.

28tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”

29tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”

30tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”

31tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards [or “gardens”] after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.

32tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”

33tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”

34tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

35tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”

36tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

37tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

38sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

39tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

40sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

41tn Or “islands” (NIV).

42tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”

43tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

44tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.

45tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

46tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”

47tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).

48tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”

49tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”

50tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

sn This verse depicts a huge mass burial site where the seemingly endless pile of maggot-infested corpses are being burned.