This verse gives four consequences of breaking Yahweh’s laws. They are arranged in two pairs and each pair begins with the connector Therefore.

A curse devours the earth: The curse refers to the misfortune the earth suffers. Good News Translation makes it explicit that the origin of this curse is God. The earth is under a curse, but it is the people who suffer its consequences, as the following verses explain (compare Deut 27.15-26). The verb devours is a figurative expression meaning “destroys” here (see the comments at 1.7, 20).

And its inhabitants suffer for their guilt: Those who live on the earth suffer because they are guilty. Some languages may need to state why they are guilty. If so, this line may be rendered “and its people suffer because they are guilty of breaking the law.” New Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh say “and its inhabitants pay the penalty” (similarly Good News Translation), while Revised English Bible has “… suffer punishment.”

The inhabitants of the earth are scorched: Scholars debate the meaning of the Hebrew verb rendered are scorched. For some it comes from a root meaning “burn” (so Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). If this sense is accepted, burning is a figure for death. Others believe the verb here comes from a root meaning “dwindle/decrease” (so Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). If this is true, then this line is parallel in meaning with the next one. Good News Translation combines the two lines, saying “Fewer and fewer remain alive.” Translators may choose “scorched/burned” (see the first example below) or “dwindle/decrease” (see the second example). They may also add a footnote to give the alternative meaning.

And few men are left: Whether the people are burned or dwindle, there will only be a few left. Although the Hebrew term rendered men is masculine, it obviously refers to people in general here since it is parallel with the inhabitants of the earth in the previous line (compare 13.12).

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Therefore a curse lies on the earth,
and its dwellers suffer for their guilt/sin;
therefore the dwellers on earth are burned,
and only a few remain.

• Therefore, terrible happenings devour the earth,
its people are guilty and so suffer;
therefore the people on earth decrease,
only a few are left.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .