But now the LORD says: After the words spoken “in the past,” the prophet brings the LORD’s message up-to-date.
In three years, like the years of a hireling: A specific time frame is given here for the end of Moab. The period of three years is linked with the years of a hireling. However, the actual time a hired worker was under contract is uncertain. In 21.16 where the phrase reappears, the time period given is one year instead of three. Because of this uncertainty, some translations interpret like the years of a hireling as “the way a hired laborer counts off the years”; for example, Revised English Bible says “as a hired labourer counts them off exactly,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “as a hired worker reckons them.” This understanding implies that three years is a precise figure, since a hired worker is very aware of just how long he has to serve—not one day longer than the contract says! This interpretation allows Good News Translation to avoid any mention of the hireling, but to translate “In exactly three years” (similarly Bible en français courant). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is similar with “Three more years, not one day more nor one day less.” If a translator want to keep the idea of the hireling, a possible rendering is “In precisely three years, counting them as hired laborers do.”
The glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude: This is the first of two main clauses in the verse. Some languages may need to state it before the time clause; see the third example below. The glory of Moab probably refers broadly to everything the Moabites were proud about (see the comments on glory at 8.7). Good News Translation says it is “Moab’s great wealth” since the Hebrew noun for glory can refer to something that is valuable. However, Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh believe the glory of Moab refers to Moab’s large population since they link this phrase with his great multitude. Both views fit this context. The Hebrew noun rendered multitude comes from a root meaning much noise. It can mean “many people” or “great wealth” (see 60.5, where Revised Standard Version renders it “abundance”). For the whole clause here Revised English Bible has “the vast population in which Moab glories will be brought into contempt,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “Moab’s population, with all its huge multitude, shall shrink.” If a translator prefers to understand multitude as “wealth,” a possible rendering for this clause is “Moab’s pride in all its wealth will be humbled.” The translation of the verb phrase will be brought into contempt depends on the meaning given to glory and multitude. See the versions above and the examples below.
And those who survive will be very few and feeble: This is the second main clause. It contains another occurrence of Isaiah’s use of three synonymous expressions to emphasize a point. Masoretic Text reads literally “a remnant small few not great/mighty.” There is no verb, but many languages will have to provide one, such as “will remain.” In fact, some experts emend the Hebrew text to read “and there remain very few of them and they are not great/mighty” (so New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project favors Masoretic Text, but the meaning of both readings is the same. Feeble translates the Hebrew for “not great/mighty.” However, there is some doubt that the Hebrew text is correct since Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint repeat the word “glory.” The Hebrew consonants for the word meaning “great/mighty” are kbr and those for the word meaning “glory” are kbd, so copyists often confused them. Revised English Bible combines the Septuagint and Masoretic Text by saying “feeble and bereft of all honour.” However, with most modern translations we prefer keeping Masoretic Text. For this clause New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “Only a remnant shall be left, of no consequence,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “It will be reduced to nothing, an insignificant remnant.”
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• But now Yahweh says, “Three years from now, counting the way a hired servant keeps count, Moab’s pride in all its great wealth will be humbled. A remnant will remain, but it will be very small and weak.”
• But now Yahweh says, “In precisely three years’ time as contract laborers keep count, Moab’s vast population in which it takes pride will be cut off. A tiny remnant will be left, small and weak.”
• Now Yahweh says, “Moab’s glory will be cut off and only a tiny remnant left. This will all happen in exactly three years’ time, to the day. The remnant will be very tiny and weak.”
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 .