This verse gives two more reasons why the women should mourn. Their productive soil will produce only weeds, and their homes where they experience joy will be destroyed.

For the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers: The soil of my people refers to the ground that the prophet’s people cultivate. The pronoun my shows that he identifies with them as his fellow citizens. The ground will only grow thorns and briers. For this word pair, see the comments on 5.6 even though a different Hebrew word for thorns is used there.

Yea, for all the joyous houses in the joyful city: The Hebrew particle ki rendered yea is an emphatic marker here. It draws the readers’ attention from the fields to the people’s homes. New Jerusalem Bible renders it simply “and,” but it is better to use an emphatic marker. The women are to mourn not only because their fields will become unproductive, but also because their homes will be destroyed. The joyous houses means their homes are happy places (see the comments at 24.11, where the Hebrew word for joyous is rendered “gladness”). The joyful city refers to the city of Jerusalem as a place where they constantly celebrate (see the comments at 24.8, where the Hebrew word for joyful is translated “jubilant”). Good News Translation says “the city that was full of life,” Revised English Bible has “the bustling city,” and New International Version uses “this city of revelry.”

For the translation of this verse we suggest the following examples:

• … for the ground that my people cultivate,
which will soon have only thorns and briers;
yes, also for the homes in the city of joy,
homes that are now so happy.

• … and the soil that our people work will grow only thorns and briers.
Yes, weep also for happy homes of the joyous city.

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 .