For thus says the Lord GOD: This verse begins in almost the same way as the previous verse (see the comments there). Instead of “the LORD,” it has the Lord GOD (literally “my Master Yahweh”; see the comments on 3.15). The use of the divine quote frame again marks this verse as a statement separate from verse 3. As noted above, Good News Translation combines this quote frame with the one in the previous verse. Bible en français courant (1997) keeps it but links it to the previous one by saying “And here is what the Lord God declares again.”

My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there refers to the Israelite ancestors going to Egypt because of the famine in Canaan (Gen 46–47). At the first (“Long ago” in New Revised Standard Version) points to the early period of Israel’s history. To sojourn there means they intended to stay only a short time in Egypt, not permanently. The Hebrew verb for sojourn indicates a temporary stay. New Revised Standard Version renders to sojourn there as “to live there as aliens” (similarly Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible), which implies it was a difficult experience. Good News Translation adds the idea that the Israelites went to Egypt “freely” to contrast with the Assyrians taking them “by force” in the next clause. However, the text does not support this addition.

And the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing: And renders the common Hebrew connector. For Good News Translation it introduces a contrast between the people going to Egypt voluntarily long ago, and their being taken as captives to Assyria later in their history, so it uses the conjunction “however” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh with “But”). For most versions there is no contrast between this clause and the previous one, since the Israelites experienced oppression in both Egypt and Assyria; for example, New Revised Standard Version begins this clause with “the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them….” Translators may express coordination or contrast here. The Hebrew expression rendered for nothing differs from the one translated “for nothing” in verses 3 and 5. For Good News Translation both expressions refers to the idea of no money, so here it has “paid nothing for you” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The Hebrew noun for nothing can refer to the end of something, its extremity, so Revised English Bible has “in the end” (similarly Bible en français courant), which means later in time than the Egyptian oppression. New International Version is similar with “lately.” This Hebrew noun can also point to “nothingness” (see 40.17), so New Revised Standard Version has “without cause” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), meaning that the Assyrians oppressed the Israelites unjustly or without good reason when they took them captive.

In conclusion, translators have some choices to make regarding the translation of this verse. They should aim at a rendering that places verse 4 as meaningfully as possible within the context of verses 3 and 5. But a completely clear and logical sequence of thought may be difficult to obtain. For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Now, this is what my Lord Yahweh says:
“My people went down to Egypt initially to live there for some time,
and the Assyrians subsequently oppressed them.

• Now this is what my Master Yahweh says:
“My people went down to Egypt initially
to live there as strangers/foreigners.
However, no payment was made
when Assyria took them captive.

• My Lord Yahweh says:
“My people went to Egypt at first to live there;
later they were made to suffer under the Assyrians.

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 .