In this verse the prophet brings six additional accusations against the people. Each accusation has a legal flavor.

No one enters suit justly, no one goes to law honestly: These two parallel accusations are literally “There is not one who calls for justice, and there is not one who goes to court with honesty.” In each line the Hebrew particle meaning “there is not” is followed by a participle describing those who are accused. The Hebrew verb rendered enters suit normally means “call” (so New International Version), but in the context of “justice” it takes on a legal sense, namely, to bring a legal case or accusation against another (compare Job 19.7). When taking someone to court, the people do so not to seek justice but rather for some other, devious reason.

No one goes to law honestly makes the same accusation as the previous line. When the people bring a legal case against someone, they do not tell the truth. The Hebrew participle rendered goes to law is an unusual passive form of the root “to judge.” Here this participle most likely means “to go to court against someone.”

Translators will need to consider how to render these two parallel lines without awkward repetition. Bible en français courant provides a helpful model with “You bring dishonest complaints before the court, you argue there unfairly,” and so does Revised English Bible with “No one sues with just cause, no one makes an honest plea in court.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders these lines quite concisely but correctly as follows: “No one sues justly Or pleads honestly.”

They rely on empty pleas, they speak lies: The people have no solid evidence to support the cases they take before to court, so they make false accusations. They rely on empty pleas is literally “they trust on emptiness.” The Hebrew word for “emptiness” occurs in Gen 1.2, where it is rendered “without form” (see the comments on 24.10). The Hebrew noun rendered lies is synonymous, meaning “emptiness/vanity.” Good News Translation combines these two clauses, saying “You depend on lies to win your case.” Bible en français courant keeps both of them with “You rely on empty evidence, your arguments are without foundation.” The first clause draws attention to the useless arguments that the accusers put before the court, while the second one refers to the misleading and deceptive speeches they make there.

They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity: These final two parallel accusations use the imagery of conception and birth (compare Job 15.35). The people plan trouble and produce evil, which are interrelated actions. The Hebrew noun rendered mischief means “troublesome toil” or “hard labor.” The English term mischief suggests some misconduct that is not a very serious matter; it could even be something playful—a prank. New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible are better with “trouble.” The Hebrew word for iniquity differs from the one used in verses 2-3. See the comments on 1.13, where it first occurs. In this context it carries the sense of evil and deception, relating closely with the accusation that the people were using lies and deception to win their legal cases. New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh use the word “evil.” Some versions drop the imagery of conception and birth; for example, Good News Translation has “You carry out your plans to hurt others,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “You develop plans, to throw others into ruin.” Bible en français courant keeps the image of birth, but not conception: “you carry in yourselves the desire to hurt others, and you give birth to nothing else but misfortune.” Another possible model is “You plan in your heart to hurt others, and you carry out those plans to create evil/misfortune.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• No one goes to court seeking justice,
no one brings charges in honesty.
They rely upon worthless arguments,
they tell lies.
They conceive trouble,
they give birth to evil.

• Nobody seeks justice when they go to court,
nobody accuses another honestly.
Empty arguments are what they trust in,
they tell lies.
They plan to create trouble,
and produce evil deeds.

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 .