Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch begins this verse with “The LORD says” to indicate Yahweh is speaking here (similarly Contemporary English Version). It closes his speech at the end of verse 8. This is a valid model.

Ho…! translates the usual Hebrew particle that begins a Woe Oracle; see the comments on “Woe” at 5.8. Translators should try to render it consistently. Good News Translation uses “… is doomed!” The word Ho is not recommended since it introduces a call, not a threat.

Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped: The repetition of Ariel highlights the threat here. This name is applied to David’s city Jerusalem in these lines. The meaning of the Hebrew word for Ariel is uncertain. It may mean “lion [of] God.” Another suggestion is that it refers to the top of the altar of burnt offerings in the Temple, so Revised Standard Version renders it “altar hearth” in Ezek 43.15-16. This explains why Good News Translation renders it “God’s altar” here. Contemporary English Version is similar with “the place of my altar.” The meaning “altar” seems to fit best in verse 2, which refers to “an Ariel” (see the comments there). Whatever the specific meaning of Ariel, it is clear that it refers to the city of Jerusalem here. In translation we recommend that the name Ariel be retained, possibly followed by the name “Jerusalem.” Bible en français courant (1997) begins this verse with “What a tragedy, Ariel, Ariel, city of Jerusalem…!” Instead of mentioning “Jerusalem” in the text, it could be done in a footnote.

Ariel is described as the city where David encamped. It seems that the most likely meaning is “the city that David besieged.” Bible en français courant has “city of Jerusalem that David came to besiege.” This meaning is supported by the use of the same verb “encamp” in verse 3, where it is parallel with “besiege” and “raise siegeworks.” If encamped means “besieged,” this line refers to David’s siege of the city when the Jebusites lived there (see 2 Sam 5.6-10). But for others, encamped here simply means “resided,” suggesting David’s later occupation of the city (so Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible). For this line New International Version has “the city where David settled.” Both options are valid, but we slightly prefer the first one with the sense of “besieged.”

Add year to year is a sarcastic command that is similar in meaning with the following parallel line, which speaks about festivals. It has the sense of observing the regular religious festivals each year. We may say “Let year after year continue to go by” and link it closely to the mention of the festivals in the next line. Contemporary English Version combines both lines, saying “Celebrate your festivals year after year.”

Let the feasts run their round: The Hebrew term translated feasts does not refer to secular or ordinary celebrations, but to the special religious festivals that the people came to each year in Jerusalem. Though Yahweh calls for the continuation of this practice, there is sarcasm here. He is not really urging the people to be more religious, since in verse 13 he mentions they were involved in many religious activities already. Rather, he is warning them that religious activities will not save them from the coming punishment. Bible en français courant expresses this clearly by rendering the last half of this verse and the beginning of the next one as “However much you maintain the whole cycle of festivals, year after year, 2 I will punish you….” Good News Translation has “Let another year or two come and go, with its feasts and festivals, 2 and then God will bring disaster….” According to this rendering, God will let some time go by before he punishes his people. However, the commands in the last two lines are intended as challenges to meaningless rounds of religious activity.

Some examples that express the sarcasm in this verse are:

• Alas, Ariel, oh Ariel, Jerusalem that David besieged! Let the annual round continue! Keep up your regular pilgrimage festivals!

• Woe to you Ariel, Ariel, city besieged by David!
You might as well continue year after year,
keeping up the/your round of religious festivals!

• Ariel, Ariel, city of David [or, where David settled], you are doomed!
It does not matter how much you keep up, year after year,
your [cycle of] religious festivals….

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 .