complete verse (Isaiah 30:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 30:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “And in those days
    when your enemies shall be destroyed
    and a lot of blood shall be shed,
    there shall be streams in every hill
    and every mountain.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “On the day [when] many are slaughtered, when the towers collapse, at that time flood waters will flow in all the hills and high mountains.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “At that time that your (plur.) enemies will-be-killed and their towers will-be-destroyed, the water will-flow from every high mountain.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “At that time, when your enemies have been slaughtered and their towers have collapsed/been destroyed, there will be streams flowing down every hill and mountain in Judah.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 30:25

This verse introduces more blessings that will come in the future for the people of Judah.

And upon every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water: The words mountain and hill occurred together earlier in verse 17. The parallel phrases every lofty mountain and every high hill probably refer to former pagan worship places (see the comments on “high places” at 15.2). From these high locations there will flow brooks running with water, which is literally “channels of streams of water.” The Hebrew terms for “channels” and “streams” indicate that these are permanent streams, not ones that flow only after a heavy rain. New Jerusalem Bible retains two nouns for these streams, saying “streams and water-courses” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Good News Translation simply says “streams of water.”

In the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall: This time clause probably refers to the punishment of Judah’s enemies (so Good News Translation, which is a little too specific here). It contrasts with the fresh, running water. The great slaughter refers to the killing of many people. When the towers fall refers to the destruction of city towers. For towers see the comments on 2.15. The verb fall may refer to the towers literally toppling over, but it is more likely a figurative expression for their destruction, since many of them were too large to actually fall over. In some languages this whole time clause may be placed at the beginning of the verse for naturalness (so Good News Translation, New International Version).

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• And on every high mountain and every high hill there will be brooks and permanent streams at the time when there is great slaughter and the destruction of fortresses.

• When there is great slaughter and fortresses are destroyed, there will be brooks and permanent watercourses on every high mountain and every tall hill.

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 .