5Now therefore what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is despised.
The English that is translated as “says the Lord” or “says the Lord God” is translated in some influential French translations as oracle de Yahvé (La Bible de Jérusalem) oracle du Seigneur (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), and oracle de l’Éternel (Nouvelle Version Segond Révisée 1978) or “oracle (authoritative statement) of YHWH (or: the Lord).”
Timothy Lloyd Wilt (in The Bible Translator 1999, p. 301ff. ) describes the Hebrew ne’um (adonay) YHWH (quoting S. Meier, 1992) as “a highly marked expression (…) Hebrew does not characteristically repunctuate quoted discourse with reminders of the quote’s source, making this particle’s function quite distinctive and certainly unique in its frequency and distribution.”
The French translations above are emulating this with their distinct wording containing the French oracle.
Similarly, the French translation by Chouraqui uses harangue de or “harangue (or: ‘sermon’) of YHWH” and the English translation by Fox uses Utterance of YHWH. Both of these translations are Jewish translations that attempt to emulate the Hebraic nature of the original text. (Source: Drew Maust) Likewise, the translation by Goldingay (2018) has Yahweh’s declaration, typically set in parentheses: (Yahweh’s declaration).
The translation into Kera marks this by using the equivalent of “the words of me, YHWH” (source: Jackie Hainaut) and a language in West Africa, belonging to the Mande language family, uses a honorific form of “say,” that is only used for speech from God or his prophets. Both of these languages are spoken in francophone Africa.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 52:5:
Kupsabiny: “But what is it now again? My people have been taken and driven away as prisoners. The people of that country persecute my people and my name is mocked the whole day.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Now what do I have here?" says the LORD Almighty, "for my people have been taken away without reason, and they are ridiculed by those who rule them," declares the LORD Almighty. "My name is being disgraced the whole day.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “And now what also/next has-happened to you (plur.)? You (plur.) were-taken-captive by Babilonia which just had no value/benefit. They rule-over you (plur.) and criticize. They always blaspheme me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But now think about what is happening: My people are being forced to be slaves again, this time by the people of Babylonia. And those who have conquered them this time have also paid me nothing, and they despise me continually.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
Now therefore …: The Hebrew word rendered Now can refer to the present time in contrast with “at the first” and “later” in verse 4 (so New International Version). It can also mark a change of direction in God’s thought; that is to say, while verse 4 points back to two events in Israel’s past, verse 5 speaks of the new development that their present situation represents. Therefore renders the common Hebrew connector. Now therefore is better translated “And now” (Good News Translation) or “But now” (Revised English Bible). Bible en français courant begins with “In the present situation….”
What have I here…? is a rhetorical question the LORD asks as he thinks to himself. The Hebrew text is literally “who have I here,” but most commentators recognize that what have I here gives the correct sense. The question relates to the present situation, so here refers to Babylonia (so Good News Translation). The LORD is expressing strongly that he knows what the Babylonians have done to his people. The Hebrew of this question is idiomatic, so there is a variety of renderings; for example, “what do I have here?” (New International Version), “What … do I gain here?” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly Bible en français courant), “what do I find here?” (Revised English Bible), and “what is to be done…?” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly New Revised Standard Version). Good News Translation expresses it as a statement, saying “in Babylonia the same thing has happened.” In languages where rhetorical questions are not commonly used, another possible model is “I [think I] know what I have here.”
For the two occurrences of says the LORD (literally “declaration of the LORD”), see the comments on 43.10 and 49.18. Translators may place this quote frame at the beginning, middle or end of the LORD’s words, depending on what is most natural. Good News Translation leaves it implied.
Seeing that my people are taken away for nothing is the content of what the LORD is thinking. He knows the Babylonians took his people into exile. Seeing that renders the Hebrew particle ki, which introduces the LORD’s thoughts. My people is another reminder to the exiles that they still belong to Yahweh; he has not abandoned them. The passive verb are taken away may require an active form in some languages. If so, translators may specify Babylonia as the agent. Contemporary English Version provides another possibility by beginning this clause with “another nation has taken you prisoner….” For nothing renders the Hebrew expression translated the same way in verse 3, where it occurs in the metaphor of selling Israel without receiving payment from the Babylonians. New Revised Standard Version translates it “without cause” to link it back to verse 4 instead of verse 3. This is a valid option, but it more likely has the sense of no money being paid as in verse 3 (so most versions consulted).
Their rulers wail: This clause raises two problems that are linked; one is lexical, the other exegetical. The lexical problem involves the Hebrew verb rendered wail (see the comments on this verb at 13.6). It could come from a different Hebrew root that means to “howl [in triumph] / mock / boast.” The choice of verb will determine who their rulers are, which is the exegetical problem. If the verb is wail, then their rulers are probably the leaders of the Israelite exiles (so RSV/NRSV, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible); if the verb is “mock/boast,” then they are probably the Babylonians (so Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant). Since the versions are quite divided on the verb here, translators may choose either one. They should provide a footnote to give the alternative rendering. In a study Bible the possible meanings could be clarified.
And continually all the day my name is despised: The immediate meaning of this emphatic expression is that the rulers despise the LORD’s name, Yahweh, all the time. Its deeper meaning is that they hold Yahweh in complete contempt, they reject him and his word. This may well refer to the Israelite leaders, since many of them resisted the prophet’s word of promise that a foreign agent would set them free to return (see 45.9-13). They also complained bitterly that Yahweh had forgotten them (49.14). If the rulers are the Babylonians, then they mock Yahweh by rejecting the possibility that the exiles can be freed from their control and allowed to return to Jerusalem. They mock Yahweh’s power to set his people free. Both views are possible. My name refers to Yahweh himself, not just to his name (see the comments on 12.4). For this line Good News Translation has “and constantly show contempt for me.”
Translation examples for this verse are:
• So now, what is the situation here?” asks Yahweh.
“My people have been taken away without payment.
Their leaders complain,” says Yahweh,
“and my name is constantly dishonored.
• So then, I know what the situation is here,” says the LORD.
“Without payment they have taken away my people.
Those who oppress them boast,” says the LORD,
“they show their contempt of me unceasingly.
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 .
or “harangue (or: ‘sermon’) of YHWH” and the English translation by Fox uses Utterance of YHWH. Both of these translations are Jewish translations that attempt to emulate the Hebraic nature of the original text. (Source: Drew Maust) Likewise, the translation by Goldingay (2018) has Yahweh’s declaration, typically set in parentheses: (Yahweh’s declaration).
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