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19 Surely a people shall dwell in Zion. In Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will certainly have mercy upon you at the voice of your cry. When He hears you, He will answer you.

20 And when the LORD has given you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, your rain shall be kept back no more. But your eyes shall see your rain.

21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.

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19 For people will live in Zion;
in Jerusalem you will weep no more.[a]
When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;
when he hears it, he will respond to you.[b]
20 The Lord[c] will give you distress to eat
and suffering to drink;[d]
but your teachers will no longer be hidden;
your eyes will see them.[e]
21 You[f] will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,
“This is the correct[g] way, walk in it,”
whether you are heading to the right or the left.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 30:19 tn Heb “For people in Zion will live; in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”
  2. Isaiah 30:19 tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
  3. Isaiah 30:20 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
  4. Isaiah 30:20 tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread—distress, and water—oppression.”
  5. Isaiah 30:20 tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden; your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ (morekha) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93.ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה. For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.
  6. Isaiah 30:21 tn Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  7. Isaiah 30:21 tn The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.