Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem: The prophet calls on the exiles from the ruined city of Jerusalem to join in the joyful shouting. For Break forth together into singing, see the comments on 14.7. Into singing renders the same Hebrew verb translated “sing for joy” in the previous verse. The adverb together is also repeated. For waste places of Jerusalem, see the comments on 51.3. Good News Translation and many other versions render waste places as “ruins.”

For the LORD has comforted his people: The Hebrew particle ki rendered for introduces two reasons for shouting joyfully. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant leave this connector implied, but Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch expresses it with “because.” The LORD has comforted his people is the first reason for joy. The verb comforted repeats the theme of comfort begun in 40.1 (see also 49.13; 51.3, 12, 19). The verb rendered has comforted is in the perfect form in Hebrew. It has the same form in 51.3, but Revised Standard Version used the future tense there, saying “will comfort.” The Hebrew perfect form is used in both passages to stress the certainty of God’s future comfort. We recommend that translators use the same verb tense for has comforted as in 51.3. Good News Translation has future tense in both passages. If translators use future tense, it may help to add an adverb such as “surely” or “certainly” to stress the certainty of what is about to happen.

He has redeemed Jerusalem is parallel to the previous line as the second reason for joy. Yahweh will also bring the exiles back to Jerusalem, which will bring them comfort. The Hebrew verb rendered has redeemed is in the same perfect form as the previous one, so translators should use the same verb tense here. For redeemed see Isa 52.3. Good News Translation renders this line as “The LORD will rescue his city,” while Bible en français courant (1997) and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch say “he frees Jerusalem.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Shout together with joy,
ruined city of Jerusalem,
because the LORD comforts his people,
he restores his city.

• Cry out with joy together,
[people from the] devastated city of Jerusalem,
for Yahweh will surely bring comfort to you, his people,
and truly restore Jerusalem.

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 .