As in the previous section, the LORD is the speaker here. Good News Translation begins this verse with the quote frame “The LORD says” to make clear who is speaking. As in verse 1|prj:GNTD.Isa 54.1, Good News Translation and Bible en français courant make it explicit here that Jerusalem is the addressee. In some languages it is inappropriate to address a city, so translators may prefer to say “people of Jerusalem.” But this change will be difficult to carry throughout the section, because it speaks of the city’s stones, foundations, walls, towers, and gates. But if such a change is unavoidable for reasons of style and clarity, translators might consider the following rendering for this verse: “O people of Jerusalem who are afflicted, storm-tossed … Behold I will set the stones of your city in antimony … and lay its foundations with sapphires.”

O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted: Revised Standard Version adds O to indicate that this is a vocative expression. The three phrases that follow O describe Jerusalem, the addressee. The Hebrew word rendered afflicted one refers to someone who is poor, weak, sick, and helpless (see the comments on 3.14, where it is translated “poor”). Here it describes Jerusalem’s poor condition after the Babylonians destroyed it and sent its leading citizens into exile. The Hebrew passive verb rendered storm-tossed means “to be battered by storms.” It is a figure of speech describing how the city was attacked and beaten by a violent enemy. Not comforted means the city has continued to suffer without any lessening of its pain. It feels abandoned because nobody cares about it.

Translators need to consider how to render these three descriptive phrases together, placing them in an order that is most natural in their language. Here are some models: “O Jerusalem, you suffering, helpless city, with no one to comfort you” (Good News Translation), “Unfortunate Jerusalem, shaken by the storm, without a person to comfort you!” (Bible en français courant), “Storm-battered city, distressed and desolate” (Revised English Bible), and “O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted” (New International Version). For the figurative expression storm-tossed, Good News Translation has “helpless.” Other possible nonfigurative renderings are “attacked/conquered by an enemy,” “ravaged/destroyed,” and “crushed / ruined / torn down.”

Behold calls attention to God’s promise that follows. New Jerusalem Bible has “look,” but most versions omit it. Languages that have a natural equivalent for behold should include it.

I will set your stones in antimony: The Hebrew verb rendered set means to lay something down, just as someone lays down bricks or other objects to form a pavement (so New American Bible). The versions provide different models for rendering this verb, depending on the sense they give for the Hebrew word puk translated antimony. In 2 Kgs 9.30 and Jer 4.20 puk refers to a cosmetic powder that women apply to the edges of their eyelids. That does not appear to be its sense here unless it is used figuratively. Only Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version render it antimony, which is a natural, stone-like element with a whitish color. Other versions tend to use the names of precious stones; for example, “turquoise” (New International Version), “agates” (New Jerusalem Bible), “carbuncles” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “carnelians” (New American Bible). Contemporary English Version uses the general expression “precious stones,” and Bible en français courant is similar with “decorated stone.” Revised English Bible renders puk as “finest mortar,” which we prefer. For this whole line it has “I shall set your stones in the finest mortar.” As in Contemporary English Version and Bible en français courant, translators may also use a general expression for puk by rendering this line as “I will rebuild you with precious stones.”

And lay your foundations with sapphires is parallel to the previous line. The LORD will use sapphires for the foundations of the city. For lay … foundations, see the comments on 28.16. Foundations give stability to a building or wall. The Hebrew word for sapphires is more accurately rendered “lapis lazuli” (so RSV footnote), which is a dark blue semiprecious stone. Most versions use “sapphires,” but Contemporary English Version has “blue sapphires.” In languages where sapphires are unknown, translators may use a generic expression, such as “precious stones” or “[carved] stones of high value.” Good News Translation combines this line with the previous one, saying “I will rebuild your foundations with precious stones.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• “O suffering one, battered and left without comfort,
look, I will set your stones with [the finest/best] mortar,
and build your foundations with lapis lazuli.

• “You poor, battered and abandoned city,
see now, I will lay down your stones with [fine] mortar,
and make your foundations with [very] precious stones.

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 .