The theme of foreign nations serving Judah, developed in verses 10-11, continues here. In Masoretic Text this verse is in prose (so Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant) rather than in poetry, so some commentators suggest it is a later insertion. However, this suggestion about the date of the verse has no relevance for the translator, whether it has merit or not.
The Hebrew particle ki rendered For is not a logical connector here, but an emphatic marker, so it is better rendered “Indeed.” Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch use the conjunction “But.”
The nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish promises the complete destruction of the foreign nations that are not subservient to Judah. The nation and kingdom refers to all nations and kingdoms known to Judah. Good News Translation combines these two terms into “nations.” The Hebrew verb rendered serve is the common one that refers to service or slavery. Not only will the foreign nations bring gifts to the people of Judah (verses 5-7), they will also serve them. If they refuse to do so, they shall perish, that is, they will be destroyed.
Those nations shall be utterly laid waste is parallel to the previous two lines. Those nations is literally “the nations,” but it is clear that the nations just mentioned are in view. Shall be utterly laid waste is literally “laying waste they will be laid waste,” which means they will be completely destroyed/devastated. In the Hebrew the verb is repeated (first as an infinitive and then as a finite verb) for emphasis. For the verb laid waste, see the comments on 37.18.
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• Indeed, any nation or kingdom that will not serve you will be destroyed; those nations will be completely devastated.
• Nations may refuse to serve you,
but truly, they will be destroyed;
such nations will be wiped out.
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 .