Behold translates a Hebrew particle with the special function of calling attention. The worshiper very much wants people to hear his testimony. In some languages an exclamation such as “Look!” will be quite natural in this context.

God is my salvation: The person acknowledges that God has saved him. Translating the Hebrew abstract noun rendered salvation with an equivalent abstract noun may not be the best way to convey the sense of the statement. A verb may express it better, for example, “God is the one who saved me!” Good News Translation is also helpful with “God is my savior.”

I will trust, and will not be afraid: In many languages the verb trust will need an object, for example, “I will trust him.” The key expression not be afraid occurs a number of times in Isaiah. One of Isaiah’s important calls to his hearers is “do not fear” (see 7.4; 8.12; 10.24). Here the worshiper has experienced God’s rescue, so he knows he can trust God and has nothing further to fear. The object of the verb be afraid is general; it cannot be the same as that of the previous verb trust. Those languages requiring the verb to have an object may say “I will not be afraid of anything.”

For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song: The connector for introduces the reason for the trust and the lack of fear; it is because God gives strength. The Hebrew particle rendered for can also serve as a strong assertion, meaning “indeed” or “truly,” so the line may be translated “The LORD GOD is indeed my strength….” Good News Translation leaves this particle implied.

There are several issues to deal with in this line. First, in Masoretic Text the LORD GOD is literally Yah Yahweh. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project strongly endorses this reading. Many translations render it as though it were Yahweh ʿelohim by saying “the LORD God” (so Contemporary English Version). Revised Standard Version tries to avoid this by putting GOD in small capital letters. Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch evade the issue by simply saying “the LORD/Lord.” The use of Yah, which is the shortened form of Yahweh, occurs in a similar context in 38.11 as well as in some Psalms and Exo 15.2. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh gives a literal rendering here, saying “Yah the LORD.” New Revised Standard Version has the same reading in its footnote. New International Version tries to reflect Masoretic Text with “The LORD, the LORD,” but this is not very natural, and it does not do justice to the fact that this is a combined form and not a repetition. “The LORD GOD” is a good solution if small capital letters are used in a language. If the name “Yah” is used in the text, then a footnote will be needed to let readers know that it is a shortened form of the name “Yahweh,” Israel’s God.

The speaker describes Yahweh as his strength, which means Yahweh is the one who gives him strength (see the translation examples below).

As for my song, the pronominal suffix my is not in the Hebrew text, though it is the first letter of the following word “Yah.” It is quite possible that a copyist omitted the pronoun, so my song would be an appropriate reading. However, many commentators believe the reference to song is out of place here. Another meaning of the Hebrew noun rendered song is “power/might” (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Revised English Bible suggests “defence.” But there is no serious reason why the word song is inappropriate in a hymn of thanksgiving, so we suggest keeping it. The LORD … is … my song means the worshiper sings about the LORD.

And he has become my salvation repeats the idea of line 1. Normally translators will repeat the terms used there, but variation is possible as in the first example below.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Listen to this! God is my Savior; I will trust him and not fear anything, since Yah the LORD is the one who strengthens me and the one I sing about; he is the one who has saved me.

• Listen! God has saved me, so I will trust him and never be afraid of anyone. Yah the LORD gives me strength, he is the one I sing praises to; he has saved me.

• Hear this! God has saved me so I trust him and never fear.
Indeed, the LORD GOD gives me strength;
he is the one I sing about.
He has saved me.

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 .