Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste: This verse forms an inclusio with verse 1 since it is almost identical with the second and third lines of that verse. See the comments there. This verse replaces “Tyre” (literally “it”) with your stronghold. It also lacks the phrase “without house or haven.” Instead of your stronghold, Revised English Bible and Bible en français courant say “your haven,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “your port.” With Hebrew Old Testament Text Project we recommend your stronghold. For stronghold see verses 4 and 11.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Cry in grief, you sailors returning from Tarshish,
for your stronghold/fortress is destroyed.

• Grieve deeply, you ships returning from Tarshish
for your place of refuge has been destroyed.

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 .