And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down, lay low, and cast to the ground: Yahweh will demolish the high fortified walls that surround and defend Moab’s cities. For walls see the comments at 2.15. Since the walls themselves are the fortifications, the high fortifications of his walls may be rendered “the high walls that fortify its cities” or “the high walls for the fortification of its cities.” Good News Translation suggests “the fortresses of Moab with their high walls,” which is a good model. Good News Translation also places this direct object after the verb for naturalness. Many other languages will find this helpful. His walls is literally “your [singular] walls” (so New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NJPSV footnote|prj:NJPS.Isa 25.12, Bible en français courant). The second person pronoun “your” refers to Moab. Since the other references to Moab in this context are in the third person, many versions say “his” (RSV/NRSV), “their” (Contemporary English Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “Moab” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) for naturalness.

Three synonymous verb phrases describe the destruction of Moab’s walls: bring down, lay low, and cast to the ground. This repetition emphasizes the action; it also underlines that it will happen. As noted earlier, Isaiah frequently piles up three or four synonymous expressions to make a point. The verb lay low is repeated from the previous verse. If translators cannot find three equivalent verbs here, they may combine them into one or two striking expressions, as Good News Translation has done. It is important that the same emphasis be maintained. For the action of battering down walls, see 22.5.

Even to the dust further stresses the completeness of the destruction of the cities’ defenses.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Moab’s fortresses with their high walls, Yahweh will pull down, smash down, and level to the ground, even into the dust.

• Yahweh will pull down, demolish, and raze to the ground, even into the dust, the high walls that fortify Moab’s cities.

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 .