His breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck: His breath is another figure of speech for Yahweh’s anger (compare Exo 15.8; Psa 18.15). Good News Translation renders the Hebrew word for breath as “wind,” which is a possible meaning for this word, but most versions prefer “breath.” Here the prophet says Yahweh’s anger will be destructive like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck, which is a flooded river about to drown a person since it has reached the person’s neck (compare the use of same imagery in 8.8). Good News Translation says “a flood that carries everything away” (similarly Bible en français courant).

To sift the nations with the sieve of destruction changes the imagery radically. Here the prophet uses the metaphor of sifting with a sieve. A sieve is an instrument with a mesh bottom that is shaken to separate fine material from coarser worthless material, such as grain from pebbles. Yahweh will destroy his enemies like someone sifting worthless material from good material and destroying the worthless part. The nations does not refer to any specific enemy (see the comments on the Hebrew word here at 2.2). New International Version provides a helpful model here with “He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction.” If translators find the image of sifting difficult, a model with an alternative image is “He shakes the nations to destroy them.” Good News Translation provides another possibility: “It sweeps nations to destruction.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh changes the image of the sieve to a “yoke,” saying “To set a misguiding yoke upon nations” (similarly New English Bible). It probably does this to make its translation of this line into more parallel with the next one, which uses the metaphor of a bridle.

And to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray: This line is parallel with the previous one, but it uses the metaphor of a bridle to illustrate the punishment of Yahweh’s enemies. The peoples is synonymous with the nations, not referring to any particular nation (see 2.3). A bridle is a metal bit with reins which is placed in the mouth (jaws) of a horse in order to control it. Leads astray is a literal rendering of the Hebrew verb here. In this context it is better rendered “leads [them] away” since a bridle guides a horse. It implies taking people into exile in this setting of Yahweh punishing his enemies. Although most versions consulted render this verb in a way similar to Revised Standard Version, we suggest that translators adopt this view (see the examples below); for example, Bible en français courant translates this line as “a bridle to lead them where they do not want to go.” Contemporary English Version is similar with “Then he puts a bridle in every foreigner’s mouth and leads them to doom.” Whichever option translators choose, they should have a footnote giving the other one. Cultures that do not use bridles could say “he places a rope in the mouths of peoples to lead them away.” But it may be better to drop the imagery of horses completely by saying “he ties the peoples with a rope to lead them away.” Good News Translation simply has “and puts an end to their evil plans,” but this is not recommended.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• His breath is like a flooded river whose waters reach up to the neck.
He shakes nations in a sieve to destroy them,
he places a bridle in the mouths of peoples to lead them away.

• His anger pours out like a river overflowing its banks,
its waters threaten the lives of people.
He sifts the nations in a sieve to destroy them,
he places a bridle in their mouths to take them into exile.

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 .