The Hebrew particle rendered For does not introduce a reason for something here, but it is simply used for emphasis. It may be rendered “Indeed” or “Truly” in this context. It is also possible to link it in translation to the next word behold; see the following paragraph.
The Hebrew word translated behold marks a special call for the audience’s attention. So this section begins with two words, For and behold, that serve to get the attention of the audience in an intensive way at the beginning of a new discourse. Behold does not require a literal translation in the sense of “Look!” although this may be the most natural way of rendering it in many languages. Other natural ways for catching the readers’ attention may be available in the receptor language. New International Version renders For, behold as “See now,” while Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible simply have “Now.” Another possibility is “Understand this.” Contemporary English Version and Bible en français courant do not use any words of emphasis and simply rely on the section break and heading to mark the beginning of this new discourse.
The Lord, the LORD of hosts: See the comments on 1.24.
Is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah: In Hebrew the construction rendered behold … is taking away marks an action that is about to happen. Therefore it is legitimate to render the verb here with the future tense; for example, Bible en français courant has “will deprive.” Good News Translation is similar with “is about to take away.” Taking away means to “remove / deprive / get rid of.” For the significance of Jerusalem and Judah, see the comments on 1.1.
Stay and staff: These are two items Yahweh will remove. Stay and staff render two forms of the same Hebrew word; the first one is a masculine form and the second one is feminine. They both refer to a stick on which to lean for support, but they are used figuratively here for anything that gives support. The prophet probably has created this unusual combination in order to stress the completeness of the removal. Revised English Bible says “every prop and stay” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), while New International Version has “both supply and support,” which fits the next lines well. Since staff and stay are synonymous, translators may simply say “every support.” Good News Translation is very explicit concerning this support by saying “everything and everyone that the people depend on.” By mentioning “everyone,” Good News Translation has prepared the reader for the next verse where people are listed. For natural style some languages may require the objects staff and stay to come right after the verb; for example, the first half the of verse may be rendered “Now truly the Lord … will take away all support from Jerusalem and Judah.”
The whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water explains more fully what the term stay in the preceding line means. The two items, bread and water, can be taken in a literal sense. Then their removal refers to a famine in the country such as described in 1.7. It is likely, however, that these words refer more broadly to all the basic necessities that make life possible in a normal society. All the translations consulted render the terms bread and water literally. Translators may render bread and water more broadly as “food” and “drink.” Revised English Bible places the last two lines of this verse in a footnote, calling them an addition to the Hebrew text. We do not recommend this.
Some translation examples for this verse are:
• Now truly the Master, Yahweh of hosts, will soon remove
every support from Jerusalem and Judah,
every support of bread
and every support of water.
• Indeed, now, the Lord, Yahweh of hosts
is about to take away all support
from Jerusalem and Judah;
he will take away all food and water.
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 .