He gives power to the faint. Those who are feeling weak can depend on God to give them new power. The Hebrew word for power occurred earlier in verse 26. The Hebrew adjective rendered faint comes from same root as the verb translated “faint” in the previous verse. The faint is singular in Hebrew, but it has a collective sense, so Good News Translation says “those who are weak.”

And to him who has no might he increases strength: This line is parallel and synonymous in meaning with the previous one. Him who has no might is literally “those [men] who have no might.” Even though the masculine form is used here, this relative clause refers to all men and women who have lost energy and vigor. To such people God can give new energy, thereby renewing and revitalizing them. The Hebrew word for might occurred earlier in verse 26. The Hebrew verb for increases can be rendered as a future, shifting the emphasis from a statement about what God does to a promise about what he will do, but no version consulted does this.

Good News Translation combines the two lines of this verse into one. While this retains the sense of the verse, some of the emphasis in Hebrew is inevitably lost.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• He gives strength to any who feel faint,
and gives new energy to any who feel weary.

• He will strengthen those who are tired,
he will energize those who are weary.

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 .