Here Yahweh challenges the other nations in court to prove that they are able to accurately predict events before they happen (compare 41.21-23).

Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble: Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation render these two synonymous parallel lines as commands for the other nations to come to court also. However, the forms of the Hebrew verbs here indicate that these lines are statements, which say the nations have gathered together already. Revised English Bible expresses them correctly with “All the nations are gathered together and the peoples assembled” (similarly New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things?: These two parallel rhetorical questions imply that not one of the nations has predicted something accurately before it happened. Who among them can declare this means none of them foretold the current events. For Good News Translation the pronoun them refers to the gods of the nations, but it more likely points back to the nations themselves. The Hebrew verb rendered declare has the sense of “predict” (Good News Translation) in this context. New International Version expresses it well with “foretold.” The demonstrative pronoun this refers to current historical events, including the military victories of Cyrus the Persian emperor. An alternative rendering that makes this explicit is “things that are happening now.”

And show us the former things means none of the nations predicted past events correctly. The verb show (literally “cause to hear”) is synonymous with declare, so it may be rendered “foretold” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “predicted.” The former things refers to past events (see the comments on 41.22).

For Good News Translation there is a contrast between “the future” and “what is happening now” in these two questions. However, it should be between “what is happening now” and “the past.” For languages that do not favor the use of rhetorical questions, these two lines may be rendered as a strong statement; for example, “No one among them has predicted what is happening now and told us beforehand about past events” (see also the second example below).

Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, It is true: Here Yahweh challenges the nations to bring in witnesses to prove that they have predicted past and current events accurately. If they can do so, then the members of the court will know that they have the ability to predict world events. These two parallel lines are literally “Let them bring their witnesses, and let them justify, and let them hear, and let them say, ‘Truth.’” There are four jussive verbs here in Hebrew. “Let them justify” means “let them prove they were correct.” Revised English Bible says “[let them] prove their case.” The first two occurrences of the pronoun them refers to the nations, but the last occurrence in and let them hear and say probably points to the members of the court. New International Version uses “others” for the last pronoun, and Revised English Bible has “people.” These general expressions fit well here. It is true is literally “Truth.” This direct quote means the witnesses must prove that the nations accurately predicted past and current events. For languages that prefer indirect speech here, the last line may be rendered “and let others listen and say that they were right” (see also the first example below).

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• All the nations have come together,
the peoples have gathered.
Which of them has predicted what is happening now,
and told us beforehand about past events?
Let them bring their witnesses to show they were correct,
and let people hear and state that they were correct.

• All the nations have gathered together,
the peoples have assembled.
None of them have predicted this,
and told us about past events before they happened.
Let them bring out witnesses to prove they were right,
and let others listen and tell [us], ‘They were correct.’

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 .