Who frustrates the omens of liars is literally “who breaks the signs of empty talkers.” In this context the Hebrew verb translated frustrates has the sense of preventing something from happening (compare 14.27, where the same verb is rendered “annul”). Omens refers to the signs that show what the future will be (see the comments on 7.11, where the Hebrew word here is rendered “sign”). The Hebrew word rendered liars refers to people who say things that have little or no meaning, so their omens are unreliable and worthless. In this context of omens New Jerusalem Bible renders liars as “soothsayers” (New Jerusalem Bible), and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “diviners.” Many commentators agree that it refers to the Babylonian diviners who claimed to tell the future.

And makes fools of diviners is parallel to the previous line. Here God says he causes those who practice divination to become fools (compare Job 12.17). For diviners see the comments on 2.6 and 3.2. Good News Translation places this line before the previous one for stylistic reasons.

Who turns wise men back is a figurative expression that means God reverses human wisdom. Those who depend on such wisdom to predict the future will find that their predictions are not fulfilled. Good News Translation has “The words of the wise I refute,” and Bible en français courant translates “I force the wise to draw back.” Revised English Bible provides a good model with “I reverse what wise men say.” New International Version is also helpful with “who overthrows the learning of the wise.”

And makes their knowledge foolish is parallel to the previous line. It emphasizes the distance between God’s wisdom and that of humans. God does not actually change what they say into something stupid, but in comparison with his wisdom, their wisdom seems like stupidity. Bible en français courant says “I prove just how much their knowledge is stupid,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “and show that their wisdom is worth nothing.”

This verse seems to echo narratives concerning Moses. In the contests between Moses and the Egyptian wise men God showed that their power was nothing in comparison with his own.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• I confound the empty words of those who think they know the future,
and I make fools of those who divine/foretell what will happen.
I overthrow the wisdom of those who think they are wise,
and I make their knowledge seem stupid.

• I confound the empty words of the soothsayers,
and I make fools of those who divine/predict the future.
I reverse the wisdom of wise men,
and I make their knowledge seem like stupidity.

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 .