But Zion said: But (also Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible) renders the common Hebrew conjunction (literally “And”). Here it introduces a contrast with verse 13. The name Zion occurs about fifty times in the book of Isaiah, the first time at 1.8 (see the comments there). Zion can refer to the city of Jerusalem, the people of Judah, or even their nation. Judah ceased to exist anymore as an identifiable nation from the time of the Babylonian Exile, but there are references to “your walls” and “Your builders” in verses 16-17. So it is best to take Zion here as standing for the city of Jerusalem. The city is personified since it is speaking. Good News Translation removes the personification and identifies “the people of Jerusalem” as those who complain. Although Good News Translation‘s rendering expresses the correct meaning, the poetry is lost, including the wider semantic impact of the term Zion. Nevertheless, in some languages Good News Translation‘s approach will be the only clear and acceptable one. For this whole clause Bible en français courant has “Jerusalem said,” and Contemporary English Version translates “The people of Zion said.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch expresses the sense of said in this context by saying “The town/city of Zion complains.”
The LORD has forsaken me: The Babylonian army devastated Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in 587 B.C. (see 32.14). The city now voices its complaint that Yahweh had forsaken (Good News Translation “abandoned”) it. It seemed Yahweh had discarded his promise to reside in and protect the city.
My Lord has forgotten me is parallel to the previous clause. The Lord renders the Hebrew title meaning “my master.” It is not the divine name Yahweh (see the comments on 1.2). The Hebrew text may be read “my Lord” or “the Lord” (preferred by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). In 17.10 the prophet accused the people of forgetting Yahweh. Here the people complain that the Lord has forgotten them. Since this verb is parallel with forsaken, here it has the sense of deliberately putting something or someone out of one’s mind. Although the verb “forget” does not point to a simple lapse of memory in this context, most versions use it here and in verse 15, assuming the reader will understand its implications correctly.
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• But [the people of] Zion said, “Yahweh has abandoned me [or, us],
my [or, our] Master has forgotten me [or, us].”
• But the city of Zion says that the LORD has abandoned it,
the Lord has put it out of mind.
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 .