Hearken to me, you who know righteousness: Hearken to me opens this subsection in the same way as the first one (see verse 1). Revised English Bible and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch mention “my people” near the beginning of the verse to identify God’s addressees. To know righteousness has a wider sense than simply being aware of what is right. It means to actually live by God’s requirements as laid out in his teachings. For righteousness see the comments on 1.21. Most translations use the verb know. Good News Translation, New International Version, and Revised English Bible render righteousness as “what is right,” and New American Bible says “justice.”

The people in whose heart is my law is parallel to the previous line, saying they hold God’s teachings deep within their minds. They are very aware of God’s teachings, so they live out what he requires of them. For law see Isa 51.4.

Fear not the reproach of men: God assures his people who obey him that they do not need to be afraid of the criticism and attacks from others. The call to fear not occurs often in the Old Testament when God calls people to a particular mission (see the comments on 40.9). Reproach of men refers to the taunts or verbal attacks of others on God’s people (see the comments on 30.5, where the Hebrew word for reproach is rendered “disgrace”).

And be not dismayed at their revilings is parallel and similar in meaning with the previous line. God tells his people not to allow the insults from others to upset them. The Hebrew verb rendered be … dismayed can refer to being discouraged, but here it carries the sense of the people being deeply hurt and upset by the evil things others say about them (see the comments on this verb at 20.5). Their revilings (see 43.28) refers to the comments made by others to insult the people. God’s words here are intended to bring comfort and assurance to the exiles who are still experiencing opposition, whether from members of their own community or from the foreigners who are holding them captive in Babylonia. For the last two lines of this verse Bible en français courant translates “Do not be afraid of the abusive language of people, do not yield to their insults.” Good News Translation combines both lines, saying “Do not be afraid when people taunt and insult you.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• “Listen to me, you who live in the right way,
you whose minds are set on my teachings.
Do not be afraid of any who condemn you,
do not get upset over those who insult you.

• “Listen to me, you who are just,
who have my teachings within your hearts.
Do not fear any who speak evil of you,
do not get upset at their contempt for you.

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 .