In this verse three other terms are used as metaphors for lifestyle: way, paths, and roads. Some translators may have difficulty finding synonyms in their language and may have to rely on repetition.

The way of peace they know not means the people do not experience peace. The Hebrew word for way is the common term for “road” noted in the previous verse. As noted above, it is a figure for lifestyle. The Hebrew word rendered peace (shalom) has a wide range of meaning, including safety, calmness, absence of stress or strife, and an inner sense of well-being (see the comments on 26.12). Such an experience of wholeness is absent from the lives of those who seek evil and violence. For this line Good News Translation has “and no one is safe when you are around.”

And there is no justice in their paths means everything the people do is unjust, since they are intent on doing evil. For justice see the comments on 1.17. This word also occurs in verses 9, 11, 14 and 15, and stands as an important marker of the lifestyle that God expects of his people. The Hebrew noun for paths refers to the tracks that animals regularly follow. Here it is another metaphor for lifestyle. A possible nonfigurative model for this line is “and there is no justice in their lifestyle [or, in what they do].”

They have made their roads crooked means the people use devious means to achieve their goals. This line is literally “their paths they twist for themselves.” For this line Revised English Bible has “all the ways they choose are crooked,” while Bible en français courant says “You prefer ways that are not straight.” If the metaphor of roads is not appropriate in a language, a possible model for this line is “Their whole life [or, all they do / the manner in which they live/act] is crooked / twisted / out of shape.”

No one who goes in them knows peace indicates that not only do the people fail to appreciate peace, they also prevent others from experiencing it. The idea of “not knowing peace” is repeated for emphasis. The pronoun them refers back to their roads in the previous line. Everyone who follows the evil people’s way of life (their roads) misses out on the experience of personal and social well-being. This verse presents a picture of a society that is sadly lacking in justice and honesty, and hence lacking the calm and peace that people should enjoy. For this line Revised English Bible translates “no one who walks in them feels safe.”

So in this section the prophet has made very clear to the people that their manner of life is what lies at the root of their failure to experience God’s rescue and help. While they may blame God for failing to hear their prayers, it is not God’s fault but their own sin that has separated them from him.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• The way of peace is unknown to them,
and there is no justice in their lives.
They have made their paths crooked,
nobody who walks that way will know peace.

• Peaceful lives are unknown to them,
and justice is foreign to them.
They walk on crooked paths,
nobody walking that way can know any peace.

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 .