Good News Translation‘s heading indicates that this section is a confession made by people who consider themselves sinners. Good News Translation also makes this clear by introducing verse 9 with the quote frame “The people say.” It then places the whole section between quotation marks. This way of handling the text may be a useful option since it avoids the problem of readers assuming that the prophet is confessing his own guilt along with that of the people. The previous section has made it clear that he does not consider himself to be part of the group of evil people.

Therefore provides a link with what the prophet has just said. The people of Judah are drawing their conclusions from his accusations against them. Good News Translation begins their words with “Now we know why” to express this connection. If translators add the quote frame “The people say,” another possible way to begin their response is “That is [the reason] why.”

Justice is far from us uses the keyword justice. In verse 8 the prophet used this term to say the people did not treat others justly. However, in this verse justice refers to God’s just treatment of them by rescuing them. By claiming that God’s justice is far away from them, they complain that they cannot experience the justice from God that they expected. In 46.13 God had promised the exiles that his “deliverance” of them was “not far off.” In 56.1 he made that promise once again. However, the people were not experiencing his rescue at this moment. The reason is obvious—their sins had separated them from God (verses 1-8). Bible en français courant makes the underlying meaning of justice here evident by rendering the first line of this verse as “You see, that is why God is slow to intervene for us.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “Now we know why God does not assist us against our enemies.” Good News Translation is similar, but it combines this line with the next one.

And righteousness does not overtake us is parallel to the previous line. The people also complain that God’s rescue has not reached them yet. In this context the Hebrew word for righteousness refers to God’s good treatment or rescue of his people (see the comments on 1.27). The Hebrew verb phrase rendered does not overtake us means “has not yet come to where we are located.” They are not experiencing the rescue that God promised. For this line Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “[and] why we don’t notice anything of his loyalty,” and Bible en français courant (1997) says “and postpones until later the promised salvation.”

We look for light, and behold, darkness: The people long for God’s goodness, but they never experience it. Light is a metaphor for the goodness and benefits that God offers, and darkness is a metaphor for their absence (compare 9.2). The Hebrew verb rendered look for does not mean “search for,” but it carries the sense of “hope for” or “expect” (see the comments on this verb at 8.17, where it is rendered “hope”). And behold, darkness is a brief expression that sets up a contrast with the preceding clause. The contrast is made through the use of the connector and with the word behold, which expresses surprise and calls attention to what follows (compare 5.7). We recommend that translators maintain the figures of light and darkness, since most audiences will interpret them correctly in the present context.

And for brightness, but we walk in gloom is parallel to the previous line. The verb phrase we look is implied at the beginning of this line. Brightness is another metaphor for God’s goodness, while gloom is another one for its absence. The Hebrew noun for brightness is often used with the sense of “prosperity,” referring to some material benefit. Similarly, the Hebrew noun rendered gloom can refer to some calamity or disaster (see the comments on this term at 58.10). Here the verb walk is used with the figurative sense of “to experience.” It does not refer to the lifestyle of the people.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• So God’s justice/rescue is far away from us,
his righteous/kind action doesn’t reach us.
We hope for the light, but all we see is darkness,
for something bright to happen, but we walk in the twilight.

• Therefore God’s justice/rescue remains far away from us,
his righteousness/goodness toward us fails.
We long for his light, but all we have is blackness,
for his brightness, but all we have is gloom.

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 .