Verse 8b indicated what God will not allow, but here he promises what he will do for his people. The two parts of this verse are parallel with the beginning of God’s oath in the previous verse. The first part deals with grain, while the second part deals with wine.

But those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD assures the people of Judah that those who plant and harvest the grain crops will also be the ones to enjoy it. Their enemies will not take it away from them. The Hebrew verb for garner (literally “gather/collect”) means “to harvest” in this context. The pronoun it refers back to “grain” in verse 8. It may be necessary to make this explicit in some languages. Good News Translation does this by rendering those who garner it as “you that planted and harvested the grain.” Since people don’t usually eat grain in its raw form, Good News Translation renders the second occurrence of the pronoun it as “bread.” Other languages may find this helpful.

While the people enjoy the food they produce, they will praise the LORD. The Hebrew verb rendered praise has a wider sense than just thanking God in this context. It includes making offerings, as in Lev 19.24. This view is supported by the parallel phrase in the courts of my sanctuary. So more is involved than eating “with thankful hearts,” as Contemporary English Version suggests. The people will also bring grain offerings as a way of praising God. However, translators should not make this implied meaning explicit, but they could mention it in a footnote.

And those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary is parallel to the previous two lines. The Hebrew verb for gather differs from the one for garner, but they are synonymous in meaning here. The first occurrence of the pronoun it in this line refers to grapes from which wine is made, while the second pronoun it refers to the wine itself. Again Good News Translation makes these meanings explicit. In the courts of my sanctuary suggests that the people will drink wine while making fellowship offerings in the Temple courtyard (Lev 3). This phrase is literally “in the courts of my holiness.” It is probable that the Temple had not been rebuilt at that time, so these words provide additional assurance to the people that there will be a new Temple. For the courts of the Temple, see the comments on 1.12.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• But those who gather the grain will eat it [or, eat the bread made with it],
praising the LORD [or, me];
those who gather the grapes will drink the wine
in the Temple courts.”

• But those who harvest the grain will enjoy it
while thanking the LORD for it;
those who gather the grapes will drink their wine
in my sacred courts.”

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 .