Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear: See the comments on 58.9a. The four verbs, call, answer, speaking and hear (“listen”), occur in the second half of verse 12 in the context of judgment against the people. Those who were unfaithful did not answer when the LORD called, nor did they listen when he spoke. However, in the new creation the situation will be entirely different. God will answer even before the people call in prayer to him. He will hear them while they are still speaking; that is, he will grant their request while they are making it. This verse is a highly poetic way of saying that God will respond more quickly to their prayers than they could imagine. If possible, translators should use the same verbs in this verse as in verse 12 to make the connection between the two verses obvious.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Even before they pray to me, I will answer them;
while they are still speaking, I will respond.

• Even before they call to me, I will answer;
while they are still speaking, I will grant their request.

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 .