And they will all come and settle …: The enemy armies will come and settle throughout the land of Judah. The text does not state exactly where these enemies will settle, but we can assume that it is throughout the region generally. Four locations are mentioned as a summary description of the whole land, two of them referring to mountain areas and two to plains.

In the steep ravines is literally “in the river valleys of the cliffs.” Good News Translation says “in the rugged valleys,” New Jerusalem Bible has “on the streams in the gullies,” and Contemporary English Version translates “in the deep valleys.” If “valleys” is a difficult concept for translators in view of local topography (for example, small coral islands), they may say “in between the tall mountains” for this phrase, and “in between the big rocks” for the next one.

In the clefts of the rocks: See the comments on “the clefts of the cliffs” in 2.21. The Hebrew is slightly different, but the translation can be the same.

On all the thornbushes: The Hebrew term for thornbushes is used elsewhere in the Old Testament only in 55.13, but translators can use the common term for “thorns” that they have used in 5.6. Here it is a plant on which insects can settle.

On all the pastures: Pastures are the places with grass and water where animals can graze.

For the translation of this verse we suggest:

• Those armies will come like insects and settle everywhere, in the steep-sided valleys, in holes in the rocks, on thorny bushes, and on pasture lands.

• They will come like insects and settle throughout the land, in valleys and on the rocks, on thornbushes and pastures.

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 .