No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper: Since Yahweh is in control, he promises the people of Jerusalem that no enemy will be able to use weapons successfully against them. As in the previous verse, weapon renders the general Hebrew word referring to any vessel or utensil. Since it is fashioned against Jerusalem, it clearly means weapon. The Hebrew verb rendered is fashioned also occurs in the creation story of Gen 1–2, but God and humans can be its subject. It occurs frequently in Isaiah (see, for example, 43.1, where it is translated “formed”). This verb can be used as a general term to describe the construction of objects. The verb prosper means “to succeed” here. In languages where it is difficult to speak of objects that prosper, this line may be rendered “If your enemies make weapons to use them against you, their attacks will fail.” Good News Translation says simply “But no weapon will be able to hurt you.”

And you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment: Every verbal attack on the people of Jerusalem will also fail. In this context the Hebrew verb rendered confute means “to prove false.” Every tongue that rises against you in judgment is a figurative expression for every spoken word that intends to cause harm to the people by accusing them falsely. This object precedes the verb confute in Hebrew, so there is focus on it.

Yahweh concludes his message with two summary statements. A blank line may be inserted before the last two lines of this verse to set off this conclusion, as in Contemporary English Version and Bible en français courant.

This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD: The demonstrative pronoun This refers to the divine promises in this chapter. The Hebrew word for heritage was originally applied to the land of Canaan as Israel’s “inheritance” (see, for example, Josh 11.23; see also the comments on 19.25 and 49.8). Here it has a broader sense. It not only includes the earlier promise of land, but also the new promise of peaceful occupation under God’s protection. The servants of the LORD refers to the entire population of Israel (see the comments on 41.8). For this line Revised English Bible has “These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD,” and Bible en français courant says “See there the portion that I put aside for those who are my servants.”

And their vindication from me: Their vindication is parallel with their heritage. The Hebrew word rendered vindication is the same one translated “righteousness” in verse 14 (see the comments there). Here it seems to mean “victory” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible) or “reward.” From me means it is God’s gift to his people.

Says the LORD (literally “declaration of the LORD”) marks the close of Yahweh’s speech (see the comments on 49.18 and 52.5).

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• No weapon designed to be used against you will succeed,
and every verbal attack against you will be powerless.
This is the gift to those who are my servants,
the reward that I offer them,” says the LORD.

• Any weapon made for attacking you will fail,
and any word spoken against you will be proved false;
This is what my servants can expect,
the reward that I will give them,” says Yahweh.

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 .