For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it: The repetition of For my own sake makes this line a forceful statement. What God does, he does for his own sake and not for any other reason. Good News Translation transfers this emphasis to the last line, saying “that should be mine and mine alone.” New Jerusalem Bible expresses it well with “For my sake and my sake only” (similarly New American Bible). Revised English Bible makes explicit that God’s honor is involved: “For my honour’s sake, for my own honour.” Bible en français courant is simpler with “it is for me, yes for me.” The pronoun it in I do it could point back to God’s action of restraining his anger (see verse 9). It could also refer generally to all God does, as described in verses 9-10, including the “refining” of Israel. Good News Translation has “What I do.”

For how should my name be profaned?: The Hebrew particle ki rendered for is a logical connector here. Good News Translation and New International Version leave it implied. The phrase my name is not present in the Hebrew text of Masoretic Text, which is literally “for how should it be profaned?” Several Qumran manuscripts read “for how should I be profaned?” The addition of my name follows the Septuagint, but it could also be implied from the wider context, especially verse 9. However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and de~Waard recommend following the Qumran reading. New International Version translates it with “How can I let myself be defamed?” Another possibility is “How could I be profaned?” Many versions retain my name. Since there is no significant difference in meaning between the two readings, both are valid and it becomes a matter of clarity and language use. In some languages people may speak of a name being dishonored/spoiled/damaged or of a loss of face. The question here is rhetorical. For languages that do not easily support the use of rhetorical questions, it may be rendered as an emphatic statement; for example, Good News Translation has “I will not let my name be dishonored,” and Bible en français courant says “because I cannot accept that my name be dishonored.” Another possible model is “I will not allow myself to be discredited/dishonored.”

My glory I will not give to another: Yahweh declares that he will not allow any other god or person to receive the honor that he deserves (compare 42.8). He restrains himself so that instead of continuing to punish Israel by leaving the exiles in Babylonia, he relents (verse 9). He will not destroy them and thus appear no more worthy of honor than other so-called gods. The Hebrew noun translated glory may be rendered “honor” or “praise” (Contemporary English Version). Contemporary English Version and Revised English Bible explicitly refer to other gods by rendering another as “any other god.” But translators can leave the reference general, as the Hebrew does (also Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation); for example, for this whole line Bible en français courant has “I will not leave to others the glory that should come to me.” However, in languages where “another” is an adjective that needs a noun as a complement, we recommend “another god.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• For my own sake and my own sake only, I do it.
How could I allow myself to be discredited?
I will not give the honor due to me to any other!

• For my own sake, my very own sake, I do it,
because I will never allow myself to be discredited,
nor will I give the honor due to me to another [god].

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 .