He was oppressed describes the harsh treatment of the servant. The Hebrew verb here can be used to describe the way a slave was treated when forced to work under severe hardship. Good News Translation has “He was treated harshly,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “He was maltreated” (similarly Bible en français courant).

And he was afflicted also means the servant was treated harshly (see verse 4). New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible use the same verb here as Revised Standard Version. However, for this clause Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “yet he was submissive” (similarly New American Bible), and Good News Translation says “but endured it humbly.” Bible en français courant is similar with “without protest.” The difference in renderings is caused by the Hebrew verb here, which can mean “to answer,” “to be afflicted,” “to be humbled,” “to be induced to respond,” or “to submit/humble oneself.” The form of this Hebrew verb favors the sense of “to submit oneself,” so in this context it probably means “to submit humbly to adversity.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch expresses this sense with “but he endured it.”

Yet he opened not his mouth means the servant had nothing to say, presumably refusing to protest at what was happening to him. It implies that he submitted willingly. A literal translation of this line may not be meaningful in many languages. Good News Translation provides a good alternative with “he never said a word.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “without complaining.”

Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter is the first of two similes. This one compares the servant’s lack of response to that of a lamb being prepared for butchering.

Like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb: This second simile compares the servant’s silence to that of a sheep being sheared. Its shearers refers to the people who remove the wool from the live sheep’s skin, using a special tool. This is done normally once a year. For before its shearers, Good News Translation has “about to be sheared,” which is a valid model. Is dumb does not mean that the sheep cannot make a sound or that it is stupid. It simply means the sheep does not bleat or cry out. This verb phrase also serves the previous simile. For languages that do not have a technical term for “shearing,” Contemporary English Version offers a model for this line, saying “as quiet as a sheep having its wool cut off.” But in cultures where the shearing of sheep is completely unknown, there may be a problem. Cutting off a sheep’s wool may seem like an unusual punishment. If so, rather than using another simile relating to sheep (for example, milking them), it may be better to use a general expression such as “like a sheep before its owners is silent,” and leave the details to an explanatory footnote.

So he opened not his mouth is identical in the Hebrew to the second line. The repetition emphasizes his silence before those who persecuted him. Both yet in the second line and so here render the common Hebrew conjunction (literally “and”). In the second line it introduces a contrast. Here it completes the comparison in the two similes. Just as sheep are silent, so the servant did not say anything to protest his suffering. He suffered willingly. If possible, translators should use repetition here to express the emphasis of this verse. Good News Translation does it by repeating “he never said a word.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• He was made to undergo suffering,
enduring it without protest.
Just like a lamb about to be killed,
like a sheep about to be shorn,
he thus endured without protest.

• Though they oppressed and afflicted him,
he endured it without protest.
Like a lamb being led to its death,
like a sheep in the presence of its shearers,
he endured it without protest.

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 .