Verse 6 continues to condemn the religious life of the Israelites who worship other gods. They make offerings to these gods instead of Yahweh.

Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion: There is assonance in the Hebrew of this line, which reads bechalleqe-nachal chelqek. It also contains a clever play-on-words since the Hebrew root chlq has the double sense of “smooth” and “portion.” However, Revised Standard Version‘s rendering here is a little misleading, because there is no mention of stones in the Hebrew text. Smooth stones is literally “smooth [things].” It is uncertain whether they are actually stones and have some connection with worship. The Hebrew word for valley is singular, but it has a collective sense here, so it may be rendered “valleys.” The Hebrew word translated portion refers to what is due to someone. It may be rendered “inheritance.” The idol worshipers have an inheritance in the valleys, but it is not clear what it is.

They, they are your lot: The pronoun they refers back to the “smooth things.” This pronouns is repeated to emphasize that the idol worshipers inherit these things. The word lot is a synonym of the word portion. Since the “smooth things” are unknown, this line is also unclear.

Good News Translation renders the first two lines of this verse as “You take smooth stones from there and worship them as gods.” New International Version gives a similar interpretation with “The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; they, they are your lot.” Since these standard versions translate in a similar manner, translators can follow them, but they need to recognize that the meaning of the Hebrew text here is quite uncertain.

To them you have poured out a drink offering: The pronoun them probably refers back to the “smooth things.” A drink offering is a liquid, usually wine or possibly oil, that is offered to a god. It is also technically called a libation (see Jer 44.17-19). The drink offering was often poured over a stone that represented the god, so many commentators think that the “smooth [things]” were stones. The Israelites often gave drink offerings to Yahweh (see, for example, 2 Kgs 16.13, 15), but here they give them to the “smooth [things],” which they worship as gods. The Hebrew word for drink offering is singular, but it has a collective sense here, so it may be rendered “drink offerings.” For this line Good News Translation translates “You pour out wine as offerings to them [namely, the smooth stones].”

You have brought a cereal offering: They also give cereal offerings to the “smooth [things].” The phrase to them is implied from the previous line. A cereal offering was an offering of fine flour mixed with oil and frankincense (see Lev 2.1). The Hebrew word for cereal offering is another singular noun with a collective sense, so it may be rendered “cereal offerings.” Good News Translation says “grain offerings.” For this line and the previous one Contemporary English Version provides a helpful model, saying “you have given them offerings of wine and grain.”

Shall I be appeased for these things?: This is a rhetorical question. The prophet may be asking it himself (so Good News Translation), or it may be the LORD through the prophet (so Bible en français courant). In this context the Hebrew verb rendered be appeased means to decide not to do something that had been planned, especially a punishment (compare Jonah 4.2, where it is translated “repentest”). So God asks whether he should decide not to punish the people because of their idolatrous actions (so New American Bible). Good News Translation renders this question as “Do you think I am pleased with all this?” Bible en français courant has “Shall I resign myself to this?” Another possible model is “Shall I accept all those things?” The answer of course is “No!” This question may be rendered as a strong statement (see the second example below).

As noted above, the Hebrew text of this verse has repetition, a play-on-words and assonance, but many languages will not be able to keep these literary features. These features highlight the people’s unlawful religious practices.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Among the smooth parts [or, stones] of the valleys is your portion;
those, they are your lot.
You pour out drink offerings to them,
and make cereal offerings to them.
So should I now relent because of these things?

• Your inheritance lies among the smooth places of the valleys;
that is where your lot lies.
To them you have offered drink offerings,
and made offerings of grain.
I will not relent because of these!

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 .