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14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob,[a]
men of[b] Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your Protector,[c] the Holy One of Israel.[d]
15 “Look, I am making you like[e] a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged.[f]
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw.[g]
16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
  2. Isaiah 41:14 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
  3. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
  4. Isaiah 41:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  5. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
  6. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
  7. Isaiah 41:15 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.