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Isaiah 50:1–3

Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience

50 Thus says the Lord:

“Where is gyour mother’s certificate of divorce,

with which hI sent her away?

Or iwhich of my creditors is it

to whom I have sold you?

jBehold, for your iniquities you were sold,

and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

kWhy, when I came, was there no man;

why, when I called, was there no one to answer?

lIs my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

mBehold, by my rebuke nI dry up the sea,

oI make the rivers a desert;

ptheir fish stink for lack of water

and die of thirst.

qI clothe the heavens with blackness

and make sackcloth their covering.”

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Isaiah 50:1–3 — The New International Version (NIV)

This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce

with which I sent her away?

Or to which of my creditors

did I sell you?

Because of your sins you were sold;

because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.

When I came, why was there no one?

When I called, why was there no one to answer?

Was my arm too short to deliver you?

Do I lack the strength to rescue you?

By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea,

I turn rivers into a desert;

their fish rot for lack of water

and die of thirst.

I clothe the heavens with darkness

and make sackcloth its covering.”

Isaiah 50:1–3 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

Thus saith the Lord,

Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away?

Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?

Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves,

And for your transgressions is your mother put away.

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man?

When I called, was there none to answer?

Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a wilderness:

Their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

I clothe the heavens with blackness,

And I make sackcloth their covering.

Isaiah 50:1–3 — New Living Translation (NLT)

This is what the Lord says:

“Was your mother sent away because I divorced her?

Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors?

No, you were sold because of your sins.

And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins.

Why was no one there when I came?

Why didn’t anyone answer when I called?

Is it because I have no power to rescue?

No, that is not the reason!

For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up!

I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.

I dress the skies in darkness,

covering them with clothes of mourning.”

Isaiah 50:1–3 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

Thus says the Lord:

“Where is the certificate of your mother’s divorce,

Whom I have put away?

Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you?

For your iniquities you have sold yourselves,

And for your transgressions your mother has been put away.

Why, when I came, was there no man?

Why, when I called, was there none to answer?

Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a wilderness;

Their fish stink because there is no water,

And die of thirst.

I clothe the heavens with blackness,

And I make sackcloth their covering.”

Isaiah 50:1–3 — New Century Version (NCV)

This is what the Lord says:

“People of Israel, you say I divorced your mother.

Then where is the paper that proves it?

Or do you think I sold you

to pay a debt?

Because of the evil things you did, I sold you.

Because of the times she turned against me, your mother was sent away.

I came home and found no one there;

I called, but no one answered.

Do you think I am not able to save you?

Do I not have the power to save you?

Look, I need only to shout and the sea becomes dry.

I change rivers into a desert,

and their fish rot because there is no water;

they die of thirst.

I can make the skies dark;

I can make them black like clothes of sadness.”

Isaiah 50:1–3 — American Standard Version (ASV)

Thus saith Jehovah, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities were ye sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away. Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stink, because there is no water, and die for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

Isaiah 50:1–3 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

Thus saith Jehovah: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, through your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. Wherefore did I come, and there was no man? I called, and there was none to answer? Is my hand at all shortened that I cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make rivers a wilderness; their fish stink because there is no water, and die for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

Isaiah 50:1–3 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

This is what the Lord says: 

Where are your mother’s divorce papers? 

Did I give her any to get rid of her? 

To which of my creditors did I sell you? 

You were sold because of your sins. 

I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion. 

Why was no one here when I came? 

Why was no one here to answer when I called? 

Am I too weak to reclaim you? 

Don’t I have the power to rescue you? 

I dry up the sea with my command, 

and I turn rivers into deserts. 

Their fish stink because there is no water, 

and people die of thirst. 

I clothe the heavens in darkness 

and cover them with sackcloth. 

Isaiah 50:1–3 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

This is what the Lord says:

Where is your mother’s divorce certificate

that I used to send her away?

Or who were My creditors that I sold you to?

Look, you were sold for your iniquities,

and your mother was put away

because of your transgressions.

Why was no one there when I came?

Why was there no one to answer when I called?

Is My hand too short to redeem?

Or do I have no power to deliver?

Look, I dry up the sea by My rebuke;

I turn the rivers into a wilderness;

their fish rot because of lack of water

and die of thirst.

I dress the heavens in black

and make sackcloth their clothing.

Isaiah 50:1–3 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Thus says the Lord:

Where is your mother’s bill of divorce

with which I put her away?

Or which of my creditors is it

to whom I have sold you?

No, because of your sins you were sold,

and for your transgressions your mother was put away.

Why was no one there when I came?

Why did no one answer when I called?

Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

By my rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink for lack of water,

and die of thirst.

I clothe the heavens with blackness,

and make sackcloth their covering.

Isaiah 50:1–3 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Thus says Yahweh:

“Where is this divorce document of your mother’s divorce, with which I dismissed her?

or to whom of my creditors did I sell you?

Look! you were sold because of your sin,

and your mother was dismissed because of your transgressions.

Why was there no man when I came,

no one who answered when I called?

Do I lack the strength to save?

Or is there no power in me to deliver?

Look! by my rebuke I dry up the sea;

I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink because there is no water,

and they die because of thirst.

I clothe the heavens with darkness,

and I make their covering sackcloth.”

Isaiah 50:1–3 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem,

“Do you think I divorced your people before you?

Is that why I sent them away?

If it is, show me the letter of divorce.

I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe.

You were sold because you sinned against me.

Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts.

When I came to save you, why didn’t anyone welcome me?

When I called out to you, why didn’t anyone answer me?

Wasn’t my arm powerful enough to set you free?

Wasn’t I strong enough to save you?

I dry up the sea with a single command.

I turn rivers into a desert.

Then fish rot because they do not have any water.

They die because they are thirsty.

I make the sky turn dark.

It looks as if it is dressed in black clothes.”

Isaiah 50:1–3 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

Thus says the Lord,

Where is the certificate of divorce

By which I have sent your mother away?

Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you?

Behold, you were sold for your iniquities,

And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

Why was there no man when I came?

When I called, why was there none to answer?

Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke,

I make the rivers a wilderness;

Their fish stink for lack of water

And die of thirst.

“I clothe the heavens with blackness

And make sackcloth their covering.”


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