41 Having quoted the Assyrian king’s arrogant words in vv. 23–24, the Lord now speaks to the king.
42 Heb “Have you not heard?” The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s amazement that anyone might be ignorant of what he is about to say.
43 Heb “formed” (so , ).
44 Heb “and it is to cause to crash into heaps of ruins fortified cities.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb תְהִי (téhi) is the implied plan, referred to in the preceding lines with third feminine singular pronominal suffixes.
45 Heb “short of hand”; , “of small power”; “short of strength.”
46 Heb “they are plants in the field and green vegetation.” The metaphor emphasizes how short-lived these seemingly powerful cities really were. See Ps 90:5–6; Isa 40:6–8, 24.
47 Heb “[they are] grass on the rooftops.” See the preceding note.
48 The Hebrew text has “scorched before the standing grain” (perhaps meaning “before it reaches maturity”), but it is preferable to emend קָמָה (qamah, “standing grain”) to קָדִים (qadim, “east wind”) with the support of 1Q Isaa; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (), 1:, n. 8.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“ ‘Have you not heard

that I determined it long ago?

I planned from days of old

what now I bring to pass,

that you should make fortified cities

crash into heaps of ruins,

while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,

are dismayed and confounded,

and have become like plants of the field

and like tender grass,

like grass on the housetops,

blighted before it is grown.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Have you not heard?

Long ago I ordained it.

In days of old I planned it;

now I have brought it to pass,

that you have turned fortified cities

into piles of stone.

Their people, drained of power,

are dismayed and put to shame.

They are like plants in the field,

like tender green shoots,

like grass sprouting on the roof,

scorched before it grows up.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Have you not heard?

I designed it long ago;

I planned it in days gone by.

I have now brought it to pass,

and you have crushed fortified cities

into piles of rubble.

Their inhabitants have become powerless,

dismayed, and ashamed.

They are plants of the field,

tender grass,

grass on the rooftops,

blasted by the east wind.

NLTNew Living Translation

“But have you not heard?

I decided this long ago.

Long ago I planned it,

and now I am making it happen.

I planned for you to crush fortified cities

into heaps of rubble.

That is why their people have so little power

and are so frightened and confused.

They are as weak as grass,

as easily trampled as tender green shoots.

They are like grass sprouting on a housetop,

scorched before it can grow lush and tall.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Have you not heard from a long time ago? I have made it

from days of primeval time, and I formed it.

Now I have brought it about,

and it is for fortified cities to collapse into heaps of destroyed stones.

And their inhabitants are weak;

they are dismayed, and they are ashamed;

they have become like plants of the field,

and like greens of grass,

like grass on the roofs

and a cultivated field before the standing grain.

KJV 1900King James Version

Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it;

And of ancient times, that I have formed it?

Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste

Defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

Therefore their inhabitants were of small power,

They were dismayed and confounded:

They were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb,

As the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

Public Domain