9 The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
10 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
11 Or “set apart,” cf. “special.”
12 Heb “all who are written down for life in Jerusalem.” A city register is envisioned; everyone whose name appears on the roll will be spared. This group comprises the remnant of the city referred to earlier in the verse.
13 Heb “when” (so , , ); “after”; “once.”
14 The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
15 The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Many English versions render this somewhat euphemistically as “filth” (e.g., , , ). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents (cf. “moral filth”).
16 See 1:21 for a related concept.
17 Heb “by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. רוּחַ (ruakh) can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. רוּחַ can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if בָּעַר (ba’ar) here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”
18 Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. “Jerusalem”; “the whole city.”
19 Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire. The imagery of the cloud by day and fire by night recalls the days of Moses, when a cloud and fire were tangible reminders that the Lord was guiding and protecting his people (Exod 13:21–22; 14:19, 24). In the future age envisioned in Isa 4, the Lord’s protective presence will be a reality.
20 Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34–35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
21 Heb “a shelter it will be for shade by day from heat, and for a place of refuge and for a hiding place from cloudburst and rain.” Since both of the last nouns of this verse can mean rain, they can either refer to the rain storm and the rain as distinct items or together refer to a heavy downpour. Regardless, they do not represent unrelated phenomena.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem written in the book of life—when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodguilt from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night over the entire site of Mount Zion and over its assemblies. For there will be a canopy over all the glory, and there will be a shelter for shade from heat by day and a refuge and shelter from storm and rain.

NLTNew Living Translation

All who remain in Zion

will be a holy people—

those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem

and are recorded among the living.

The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion

and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains

with the hot breath of fiery judgment.

Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion

and all who assemble there.

He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day

and smoke and flaming fire at night,

covering the glorious land.

It will be a shelter from daytime heat

and a hiding place from storms and rain.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And this shall happen: He who is left in Zion

and he who remains in Jerusalem will be called holy,

everyone written for life in Jerusalem,

when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion

and cleansed the blood of Jerusalem from her midst

by a spirit of judgment

and by a spirit of burning.

Then Yahweh will create over all of the site of Mount Zion

and over her assembly a cloud by day

and smoke and the brightness of flaming fire by night.

Indeed, over all the glory there will be a canopy,

and it will be a shelter for shade from the heat by day,

and a refuge and a hiding place from rainstorm and from rain.

KJV 1900King James Version

And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion,

And he that remaineth in Jerusalem,

Shall be called holy,

Even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion,

And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof

By the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion,

And upon her assemblies,

A cloud and smoke by day,

And the shining of a flaming fire by night:

For upon all the glory shall be a defence.

And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat,

And for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

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