^66:18“I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming³⁴ to gather all the nations and ethnic groups;³⁵ they will come and witness my splendor. ^66:19I will perform a mighty act among them³⁶ and then send some of those who remain to the nations—to Tarshish, Pul,³⁷ Lud³⁸ (known for its archers³⁹), Tubal, Javan,⁴⁰ and to the distant coastlands⁴¹ that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

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Footnotes

34 The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (, , , ESV). The has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations …” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. , , , , ).
35 Heb “and the tongues”; , , , “and tongues.”
36 Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).
37 Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
38 That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
39 Heb “drawers of the bow” ( and both similar).
40 Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so , , ).
41 Or “islands” ().

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.

“I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see my glory. I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan, and the coasts and islands far away—who have not heard about me or seen my glory. And they will proclaim my glory among the nations.

NLTNew Living Translation

“I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“And I—their works and thoughts!—am about to come to gather all nations and tongues,

and they shall come and see my glory.

And I will set a sign among them,

and I will send survivors from them to the nations:

Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow;

Tubal and Javan, the faraway coastlands

that have not heard of my fame,

and have not seen my glory.

And they shall declare my glory among the nations,

KJV 1900King James Version

For I know their works and their thoughts:

It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues;

And they shall come, and see my glory.

And I will set a sign among them,

And I will send those that escape of them unto the nations,

To Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow,

To Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off,

That have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory;

And they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

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