^9:27And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, “Though the number of the children⁵⁰ of Israel are as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved, ^9:28for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth completely and quickly.”⁵¹

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Footnotes

50 Grk “sons.”
51 In light of the interpretive difficulty of this verse, a longer reading seems to have been added to clarify the meaning. The addition, in the middle of the sentence, makes the whole verse read as follows: “For he will execute his sentence completely and quickly in righteousness, because the Lord will do it quickly on the earth.” The shorter reading is found largely in Alexandrian (𝔓46 א* A B 6 1506 1739 1881 co), while the longer reading is found principally in Western and Byzantine (א2 D F G Ψ 33 𝔐 lat). The longer reading follows Isa 10:22–23 () verbatim, while Paul in the previous verse quoted the loosely. This suggests the addition was made by a copyist trying to make sense out of a difficult passage rather than by the author himself. There is a wordplay in Greek (in both the and here) on the phrase translated “completely and quickly” (συντελῶν καὶ συντέμνων, suntelōn kai suntemnōn). These participles are translated as adverbs for smoothness; a more literal (and more cumbersome) rendering would be: “The Lord will act by closing the account [or completing the sentence], and by cutting short the time.” The interpretation of this text is notoriously difficult. Cf. συντέμνω. A modified quotation from Isa 10:22–23. Since it is not exact, it has been printed as italics only.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,

only the remnant will be saved.

For the Lord will carry out

his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,

Though the number of Israelites

is like the sand of the sea,

only the remnant will be saved;

since the Lord will execute his sentence

completely and decisively on the earth.

NLTNew Living Translation

And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out,

“Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore,

only a remnant will be saved.

For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth

quickly and with finality.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,

“Even if the number of the sons of Israel is like the sand of the sea,

the remnant will be saved,

for the Lord will execute his sentence thoroughly and decisively upon the earth.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

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