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12 “I, I am the one who consoles you.[a]
Why are you afraid of mortal men,
of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?[b]
13 Why do you forget[c] the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky[d]
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long[e]
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor?[f]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 51:12 tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
  2. Isaiah 51:12 tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (ʾat-hiʾ) in vv. 9-10.
  3. Isaiah 51:13 tn Heb “and that you forget.”
  4. Isaiah 51:13 tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  5. Isaiah 51:13 tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
  6. Isaiah 51:13 tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.