King James Version

Isaiah 34:11

But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.

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Hebrew

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וִירֵשׁ֨וּהָ֙vireshuhaand expelיָרַשׁconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and expel”, a completed action in a sequenceH3423to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel, to impoverish, to ruincast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, dispossess, drive(-ing) out, enjoy, expel, [idiom] without fail, (give to, leave for) inherit(-ance, -or) [phrase] magistrate, be (make) poor, come to poverty, (give to, make to) possess, get (have)…קָאַ֣תqaatcormorantקָאַתnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “cormorant”, the ordinary formH6893probably the pelican (from vomiting)cormorant.וְקִפּ֔וֹדveqipodand bitternקִפּוֹדconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and bittern”, the ordinary formH7090a species of bird, perhaps the bittern (from its contracted form)bittern.וְיַנְשׁ֥וֹףveyanshofand owl.sיַנְשׁוּףconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and owl.s”, the ordinary formH3244an unclean (acquatic) bird; probably the heron (perhaps from its blowing cry, or because the nightheron is meant ))(great) owl.sוְעֹרֵ֖בveorevand ravenעֹרֵבconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and raven”, the ordinary formH6158a raven (from its dusky hue)raven.יִשְׁכְּנוּyishkenvabideשָׁכַןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “abide”, an unfinished actionH7931to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)abide, continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-er), have habitation, inhabit, lay, place, (cause to) remain, rest, set (up).בָ֑הּvahinבָ֑הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”inוְנָטָ֥הvenatahand spreadנָטָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and spread”, a completed action in a sequenceH5186to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application[phrase] afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, o…עָלֶ֛יהָaleyhaaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…קַֽוqavcorrected toקַוnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “corrected to”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6957a cord (as connecting), especially formeasuring; figuratively, a rule; also a rim, a musical string or accordline. Compare H6978 (קַו־קַו)lemma קַו־קַי yod, corrected to קַו־קַו.תֹ֖הוּtohvvainתֹּהוּnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “vain”, the ordinary formH8414a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vainconfusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.וְאַבְנֵיveavneand stoneאֶבֶןconjunction, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct — “and stone”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH68a stone[phrase] carbuncle, [phrase] mason, [phrase] plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).בֹֽהוּvohvemptinessבֹּהוּnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “emptiness”, the ordinary formH922a vacuity, i.e. (superficially) an undistinguishable ruinemptiness, void.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

But the pelican and the bittern shall possess it, and the owl and the raven shall dwell therein; and He shall stretch over it the line of confusion, and the plummet of emptiness.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it; and the owl and the raven shall dwell therein: and he will stretch over it the line of confusion, and the plummet of emptiness.

Young’s Literal Translation

And possess her do pelican and hedge-hog, And owl and raven dwell in her, And He hath stretched out over her A line of vacancy, and stones of emptiness.

World English Bible

But the pelican and the porcupine will possess it. The owl and the raven will dwell in it. He will stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness.

Darby Translation

And the pelican and the bittern shall possess it, and the great owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And he shall stretch out upon it the line of waste, and the plummets of emptiness.

Douay-Rheims

The bittern and ericius shall possess it: and the ibis and the raven shall dwell in it: and a line shall be stretched out upon it, to bring it to nothing, and a plummet, unto desolation.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

But the pelican and the bittern shall possess it, and the owl and the raven shall dwell therein; and He shall stretch over it the line of confusion, and the plummet of emptiness.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and for a long time birds and hedgehogs, and ibises and ravens shall dwell in it: and the measuring line of desolation shall be cast over it, and satyrs shall dwell in it.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ὄρνεα καὶ ἐχῖνοι, καὶ ἴβεις καὶ κόρακες κατοικήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ· καὶ ἐπιβληθήσεται ἐπʼ αὐτὴν σπαρτίον γεωμετρίας ἐρήμου, καὶ ὀνοκένταυροι οἰκήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ.