And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read”: The illustration of the sealed scroll continues here. If they give the book to an illiterate person to read, he will be unable to read it even if it is not sealed. When they give the book to one who cannot read is another conditional clause, which may be rendered “If they give the book to someone who cannot read” (similarly Good News Translation). An alternative model for I cannot read is “I don’t know how to read.”

The translation of this verse should closely parallel that of the previous one, for example:

• Or as though someone gave a book to a person who cannot read and said, “Read this,” but the person replies, “I am unable to read it.”

• And if it were given to people who cannot read and they were asked to read it, they would say, “We cannot read it.”

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .