Compare Isaiah 53:4 in Four Translations

He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Meaning-for-Meaning (Closest Natural Equivalence)

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Word-for-Word (Form Equivalence)

» SHOP FOR A BIBLE NOW «

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
New Living Translation (NLT)
Thought-for-Thought (Function Equivalence)

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.
The Message (MSG)
Paraphrase (Retelling)

Visit our Bible Translation Guide for more information about the major differences between the clear, natural English of GOD’S WORD and other translations.