King James Bible
"Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble."
Using agricultural metaphors, Isaiah emphasizes the complete inability of earthly rulers to establish lasting power—they cannot even begin the process of growth. The triple repetition (planted, sown, take root) intensifies the certainty that human authority lacks permanence before God's sovereignty. God's breath alone is sufficient to destroy what appears mighty, depicting divine power as effortless compared to human strength. The imagery recalls how easily plants die when exposed to hot desert winds, a familiar sight in the ancient Near East. The final image shows complete removal—not just death but total dispersal like dried grain stalks in a storm. This connects to the larger context of Isaiah 40, which contrasts the temporary nature of human power with God's eternal word and strength.