< Isaiah 48 >

1 Listen to these things, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and who went forth from the waters of Judah. You swear by the name of the Lord and you call to mind the God of Israel, but not in truth, and not in justice.
שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֣את בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַנִּקְרָאִים֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִמֵּ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יָצָ֑אוּ הַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים ׀ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֗ה וּבֵאלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יַזְכִּ֔ירוּ לֹ֥א בֶאֱמֶ֖ת וְלֹ֥א בִצְדָקָֽה׃
2 For they have been called from the holy city, and they have been founded upon the God of Israel. The Lord of hosts is his name.
כִּֽי־מֵעִ֤יר הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ נִקְרָ֔אוּ וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִסְמָ֑כוּ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות שְׁמֹֽו׃ ס
3 From that time, I announced the former things. They went forth from my mouth, and I have caused them to be heard. I wrought these things suddenly, and they were fulfilled.
הָרִֽאשֹׁנֹות֙ מֵאָ֣ז הִגַּ֔דְתִּי וּמִפִּ֥י יָצְא֖וּ וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם עָשִׂ֖יתִי וַתָּבֹֽאנָה׃
4 For I knew that you are stubborn, and that your neck is like an iron sinew, and that your forehead is like brass.
מִדַּעְתִּ֕י כִּ֥י קָשֶׁ֖ה אָ֑תָּה וְגִ֤יד בַּרְזֶל֙ עָרְפֶּ֔ךָ וּמִצְחֲךָ֖ נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
5 From that time, I foretold to you. Before these things happened, I revealed them to you, lest you say: “My idols have accomplished these things, and my graven and molten images have commanded them.”
וָאַגִּ֤יד לְךָ֙ מֵאָ֔ז בְּטֶ֥רֶם תָּבֹ֖וא הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ פֶּן־תֹּאמַר֙ עָצְבִּ֣י עָשָׂ֔ם וּפִסְלִ֥י וְנִסְכִּ֖י צִוָּֽם׃
6 See all the things that you have heard. But were you the ones who announced them? From that time, I caused you to hear about new things, and you do not know how these were preserved.
שָׁמַ֤עְתָּֽ חֲזֵה֙ כֻּלָּ֔הּ וְאַתֶּ֖ם הֲלֹ֣וא תַגִּ֑ידוּ הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָ חֲדָשֹׁות֙ מֵעַ֔תָּה וּנְצֻרֹ֖ות וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽם׃
7 They are created now, and not in that time. And even before today, you did not hear of them; otherwise, you might say, “Behold, I knew them.”
עַתָּ֤ה נִבְרְאוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מֵאָ֔ז וְלִפְנֵי־יֹ֖ום וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתָּ֑ם פֶּן־תֹּאמַ֖ר הִנֵּ֥ה יְדַעְתִּֽין׃
8 You have neither heard, nor known, nor were your ears open in that time. For I knew that you would transgress greatly, and so I called you a transgressor from the womb.
גַּ֣ם לֹֽא־שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ גַּ֚ם לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ גַּ֕ם מֵאָ֖ז לֹא־פִתְּחָ֣ה אָזְנֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ בָּגֹ֣וד תִּבְגֹּ֔וד וּפֹשֵׁ֥עַ מִבֶּ֖טֶן קֹ֥רָא לָֽךְ׃
9 For the sake of my name, I will take the face of my fury far away. And for the sake of my praise, I will bridle you, lest you perish.
לְמַ֤עַן שְׁמִי֙ אַאֲרִ֣יךְ אַפִּ֔י וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י אֶחֱטָם־לָ֑ךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י הַכְרִיתֶֽךָ׃
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver. I have chosen you for the furnace of poverty.
הִנֵּ֥ה צְרַפְתִּ֖יךָ וְלֹ֣א בְכָ֑סֶף בְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָ בְּכ֥וּר עֹֽנִי׃
11 For my sake, for my own sake, I will do it, so that I may not be blasphemed. For I will not give my glory to another.
לְמַעֲנִ֧י לְמַעֲנִ֛י אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה כִּ֣י אֵ֣יךְ יֵחָ֑ל וּכְבֹודִ֖י לְאַחֵ֥ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּֽן׃ ס
12 Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel whom I call. I am the same, I am the first, and I am the last.
שְׁמַ֤ע אֵלַי֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מְקֹרָאִ֑י אֲנִי־הוּא֙ אֲנִ֣י רִאשֹׁ֔ון אַ֖ף אֲנִ֥י אַחֲרֹֽון׃
13 Also, my hand has founded the earth, and my right hand has measured the heavens. I will call them, and they will stand together.
אַף־יָדִי֙ יָ֣סְדָה אֶ֔רֶץ וִֽימִינִ֖י טִפְּחָ֣ה שָׁמָ֑יִם קֹרֵ֥א אֲנִ֛י אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם יַעַמְד֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃
14 Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? The Lord has loved him; he will do his will with Babylon, and his arm is upon the Chaldeans.
הִקָּבְצ֤וּ כֻלְּכֶם֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔עוּ מִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם הִגִּ֣יד אֶת־אֵ֑לֶּה יְהוָ֣ה אֲהֵבֹ֔ו יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה חֶפְצֹו֙ בְּבָבֶ֔ל וּזְרֹעֹ֖ו כַּשְׂדִּֽים׃
15 I am, I have spoken, and I have called him. I have led him forward, and his way has been straight.
אֲנִ֥י אֲנִ֛י דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אַף־קְרָאתִ֑יו הֲבִיאֹתִ֖יו וְהִצְלִ֥יחַ דַּרְכֹּֽו׃
16 Draw near to me, and listen to this. From the beginning, I have not spoken in secret. From the time before it happened, I was there. And now, the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.
קִרְב֧וּ אֵלַ֣י שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֗את לֹ֤א מֵרֹאשׁ֙ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי מֵעֵ֥ת הֱיֹותָ֖הּ שָׁ֣ם אָ֑נִי וְעַתָּ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה שְׁלָחַ֖נִי וְרוּחֹֽו׃ פ
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord, your God, who teaches you beneficial things, who guides you in the way that you walk.
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה גֹּאַלְךָ֖ קְדֹ֣ושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲנִ֨י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ מְלַמֶּדְךָ֣ לְהֹועִ֔יל מַדְרִֽיכֲךָ֖ בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ תֵּלֵֽךְ׃
18 If only you had paid attention to my commandments! Your peace would have been like a river, and your justice would have been like the waves of the sea,
ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְמִצְוֹתָ֑י וַיְהִ֤י כַנָּהָר֙ שְׁלֹומֶ֔ךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ כְּגַלֵּ֥י הַיָּֽם׃
19 and your offspring would have been like the sand, and the stock from your loins would have been like its stones. His name would not have passed away, nor would it have been worn away before my face.
וַיְהִ֤י כַחֹול֙ זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וְצֶאֱצָאֵ֥י מֵעֶ֖יךָ כִּמְעֹתָ֑יו לֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת וְֽלֹא־יִשָּׁמֵ֛ד שְׁמֹ֖ו מִלְּפָנָֽי׃
20 Depart from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Announce it with a voice of exultation. Cause it to be heard, and carry it even to the ends of the earth. Say: “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.”
צְא֣וּ מִבָּבֶל֮ בִּרְח֣וּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים֒ בְּקֹ֣ול רִנָּ֗ה הַגִּ֤ידוּ הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ זֹ֔את הֹוצִיא֖וּהָ עַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ אִמְר֕וּ גָּאַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה עַבְדֹּ֥ו יַעֲקֹֽב׃
21 They did not thirst in the desert, when he led them out. He produced water from the rock for them. For he split the rock, and the waters flowed out.
וְלֹ֣א צָמְא֗וּ בָּחֳרָבֹות֙ הֹֽולִיכָ֔ם מַ֥יִם מִצּ֖וּר הִזִּ֣יל לָ֑מֹו וַיִּ֨בְקַע־צ֔וּר וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ מָֽיִם׃
22 “There is no peace for the impious,” says the Lord.
אֵ֣ין שָׁלֹ֔ום אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה לָרְשָׁעִֽים׃ ס

< Isaiah 48 >