יְשַׁעְיָהוּ 29

1 הֹ֚וי אֲרִיאֵ֣ל אֲרִיאֵ֔ל קִרְיַ֖ת חָנָ֣ה דָוִ֑ד סְפ֥וּ שָׁנָ֛ה עַל־שָׁנָ֖ה חַגִּ֥ים יִנְקֹֽפוּ׃

Tragedy is coming to you Ariel, Ariel the city where David lived! Year after year you have your festivals.

2 וַהֲצִיקֹ֖ותִי לַֽאֲרִיאֵ֑ל וְהָיְתָ֤ה תַֽאֲנִיָּה֙ וַֽאֲנִיָּ֔ה וְהָ֥יְתָה לִּ֖י כַּאֲרִיאֵֽל׃

But I'm going to cause trouble for Ariel; the city will cry and mourn, it will be like an altar hearth to me.

3 וְחָנִ֥יתִי כַדּ֖וּר עָלָ֑יִךְ וְצַרְתִּ֤י עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ מֻצָּ֔ב וַהֲקֽ͏ִימֹתִ֥י עָלַ֖יִךְ מְצֻרֹֽת׃

I will surround you, I will besiege you with towers and build ramps to attack you.

4 וְשָׁפַלְתְּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ תְּדַבֵּ֔רִי וּמֵֽעָפָ֖ר תִּשַּׁ֣ח אִמְרָתֵ֑ךְ וְֽ֠הָיָה כְּאֹ֤וב מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ קֹולֵ֔ךְ וּמֵעָפָ֖ר אִמְרָתֵ֥ךְ תְּצַפְצֵֽף׃

You will be brought down, you will speak from where you're lying on the ground, mumbling in the dust. Your words will come like a ghost from the grave; your voice will be a whisper from the dust.

5 וְהָיָ֛ה כְּאָבָ֥ק דַּ֖ק הֲמֹ֣ון זָרָ֑יִךְ וּכְמֹ֤ץ עֹבֵר֙ הֲמֹ֣ון עָֽרִיצִ֔ים וְהָיָ֖ה לְפֶ֥תַע פִּתְאֹֽם׃

But then all your enemies will become like fine dust; all your cruel oppressors like chaff that's blown away. Then suddenly, in no time at all,

6 מֵעִ֨ם יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ תִּפָּקֵ֔ד בְּרַ֥עַם וּבְרַ֖עַשׁ וְקֹ֣ול גָּדֹ֑ול סוּפָה֙ וּסְעָרָ֔ה וְלַ֖הַב אֵ֥שׁ אֹוכֵלָֽה׃

the Lord Almighty will arrive with thunder, earthquake, and tremendous noise, with whirlwind, storm, and flames of fire that burn everything up.

7 וְהָיָ֗ה כַּֽחֲלֹום֙ חֲזֹ֣ון לַ֔יְלָה הֲמֹון֙ כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֔ם הַצֹּבְאִ֖ים עַל־אֲרִיאֵ֑ל וְכָל־צֹבֶ֙יהָ֙ וּמְצֹ֣דָתָ֔הּ וְהַמְּצִיקִ֖ים לָֽהּ׃

The nations besieging Ariel, attacking its fortifications and tormenting the people, they will all disappear as if it was a dream!

8 וְהָיָ֡ה כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יַחֲלֹ֨ם הָרָעֵ֜ב וְהִנֵּ֣ה אֹוכֵ֗ל וְהֵקִיץ֮ וְרֵיקָ֣ה נַפְשֹׁו֒ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֨ר יַחֲלֹ֤ם הַצָּמֵא֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה שֹׁתֶ֔ה וְהֵקִיץ֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה עָיֵ֔ף וְנַפְשֹׁ֖ו שֹׁוקֵקָ֑ה כֵּ֣ן יִֽהְיֶ֗ה הֲמֹון֙ כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֔ם הַצֹּבְאִ֖ים עַל־הַ֥ר צִיֹּֽון׃ ס

It will be like someone hungry dreaming that they're eating but who wakes up still hungry. It will be like someone thirsty dreaming of drinking but who wakes up still weak and thirsty. This is what it will be like for all your enemies, the ones attacking Mount Zion.

9 הִתְמַהְמְה֣וּ וּתְמָ֔הוּ הִשְׁתּֽ͏ַעַשְׁע֖וּ וָשֹׁ֑עוּ שָֽׁכְר֣וּ וְלֹא־יַ֔יִן נָע֖וּ וְלֹ֥א שֵׁכָֽר׃

Be shocked and amazed! Make yourselves blind so you can't see! Get drunk, but not from wine! Stagger around, but not from beer!

10 כִּֽי־נָסַ֨ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם יְהוָה֙ ר֣וּחַ תַּרְדֵּמָ֔ה וַיְעַצֵּ֖ם אֶת־עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים וְאֶת־רָאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם הַחֹזִ֖ים כִּסָּֽה׃

For the Lord has made you very sleepy, and he has shut the eyes and covered the heads of those who speak for God and see visions.

11 וַתְּהִ֨י לָכֶ֜ם חָז֣וּת הַכֹּ֗ל כְּדִבְרֵי֮ הַסֵּ֣פֶר הֶֽחָתוּם֒ אֲשֶֽׁר־יִתְּנ֣וּ אֹתֹ֗ו אֶל־יֹודֵ֥עַ הַסֵּפֶר (סֵ֛פֶר) לֵאמֹ֖ר קְרָ֣א נָא־זֶ֑ה וְאָמַר֙ לֹ֣א אוּכַ֔ל כִּ֥י חָת֖וּם הֽוּא׃

This entire vision is like words in a scroll that is sealed shut. If you give it to someone who knows how to read and say, “Please read it,” they'll say, “I can't read it because it's sealed shut.”

12 וְנִתַּ֣ן הַסֵּ֗פֶר עַל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֥ע סֵ֛פֶר לֵאמֹ֖ר קְרָ֣א נָא־זֶ֑ה וְאָמַ֕ר לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי סֵֽפֶר׃ ס

If you give it to someone who doesn't know how to read and say, “Please read it,” they'll say, “I don't know how to read.”

13 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י נִגַּשׁ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה בְּפִ֤יו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו֙ כִּבְּד֔וּנִי וְלִבֹּ֖ו רִחַ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי וַתְּהִ֤י יִרְאָתָם֙ אֹתִ֔י מִצְוַ֥ת אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְלֻמָּדָֽה׃

The Lord says, “These people come and praise me with their words, and honor me with lip service, but their thoughts are miles away. Their worship of me only consists of them following rules people have taught them.

14 לָכֵ֗ן הִנְנִ֥י יֹוסִ֛ף לְהַפְלִ֥יא אֶת־הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה הַפְלֵ֣א וָפֶ֑לֶא וְאָֽבְדָה֙ חָכְמַ֣ת חֲכָמָ֔יו וּבִינַ֥ת נְבֹנָ֖יו תִּסְתַּתָּֽר׃ ס

So once again I will surprise these people with miracle upon miracle. The wisdom of the wise will die, and the insight of the insightful will disappear.”

15 הֹ֛וי הַמַּעֲמִיקִ֥ים מֵֽיהוָ֖ה לַסְתִּ֣ר עֵצָ֑ה וְהָיָ֤ה בְמַחְשָׁךְ֙ מַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מִ֥י רֹאֵ֖נוּ וּמִ֥י יֹודְעֵֽנוּ׃

Tragedy is coming to people who take such trouble to hide their plans from the Lord. They work in the dark and say to themselves, “Nobody can see us, can they? Nobody will know, will they?”

16 הַ֨פְכְּכֶ֔ם אִם־כְּחֹ֥מֶר הַיֹּצֵ֖ר יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑ב כִּֽי־יֹאמַ֨ר מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לְעֹשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ לֹ֣א עָשָׂ֔נִי וְיֵ֛צֶר אָמַ֥ר לְיֹוצְרֹ֖ו לֹ֥א הֵבִֽין׃

How perverse you are! It's as if the clay was thought of as making the potter! Should something made say to its maker, “You didn't make me”? Can the pot tell the potter, “You don't understand anything”?

17 הֲלֹוא־עֹוד֙ מְעַ֣ט מִזְעָ֔ר וְשָׁ֥ב לְבָנֹ֖ון לַכַּרְמֶ֑ל וְהַכַּרְמֶ֖ל לַיַּ֥עַר יֵחָשֵֽׁב׃

It won't be long and the forests of Lebanon will be turned into a productive field, and a productive field will seem like a forest.

18 וְשָׁמְע֧וּ בַיֹּום־הַה֛וּא הַחֵרְשִׁ֖ים דִּבְרֵי־סֵ֑פֶר וּמֵאֹ֣פֶל וּמֵחֹ֔שֶׁךְ עֵינֵ֥י עִוְרִ֖ים תִּרְאֶֽינָה׃

At that time the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and the eyes of the blind will see through the gloomy darkness what's written there.

19 וְיָסְפ֧וּ עֲנָוִ֛ים בַּֽיהוָ֖ה שִׂמְחָ֑ה וְאֶבְיֹונֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם בִּקְדֹ֥ושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יָגִֽילוּ׃

The humble will be even happier in the Lord, and the poor will find their joy in the Holy One of Israel.

20 כִּֽי־אָפֵ֥ס עָרִ֖יץ וְכָ֣לָה לֵ֑ץ וְנִכְרְת֖וּ כָּל־שֹׁ֥קְדֵי אָֽוֶן׃

Cruel people will no longer exist, the scornful will vanish, and those looking to do evil will be destroyed—

21 מַחֲטִיאֵ֤י אָדָם֙ בְּדָבָ֔ר וְלַמֹּוכִ֥יחַ בַּשַּׁ֖עַר יְקֹשׁ֑וּן וַיַּטּ֥וּ בַתֹּ֖הוּ צַדִּֽיק׃ ס

those who say things to trick others into sin, those who trap people by legal arguments in court, those who lie to mislead the innocent.

22 לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּדָ֖ה אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם לֹֽא־עַתָּ֤ה יֵבֹושׁ֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹ֥א עַתָּ֖ה פָּנָ֥יו יֶחֱוָֽרוּ׃

So this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob: “You don't need to be ashamed anymore; your faces won't grow pale with fright any longer.

23 כִּ֣י בִ֠רְאֹתֹו יְלָדָ֞יו מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדַ֛י בְּקִרְבֹּ֖ו יַקְדִּ֣ישֽׁוּ שְׁמִ֑י וְהִקְדִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ אֶת־קְדֹ֣ושׁ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְאֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃

When you see all your children and everything I've done for you, then you will regard my character as holy, and you will respect the Holy One of Jacob. You will have reverence for the God of Israel.

24 וְיָדְע֥וּ תֹֽעֵי־ר֖וּחַ בִּינָ֑ה וְרֹוגְנִ֖ים יִלְמְדוּ־לֶֽקַח׃

Those who've gone astray will understand their mistakes; those who grumble will learn how to receive instruction.”