יְשַׁעְיָהוּ 48

1 שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֣את בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַנִּקְרָאִים֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִמֵּ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יָצָ֑אוּ הַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים ׀ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֗ה וּבֵאלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יַזְכִּ֔ירוּ לֹ֥א בֶאֱמֶ֖ת וְלֹ֥א בִצְדָקָֽה׃

Listen to this, descendants of Jacob, called by the name of Israel, and who come from the lineage of Judah. Listen, you people who swear by the name of the Lord, or who invoke the God of Israel, but not truly or sincerely.

2 כִּֽי־מֵעִ֤יר הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ נִקְרָ֔אוּ וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִסְמָ֑כוּ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות שְׁמֹֽו׃ ס

You say you're from the “Holy City,” and claim you're trusting in the God of Israel, whose name is the Lord Almighty.

3 הָרִֽאשֹׁנֹות֙ מֵאָ֣ז הִגַּ֔דְתִּי וּמִפִּ֥י יָצְא֖וּ וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם עָשִׂ֖יתִי וַתָּבֹֽאנָה׃

I predicted long ago what was going to happen—I said it and let people know. Then suddenly I decided to act, and it all came true.

4 מִדַּעְתִּ֕י כִּ֥י קָשֶׁ֖ה אָ֑תָּה וְגִ֤יד בַּרְזֶל֙ עָרְפֶּ֔ךָ וּמִצְחֲךָ֖ נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

I know how stubborn you are, with necks as unbending as iron and foreheads as hard as bronze.

5 וָאַגִּ֤יד לְךָ֙ מֵאָ֔ז בְּטֶ֥רֶם תָּבֹ֖וא הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ פֶּן־תֹּאמַר֙ עָצְבִּ֣י עָשָׂ֔ם וּפִסְלִ֥י וְנִסְכִּ֖י צִוָּֽם׃

I predicted these things to you long ago, before they happened. I explained them to you so that you couldn't say “My idol did this,” or “My image and my metal god ordered this to happen.”

6 שָׁמַ֤עְתָּֽ חֲזֵה֙ כֻּלָּ֔הּ וְאַתֶּ֖ם הֲלֹ֣וא תַגִּ֑ידוּ הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָ חֲדָשֹׁות֙ מֵעַ֔תָּה וּנְצֻרֹ֖ות וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽם׃

You've heard all I predicted, and seen it happen. Won't you admit it? Now I'm going to tell you new things, secrets you don't know anything about.

7 עַתָּ֤ה נִבְרְאוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מֵאָ֔ז וְלִפְנֵי־יֹ֖ום וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתָּ֑ם פֶּן־תֹּאמַ֖ר הִנֵּ֥ה יְדַעְתִּֽין׃

These are brand-new, not something from the past. Before today you won't have heard anything about them, so you can't say, “Oh yes, I know about that.”

8 גַּ֣ם לֹֽא־שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ גַּ֚ם לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ גַּ֕ם מֵאָ֖ז לֹא־פִתְּחָ֣ה אָזְנֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ בָּגֹ֣וד תִּבְגֹּ֔וד וּפֹשֵׁ֥עַ מִבֶּ֖טֶן קֹ֥רָא לָֽךְ׃

No, you've never heard that, and you've never known that! Nobody's told you about that before! I know how deviously you operate—you're called “rebels from birth”!

9 לְמַ֤עַן שְׁמִי֙ אַאֲרִ֣יךְ אַפִּ֔י וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י אֶחֱטָם־לָ֑ךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י הַכְרִיתֶֽךָ׃

But because of my nature I am delaying my punishment; and because of my reputation, I'm not going to destroy you.

10 הִנֵּ֥ה צְרַפְתִּ֖יךָ וְלֹ֣א בְכָ֑סֶף בְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָ בְּכ֥וּר עֹֽנִי׃

Look how I've refined you, but not like silver—I chose you in the furnace of trouble.

11 לְמַעֲנִ֧י לְמַעֲנִ֛י אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה כִּ֣י אֵ֣יךְ יֵחָ֑ל וּכְבֹודִ֖י לְאַחֵ֥ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּֽן׃ ס

The reason I'm doing this is because of who I am, yes, because of my very nature. I won't let my reputation be damaged—I won't let anyone else have it.

12 שְׁמַ֤ע אֵלַי֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מְקֹרָאִ֑י אֲנִי־הוּא֙ אֲנִ֣י רִאשֹׁ֔ון אַ֖ף אֲנִ֥י אַחֲרֹֽון׃

Listen to me, Jacon, and Israel, the one I called. Only I am God. I am the first, and I am the last.

13 אַף־יָדִי֙ יָ֣סְדָה אֶ֔רֶץ וִֽימִינִ֖י טִפְּחָ֣ה שָׁמָ֑יִם קֹרֵ֥א אֲנִ֛י אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם יַעַמְד֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃

I laid the foundations of the earth with my own hands; I personally spread out the heavens. When I call the stars, they all take their positions.

14 הִקָּבְצ֤וּ כֻלְּכֶם֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔עוּ מִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם הִגִּ֣יד אֶת־אֵ֑לֶּה יְהוָ֣ה אֲהֵבֹ֔ו יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה חֶפְצֹו֙ בְּבָבֶ֔ל וּזְרֹעֹ֖ו כַּשְׂדִּֽים׃

Everyone gather round and listen. Which of your “gods” told you anything like this? The one the Lord loves will carry out the Lord's wishes against Babylon—he will attack the Babylonians.

15 אֲנִ֥י אֲנִ֛י דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אַף־קְרָאתִ֑יו הֲבִיאֹתִ֖יו וְהִצְלִ֥יחַ דַּרְכֹּֽו׃

I myself have spoken. I have called him to do this, and he will be successful in what he does.

16 קִרְב֧וּ אֵלַ֣י שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֗את לֹ֤א מֵרֹאשׁ֙ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי מֵעֵ֥ת הֱיֹותָ֖הּ שָׁ֣ם אָ֑נִי וְעַתָּ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה שְׁלָחַ֖נִי וְרוּחֹֽו׃ פ

Come close to me, and listen to this. From the very beginning I haven't spoken in secret; I am always there right when it happens. Now the Lord God and his Spirit has sent me to tell you this:

17 כֹּֽה־אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה גֹּאַלְךָ֖ קְדֹ֣ושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲנִ֨י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ מְלַמֶּדְךָ֣ לְהֹועִ֔יל מַדְרִֽיכֲךָ֖ בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ תֵּלֵֽךְ׃

This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord your God. I am the one who teaches you what is good for you, who leads you along the way you should go.

18 ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְמִצְוֹתָ֑י וַיְהִ֤י כַנָּהָר֙ שְׁלֹומֶ֔ךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ כְּגַלֵּ֥י הַיָּֽם׃

If you had only listened carefully to what I told you! Then your blessings would have flowed like a river, and goodness would have washed over you like the waves of the sea.

19 וַיְהִ֤י כַחֹול֙ זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וְצֶאֱצָאֵ֥י מֵעֶ֖יךָ כִּמְעֹתָ֑יו לֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת וְֽלֹא־יִשָּׁמֵ֛ד שְׁמֹ֖ו מִלְּפָנָֽי׃

Your children, your descendants, would have been like all those grains of sand. They wouldn't have had to be destroyed, wiped out before me.

20 צְא֣וּ מִבָּבֶל֮ בִּרְח֣וּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים֒ בְּקֹ֣ול רִנָּ֗ה הַגִּ֤ידוּ הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ זֹ֔את הֹוצִיא֖וּהָ עַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ אִמְר֕וּ גָּאַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה עַבְדֹּ֥ו יַעֲקֹֽב׃

Leave Babylon! Run away from Babylonia with happy shouts! Let everyone know, telling the whole earth, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!”

21 וְלֹ֣א צָמְא֗וּ בָּחֳרָבֹות֙ הֹֽולִיכָ֔ם מַ֥יִם מִצּ֖וּר הִזִּ֣יל לָ֑מֹו וַיִּ֨בְקַע־צ֔וּר וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ מָֽיִם׃

They weren't thirsty when he led them through the desert—he made water come out of the rock for them. He split the rock open and water poured out.

22 אֵ֣ין שָׁלֹ֔ום אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה לָרְשָׁעִֽים׃ ס

The wicked have no peace, says the Lord.