יְשַׁעְיָהוּ 59

1 הֵ֛ן לֹֽא־קָצְרָ֥ה יַד־יְהוָ֖ה מֵֽהֹושִׁ֑יעַ וְלֹא־כָבְדָ֥ה אָזְנֹ֖ו מִשְּׁמֹֽועַ׃

Don't you see? The Lord's arm isn't too weak to save you, and his ear isn't too deaf to hear you!

2 כִּ֤י אִם־עֲוֹנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ הָי֣וּ מַבְדִּלִ֔ים בֵּינֵכֶ֕ם לְבֵ֖ין אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם וְחַטֹּֽאותֵיכֶ֗ם הִסְתִּ֧ירוּ פָנִ֛ים מִכֶּ֖ם מִשְּׁמֹֽועַ׃

It's your guilt that has created a barrier between you and your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so he can't hear you.

3 כִּ֤י כַפֵּיכֶם֙ נְגֹאֲל֣וּ בַדָּ֔ם וְאֶצְבְּעֹותֵיכֶ֖ם בֶּֽעָוֹ֑ן שִׂפְתֹֽותֵיכֶם֙ דִּבְּרוּ־שֶׁ֔קֶר לְשֹׁונְכֶ֖ם עַוְלָ֥ה תֶהְגֶּֽה׃

Your hands are covered in blood and your fingers tainted with guilt, your lips speak lies and your mouth whispers evil things.

4 אֵין־קֹרֵ֣א בְצֶ֔דֶק וְאֵ֥ין נִשְׁפָּ֖ט בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה בָּטֹ֤וחַ עַל־תֹּ֙הוּ֙ וְדַבֶּר־שָׁ֔וְא הָרֹ֥ו עָמָ֖ל וְהֹולֵ֥יד אָֽוֶן׃

Nobody wants justice, nobody pleads their case with honesty. They rely on false testimony, and tell lies. They conceive evil plans, and give birth to trouble.

5 בֵּיצֵ֤י צִפְעֹונִי֙ בִּקֵּ֔עוּ וְקוּרֵ֥י עַכָּבִ֖ישׁ יֶאֱרֹ֑גוּ הָאֹכֵ֤ל מִבֵּֽיצֵיהֶם֙ יָמ֔וּת וְהַזּוּרֶ֖ה תִּבָּקַ֥ע אֶפְעֶֽה׃

They hatch viper's eggs, and weave a spider's web. If you eat their eggs you'll die; if you crush their eggs you'll only hatch snakes.

6 קֽוּרֵיהֶם֙ לֹא־יִהְי֣וּ לְבֶ֔גֶד וְלֹ֥א יִתְכַּסּ֖וּ בְּמַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם מַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶם֙ מַֽעֲשֵׂי־אָ֔וֶן וּפֹ֥עַל חָמָ֖ס בְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃

Their webs can't be made into clothes; they can't cover themselves by what they produce. What they do is wicked; they use their hands to commit violence.

7 רַגְלֵיהֶם֙ לָרַ֣ע יָרֻ֔צוּ וִֽימַהֲר֔וּ לִשְׁפֹּ֖ךְ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י מַחְשְׁבֹֽותֵיהֶם֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות אָ֔וֶן שֹׁ֥ד וָשֶׁ֖בֶר בִּמְסִלֹּותָֽם׃

They run to do evil; they're quick to murder innocent people. Their minds are full of sinful thoughts; they only cause havoc and destruction.

8 דֶּ֤רֶךְ שָׁלֹום֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ וְאֵ֥ין מִשְׁפָּ֖ט בְּמַעְגְּלֹותָ֑ם נְתִיבֹֽותֵיהֶם֙ עִקְּשׁ֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם כֹּ֚ל דֹּרֵ֣ךְ בָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א יָדַ֖ע שָׁלֹֽום׃

They don't know how to live in peace; they're not straight and fair with others. Their way is totally crooked, and anyone who follows them won't experience any peace.

9 עַל־כֵּ֗ן רָחַ֤ק מִשְׁפָּט֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּ צְדָקָ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לָאֹור֙ וְהִנֵּה־חֹ֔שֶׁךְ לִנְגֹהֹ֖ות בָּאֲפֵלֹ֥ות נְהַלֵּֽךְ׃

So that's why we don't have justice, and we don't do what's right. We look for the light, but only find the dark; we look for bright light, but we walk in deep darkness.

10 נְגַֽשְׁשָׁ֤ה כַֽעִוְרִים֙ קִ֔יר וּכְאֵ֥ין עֵינַ֖יִם נְגַשֵּׁ֑שָׁה כָּשַׁ֤לְנוּ בַֽצָּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁף בָּאַשְׁמַנִּ֖ים כַּמֵּתִֽים׃

We grope like blind people along a wall, feeling with our hands as if we have no eyes. We stumble at noon as if it were the evening. Among those who are full of life, we are like the dead.

11 נֶהֱמֶ֤ה כַדֻּבִּים֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וְכַיֹּונִ֖ים הָגֹ֣ה נֶהְגֶּ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ וָאַ֔יִן לִֽישׁוּעָ֖ה רָחֲקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

All of us growl like bears and coo like doves as we wait for justice to be done, but it never happens; we wait for salvation, but never receive it.

12 כִּֽי־רַבּ֤וּ פְשָׁעֵ֙ינוּ֙ נֶגְדֶּ֔ךָ וְחַטֹּאותֵ֖ינוּ עָ֣נְתָה בָּ֑נוּ כִּֽי־פְשָׁעֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֔נוּ וַעֲוֹנֹתֵ֖ינוּ יְדַֽעֲנֽוּם׃

You are aware of all our rebellious acts; our sins witness against us. Yes, we acknowledge our rebellious acts; we know all about our sins.

13 פָּשֹׁ֤עַ וְכַחֵשׁ֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וְנָסֹ֖וג מֵאַחַ֣ר אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ דַּבֶּר־עֹ֣שֶׁק וְסָרָ֔ה הֹרֹ֧ו וְהֹגֹ֛ו מִלֵּ֖ב דִּבְרֵי־שָֽׁקֶר׃

We have disobeyed and denied you, Lord; we have turned our backs on our God. We have encouraged oppression and rebellion, telling lies we've carefully thought out.

14 וְהֻסַּ֤ג אָחֹור֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה מֵרָחֹ֣וק תַּעֲמֹ֑ד כִּֽי־כָשְׁלָ֤ה בָֽרְחֹוב֙ אֱמֶ֔ת וּנְכֹחָ֖ה לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל לָבֹֽוא׃

Justice is rejected, and doing right never happens. Truth falls down in the street, and honesty is banned.

15 וַתְּהִ֤י הָֽאֱמֶת֙ נֶעְדֶּ֔רֶת וְסָ֥ר מֵרָ֖ע מִשְׁתֹּולֵ֑ל וַיַּ֧רְא יְהוָ֛ה וַיֵּ֥רַע בְּעֵינָ֖יו כִּֽי־אֵ֥ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

There's no truth anywhere, and anyone who does give up evil is robbed. The Lord saw what was going on, and was upset that there was no justice.

16 וַיַּרְא֙ כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין אִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתֹּומֵ֖ם כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין מַפְגִּ֑יעַ וַתֹּ֤ושַֽׁע לֹו֙ זְרֹעֹ֔ו וְצִדְקָתֹ֖ו הִ֥יא סְמָכָֽתְהוּ׃

He looked around, and he was appalled to find there was no one who would do anything about it, so he intervened himself, and his sense of what was right kept him going.

17 וַיִּלְבַּ֤שׁ צְדָקָה֙ כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ן וְכֹ֥ובַע יְשׁוּעָ֖ה בְּרֹאשֹׁ֑ו וַיִּלְבַּ֞שׁ בִּגְדֵ֤י נָקָם֙ תִּלְבֹּ֔שֶׁת וַיַּ֥עַט כַּמְעִ֖יל קִנְאָֽה׃

He put on integrity as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head. He put on clothes of vengeance and wrapped himself with determination as a cloak.

18 כְּעַ֤ל גְּמֻלֹות֙ כְּעַ֣ל יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם חֵמָ֣ה לְצָרָ֔יו גְּמ֖וּל לְאֹֽיְבָ֑יו לָאִיִּ֖ים גְּמ֥וּל יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

He will repay everyone for what they've done: fury to his enemies, revenge to those who oppose him, payback to the distant lands.

19 וְיִֽירְא֤וּ מִֽמַּעֲרָב֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה וּמִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ אֶת־כְּבֹודֹ֑ו כִּֽי־יָבֹ֤וא כַנָּהָר֙ צָ֔ר ר֥וּחַ יְהוָ֖ה נֹ֥סְסָה בֹֽו׃

Those in the west will be in awe of the Lord, and those in the east will be amazed at his glory, for he will arrive like a raging flood, driven by the Spirit of the Lord.

20 וּבָ֤א לְצִיֹּון֙ גֹּואֵ֔ל וּלְשָׁבֵ֥י פֶ֖שַׁע בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃

The Redeemer will come to Zion, to Jacob's descendants who turn from their sins, declares the Lord.

21 וַאֲנִ֗י זֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֤י אֹותָם֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה רוּחִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלֶ֔יךָ וּדְבָרַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בְּפִ֑יךָ לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁוּ מִפִּיךָ֩ וּמִפִּ֨י זַרְעֲךָ֜ וּמִפִּ֨י זֶ֤רַע זַרְעֲךָ֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה מֵעַתָּ֖ה וְעַד־עֹולָֽם׃ ס

This is my agreement with them, says the Lord. My Spirit, who is upon you, won't leave you, and my words that I have given you to speak will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children, and on the lips of your descendants, from now until forever, says the Lord.