יְשַׁעְיָהוּ 64

1

If only you would rip the heavens apart and come down! The mountains would tremble in your presence!

2 כִּקְדֹ֧חַ אֵ֣שׁ הֲמָסִ֗ים מַ֚יִם תִּבְעֶה־אֵ֔שׁ לְהֹודִ֥יעַ שִׁמְךָ֖ לְצָרֶ֑יךָ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ גֹּויִ֥ם יִרְגָּֽזוּ׃

In the same way that fire burns wood and makes the water boil, make your reputation known to your enemies, so that nations will tremble in your presence!

3 בַּעֲשֹׂותְךָ֥ נֹורָאֹ֖ות לֹ֣א נְקַוֶּ֑ה יָרַ֕דְתָּ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ הָרִ֥ים נָזֹֽלּוּ׃

In the past you did things we weren't anticipating. You came down and the mountains trembled in your presence!

4 וּמֵעֹולָ֥ם לֹא־שָׁמְע֖וּ לֹ֣א הֶאֱזִ֑ינוּ עַ֣יִן לֹֽא־רָאָ֗תָה אֱלֹהִים֙ זוּלָ֣תְךָ֔ יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִמְחַכֵּה־לֹֽו׃

Since the beginning, no one has heard about, no one has paid attention to, and no one has seen any God except you, the one who helps those who place their confidence in you.

5 פָּגַ֤עְתָּ אֶת־שָׂשׂ֙ וְעֹ֣שֵׂה צֶ֔דֶק בִּדְרָכֶ֖יךָ יִזְכְּר֑וּךָ הֵן־אַתָּ֤ה קָצַ֙פְתָּ֙ וַֽנֶּחֱטָ֔א בָּהֶ֥ם עֹולָ֖ם וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעַ׃

You join with those who are glad, and with those who do what's right and remember to follow your ways. But when we went on sinning, you became angry. How can we be saved if we go on like this?

6 וַנְּהִ֤י כַטָּמֵא֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וּכְבֶ֥גֶד עִדִּ֖ים כָּל־צִדְקֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַנָּ֤בֶל כֶּֽעָלֶה֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וַעֲוֹנֵ֖נוּ כָּר֥וּחַ יִשָּׂאֻֽנוּ׃

We've all become unclean, and all the good things we do are like dirty rags. We wither and die like autumn leaves, and our sins, like the wind, blow us away.

7 וְאֵין־קֹורֵ֣א בְשִׁמְךָ֔ מִתְעֹורֵ֖ר לְהַחֲזִ֣יק בָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־הִסְתַּ֤רְתָּ פָנֶ֙יךָ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וַתְּמוּגֵ֖נוּ בְּיַד־עֲוֹנֵֽנוּ׃

There's no one who calls for you or really wants to hold onto you, because you have hidden your face from us and let us drown in our own sins.

8 וְעַתָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אָבִ֣ינוּ אָ֑תָּה אֲנַ֤חְנוּ הַחֹ֙מֶר֙ וְאַתָּ֣ה יֹצְרֵ֔נוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדְךָ֖ כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃

But you, Lord, are our Father. We're the clay, you're the potter. You made us all with your own hands.

9 אַל־תִּקְצֹ֤ף יְהוָה֙ עַד־מְאֹ֔ד וְאַל־לָעַ֖ד תִּזְכֹּ֣ר עָוֹ֑ן הֵ֥ן הַבֶּט־נָ֖א עַמְּךָ֥ כֻלָּֽנוּ׃

Please limit your anger, Lord, and don't remember our sins forever. Look at us, and see that we are all your people.

10 עָרֵ֥י קָדְשְׁךָ֖ הָי֣וּ מִדְבָּ֑ר צִיֹּון֙ מִדְבָּ֣ר הָיָ֔תָה יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם שְׁמָמָֽה׃

Your holy cities have been turned into a wilderness; Zion has become a desert; yes, even Jerusalem is an abandoned ruin.

11 בֵּ֧ית קָדְשֵׁ֣נוּ וְתִפְאַרְתֵּ֗נוּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִֽלְל֙וּךָ֙ אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ הָיָ֖ה לִשְׂרֵ֣פַת אֵ֑שׁ וְכָל־מַחֲמַדֵּ֖ינוּ הָיָ֥ה לְחָרְבָּֽה׃

Our beautiful, holy Temple where our forefathers praised you has been burned down, and all that we treasured has been destroyed.

12 הַעַל־אֵ֥לֶּה תִתְאַפַּ֖ק יְהוָ֑ה תֶּחֱשֶׁ֥ה וּתְעַנֵּ֖נוּ עַד־מְאֹֽד׃ ס

In view of all this, are you still going to refuse to help us? Are you going to stay quiet and punish us so severely?