ישעה 48

1 שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹב הַנִּקְרָאִים בְּשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִמֵּי יְהוּדָה יָצָאוּ הַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִים ׀ בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה וּבֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַזְכִּירוּ לֹא בֶאֱמֶת וְלֹא בִצְדָקָֽה׃

“Sh'ma ·Hear obey· this, house of Jacob [Supplanter], you who are called by the name of Israel [God prevails], and have come out of the waters of Judah [Praised]. You swear by Adonai’s name, and make mention of the God of Israel [God prevails], but not in truth, nor in righteousness

2 כִּֽי־מֵעִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ נִקְרָאוּ וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְמָכוּ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמֽוֹ׃

(for they call themselves citizens of the holy city, and rely on the God of Israel [God prevails]; Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies] is his name):

3 הָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת מֵאָז הִגַּדְתִּי וּמִפִּי יָצְאוּ וְאַשְׁמִיעֵם פִּתְאֹם עָשִׂיתִי וַתָּבֹֽאנָה׃

I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went out of my mouth, and I sh'ma ·heard obeyed, declared· them. I did them suddenly, and they happened.

4 מִדַּעְתִּי כִּי קָשֶׁה אָתָּה וְגִיד בַּרְזֶל עָרְפֶּךָ וּמִצְחֲךָ נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;

5 וָאַגִּיד לְךָ מֵאָז בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ פֶּן־תֹּאמַר עָצְבִּי עָשָׂם וּפִסְלִי וְנִסְכִּי צִוָּֽם׃

therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I sh'ma ·heard obeyed, declared· it to you; lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has enjoined them.’

6 שָׁמַעְתָּֽ חֲזֵה כֻּלָּהּ וְאַתֶּם הֲלוֹא תַגִּידוּ הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ חֲדָשׁוֹת מֵעַתָּה וּנְצֻרוֹת וְלֹא יְדַעְתָּֽם׃

You have sh'ma ·hear obey· it; see all this. And you, won’t you declare it? “I have sh'ma ·hear obey, declared· you new things from this time, even hidden things, which you have not known.

7 עַתָּה נִבְרְאוּ וְלֹא מֵאָז וְלִפְנֵי־יוֹם וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתָּם פֶּן־תֹּאמַר הִנֵּה יְדַעְתִּֽין׃

They are created now, and not from of old; and before today you didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey· them; lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

8 גַּם לֹֽא־שָׁמַעְתָּ גַּם לֹא יָדַעְתָּ גַּם מֵאָז לֹא־פִתְּחָה אָזְנֶךָ כִּי יָדַעְתִּי בָּגוֹד תִּבְגּוֹד וּפֹשֵׁעַ מִבֶּטֶן קֹרָא לָֽךְ׃

Yes, you didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey·; yes, you didn’t know; yes, from of old your ear was not opened: for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.

9 לְמַעַן שְׁמִי אַאֲרִיךְ אַפִּי וּתְהִלָּתִי אֶחֱטָם־לָךְ לְבִלְתִּי הַכְרִיתֶֽךָ׃

For my name’s sake, I will defer my anger, and for my tehilah ·praise song· I hold it back for you, so that I don’t cut you off.

10 הִנֵּה צְרַפְתִּיךָ וְלֹא בְכָסֶף בְּחַרְתִּיךָ בְּכוּר עֹֽנִי׃

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.

11 לְמַעֲנִי לְמַעֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי אֵיךְ יֵחָל וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּֽן׃

For my own sake, for my own sake, I will do it; for how would my name be profaned? I will not give my kavod ·weighty glory· to another.

12 שְׁמַע אֵלַי יַֽעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְקֹרָאִי אֲנִי־הוּא אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן אַף אֲנִי אַחֲרֽוֹן׃

“Sh'ma ·Hear obey· me, O Jacob [Supplanter], and Israel [God prevails] my called: I am he; I am the first, I am also the last.

13 אַף־יָדִי יָסְדָה אֶרֶץ וִֽימִינִי טִפְּחָה שָׁמָיִם קֹרֵא אֲנִי אֲלֵיהֶם יַעַמְדוּ יַחְדָּֽו׃

Yes, my hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand up together.

14 הִקָּבְצוּ כֻלְּכֶם וּֽשֲׁמָעוּ מִי בָהֶם הִגִּיד אֶת־אֵלֶּה יְהוָה אֲהֵבוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה חֶפְצוֹ בְּבָבֶל וּזְרֹעוֹ כַּשְׂדִּֽים׃

“Assemble yourselves, all of you, and sh'ma ·hear obey·; who among them has declared these things? He whom Adonai 'ahav ·affectionately loves· will do what he likes to Babylon [Confusion], and his arm will be against the Chaldeans [Descendants of Loving-kindness].

15 אֲנִי אֲנִי דִּבַּרְתִּי אַף־קְרָאתִיו הֲבִיאֹתִיו וְהִצְלִיחַ דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

16 קִרְבוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת לֹא מֵרֹאשׁ בַּסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי מֵעֵת הֱיוֹתָהּ שָׁם אָנִי וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה שְׁלָחַנִי וְרוּחֽוֹ׃

“Come near to me and sh'ma ·hear obey· this: “From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it happened, I was there.” Now the Lord Adonai has sent me, with his Spirit.

17 כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהוָה גֹּאַלְךָ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְלַמֶּדְךָ לְהוֹעִיל מַדְרִֽיכֲךָ בְּדֶרֶךְ תֵּלֵֽךְ׃

Adonai, your Redeemer, the haKadosh Isra'el [the Holy One of God prevails] says: “I am Adonai your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.

18 לוּא הִקְשַׁבְתָּ לְמִצְוֺתָי וַיְהִי כַנָּהָר שְׁלוֹמֶךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ כְּגַלֵּי הַיָּֽם׃

Oh that you had listened to my mitzvot ·instructions·! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

19 וַיְהִי כַחוֹל זַרְעֶךָ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי מֵעֶיךָ כִּמְעֹתָיו לֹֽא־יִכָּרֵת וְֽלֹא־יִשָּׁמֵד שְׁמוֹ מִלְּפָנָֽי׃

Your offspring also would have been as the sand, and the descendants of your body like its grains. His name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.”

20 צְאוּ מִבָּבֶל בִּרְחוּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים בְּקוֹל רִנָּה הַגִּידוּ הַשְׁמִיעוּ זֹאת הוֹצִיאוּהָ עַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ אִמְרוּ גָּאַל יְהוָה עַבְדּוֹ יַעֲקֹֽב׃

Leave Babylon [Confusion]! Flee from the Chaldeans [Descendants of Loving-kindness]! With a voice of singing sh'ma ·hear obey, declare· this, tell it even to the end of the earth: say, “Adonai has redeemed his servant Jacob [Supplanter]!”

21 וְלֹא צָמְאוּ בָּחֳרָבוֹת הֽוֹלִיכָם מַיִם מִצּוּר הִזִּיל לָמוֹ וַיִּבְקַע־צוּר וַיָּזֻבוּ מָֽיִם׃

They didn’t thirst when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

22 אֵין שָׁלוֹם אָמַר יְהוָה לָרְשָׁעִֽים׃

“There is no peace,” says Adonai, “for the wicked.”