הֵ֛ן לֹא־קָצְרָ֥ה יַד־יְהֹוָ֖ה מֵהוֹשִׁ֑יעַ וְלֹא־כָבְדָ֥ה אׇזְנ֖וֹ מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃ No, the LORD’s arm is not too short to save,
Or His ear too dull to hear;
כִּ֤י אִם־עֲוֺנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ הָי֣וּ מַבְדִּלִ֔ים בֵּינֵכֶ֕ם לְבֵ֖ין אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְחַטֹּאותֵיכֶ֗ם הִסְתִּ֧ירוּ פָנִ֛ים מִכֶּ֖ם מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃ But your iniquities have been a barrier
Between you and your God,
Your sins have made Him turn His face away
And refuse to hear you.
כִּ֤י כַפֵּיכֶם֙ נְגֹאֲל֣וּ בַדָּ֔ם וְאֶצְבְּעוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם בֶּעָוֺ֑ן שִׂפְתֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ דִּבְּרוּ־שֶׁ֔קֶר לְשׁוֹנְכֶ֖ם עַוְלָ֥ה תֶהְגֶּֽה׃ For your hands are defiled with crimeaOr “blood.”
And your fingers with iniquity.
Your lips speak falsehood,
Your tongue utters treachery.
אֵין־קֹרֵ֣א בְצֶ֔דֶק וְאֵ֥ין נִשְׁפָּ֖ט בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה בָּט֤וֹחַ עַל־תֹּ֙הוּ֙ וְדַבֶּר־שָׁ֔וְא הָר֥וֹ עָמָ֖ל וְהוֹלֵ֥יד אָֽוֶן׃ No one sues justly
Or pleads honestly;
They rely on emptiness and speak falsehood,
Conceiving wrong and begetting evil.
בֵּיצֵ֤י צִפְעוֹנִי֙ בִּקֵּ֔עוּ וְקוּרֵ֥י עַכָּבִ֖ישׁ יֶאֱרֹ֑גוּ הָאֹכֵ֤ל מִבֵּֽיצֵיהֶם֙ יָמ֔וּת וְהַזּוּרֶ֖ה תִּבָּקַ֥ע אֶפְעֶֽה׃ They hatch adder’s eggs
And weave spider webs;
He who eats of those eggs will die,
And if one is crushed, it hatches out a viper.
קֽוּרֵיהֶם֙ לֹֽא־יִהְי֣וּ לְבֶ֔גֶד וְלֹ֥א יִתְכַּסּ֖וּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם מַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶם֙ מַֽעֲשֵׂי־אָ֔וֶן וּפֹ֥עַל חָמָ֖ס בְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃ Their webs will not serve as a garment,
What they make cannot serve as clothing;
Their deeds are deeds of mischief,
Their hands commit lawless acts,
רַגְלֵיהֶם֙ לָרַ֣ע יָרֻ֔צוּ וִֽימַהֲר֔וּ לִשְׁפֹּ֖ךְ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י מַחְשְׁבֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֔וֶן שֹׁ֥ד וָשֶׁ֖בֶר בִּמְסִלּוֹתָֽם׃ Their feet run after evil,
They hasten to shed the blood of the innocent.
Their plans are plans of mischief,
Destructiveness and injury are on their roads.
דֶּ֤רֶךְ שָׁלוֹם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ וְאֵ֥ין מִשְׁפָּ֖ט בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָ֑ם נְתִיבֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ עִקְּשׁ֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם כֹּ֚ל דֹּרֵ֣ךְ בָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א יָדַ֖ע שָׁלֽוֹם׃ They do not care for the way of integrity,
There is no justice on their paths.
They make their courses crooked,
No one who walks in them cares for integrity.
עַל־כֵּ֗ן רָחַ֤ק מִשְׁפָּט֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּ צְדָקָ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לָאוֹר֙ וְהִנֵּה־חֹ֔שֶׁךְ לִנְגֹה֖וֹת בָּאֲפֵל֥וֹת נְהַלֵּֽךְ׃ “That is why redress is far from us,
And vindication does not reach us.
We hope for light, and lo! there is darkness;
For a gleam, and we must walk in gloom.
נְגַשְׁשָׁ֤ה כַֽעִוְרִים֙ קִ֔יר וּכְאֵ֥ין עֵינַ֖יִם נְגַשֵּׁ֑שָׁה כָּשַׁ֤לְנוּ בַֽצׇּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁף בָּאַשְׁמַנִּ֖ים כַּמֵּתִֽים׃ We grope, like blind men along a wall;
Like those without eyes we grope.
We stumble at noon, as if in darkness;
bMeaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “In the daytime…”Among the sturdy, we are-b like the dead.
נֶהֱמֶ֤ה כַדֻּבִּים֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וְכַיּוֹנִ֖ים הָגֹ֣ה נֶהְגֶּ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ וָאַ֔יִן לִישׁוּעָ֖ה רָחֲקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ We all growl like bears
And moan like doves.
We hope for redress, and there is none;
For victory, and it is far from us.
כִּֽי־רַבּ֤וּ פְשָׁעֵ֙ינוּ֙ נֶגְדֶּ֔ךָ וְחַטֹּאותֵ֖ינוּ עָ֣נְתָה בָּ֑נוּ כִּֽי־פְשָׁעֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֔נוּ וַעֲוֺנֹתֵ֖ינוּ יְדַעֲנֽוּם׃ For our many sins are before You,
Our guilt testifies against us.
We are aware of our sins,
And we know well our iniquities:
פָּשֹׁ֤עַ וְכַחֵשׁ֙ בַּֽיהֹוָ֔ה וְנָס֖וֹג מֵאַחַ֣ר אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ דַּבֶּר־עֹ֣שֶׁק וְסָרָ֔ה הֹר֧וֹ וְהֹג֛וֹ מִלֵּ֖ב דִּבְרֵי־שָֽׁקֶר׃ Rebellion, faithlessness to the LORD,
And turning away from our God,
Planning fraud and treachery,
Conceiving lies and uttering them with the throat.cLit. “heart”; see note at 33.18 and frequently elsewhere.
וְהֻסַּ֤ג אָחוֹר֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה מֵרָח֣וֹק תַּעֲמֹ֑ד כִּֽי־כָשְׁלָ֤ה בָֽרְחוֹב֙ אֱמֶ֔ת וּנְכֹחָ֖ה לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל לָבֽוֹא׃ {ס} And so redress is turned back
And vindication stays afar,
Because honesty stumbles in the public square
And uprightness cannot enter.
וַתְּהִ֤י הָאֱמֶת֙ נֶעְדֶּ֔רֶת וְסָ֥ר מֵרָ֖ע מִשְׁתּוֹלֵ֑ל וַיַּ֧רְא יְהֹוָ֛ה וַיֵּ֥רַע בְּעֵינָ֖יו כִּי־אֵ֥ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ Honesty has been lacking,
He who turns away from evil is despoiled.”
The LORD saw and was displeased
That there was no redress.
וַיַּרְא֙ כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין אִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖ם כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין מַפְגִּ֑יעַ וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁע לוֹ֙ זְרֹע֔וֹ וְצִדְקָת֖וֹ הִ֥יא סְמָכָֽתְהוּ׃ He saw that there was no man,
He gazed long, but no one intervened.
Then His own arm won Him triumph,
His victorious right handdCf. Ps. 98.1–2. supported Him.
וַיִּלְבַּ֤שׁ צְדָקָה֙ כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ן וְכ֥וֹבַע יְשׁוּעָ֖ה בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּלְבַּ֞שׁ בִּגְדֵ֤י נָקָם֙ תִּלְבֹּ֔שֶׁת וַיַּ֥עַט כַּמְעִ֖יל קִנְאָֽה׃ He donned victory like a coat of mail,
With a helmet of triumph on His head;
He clothed Himself with garments of retribution,
Wrapped himself in zeal as in a robe.
כְּעַ֤ל גְּמֻלוֹת֙ כְּעַ֣ל יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם חֵמָ֣ה לְצָרָ֔יו גְּמ֖וּל לְאֹיְבָ֑יו לָאִיִּ֖ים גְּמ֥וּל יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ eMeaning of Heb. uncertain.According to their deserts,
So shall He repay-e fury to His foes;
He shall make requital to His enemies,
Requital to the distant lands.
וְיִֽרְא֤וּ מִֽמַּעֲרָב֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה וּמִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ אֶת־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ כִּֽי־יָב֤וֹא כַנָּהָר֙ צָ֔ר ר֥וּחַ יְהֹוָ֖ה נֹ֥סְסָה בֽוֹ׃ From the west, they shall reverefOr (with a number of mss. and editions) “see.” the name of the LORD,
And from the east, His Presence.
For He shall come like a hemmed-in stream
Which the wind of the LORD drives on;
וּבָ֤א לְצִיּוֹן֙ גּוֹאֵ֔ל וּלְשָׁבֵ֥י פֶ֖שַׁע בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָֽה׃ He shall come as redeemer to Zion,
To those in Jacob who turn back from sin
—declares the LORD.
וַאֲנִ֗י זֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֤י אוֹתָם֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה רוּחִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלֶ֔יךָ וּדְבָרַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בְּפִ֑יךָ לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁוּ מִפִּ֩יךָ֩ וּמִפִּ֨י זַרְעֲךָ֜ וּמִפִּ֨י זֶ֤רַע זַרְעֲךָ֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה מֵעַתָּ֖ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ {ס} And this shall be My covenant with them, said the LORD: My spiritgI.e., the gift of prophecy; cf., e.g., 61.1. which is upon you, and the words which I have placed in your mouth, shall not be absent from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children—said the LORD—from now on, for all time.hIsrael is to be a prophet-nation; cf. 51.16.