שִׁמְע֣וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Hear the word which the LORD has spoken to you, O House of Israel!
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶל־דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם֙ אַל־תִּלְמָ֔דוּ וּמֵאֹת֥וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם אַל־תֵּחָ֑תּוּ כִּי־יֵחַ֥תּוּ הַגּוֹיִ֖ם מֵהֵֽמָּה׃ Thus said the LORD:
Do not learn to go the way of the nations,
And do not be dismayed by portents in the sky;
Let the nations be dismayed by them!
כִּֽי־חֻקּ֥וֹת הָעַמִּ֖ים הֶ֣בֶל ה֑וּא כִּי־עֵץ֙ מִיַּ֣עַר כְּרָת֔וֹ מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵי־חָרָ֖שׁ בַּֽמַּעֲצָֽד׃ For aEmendation yields “the objects that the nations fear.”the laws of the nations-a are delusions:
For it is the work of a craftsman’s hands.
He cuts down a tree in the forest with an ax,
בְּכֶ֥סֶף וּבְזָהָ֖ב יְיַפֵּ֑הוּ בְּמַסְמְר֧וֹת וּבְמַקָּב֛וֹת יְחַזְּק֖וּם וְל֥וֹא יָפִֽיק׃ He adorns it with silver and gold,
He fastens itbHeb. “them.” with nails and hammer,
So that it does not totter.
כְּתֹ֨מֶר מִקְשָׁ֥ה הֵ֙מָּה֙ וְלֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ נָשׂ֥וֹא יִנָּשׂ֖וּא כִּ֣י לֹ֣א יִצְעָ֑דוּ אַל־תִּֽירְא֤וּ מֵהֶם֙ כִּי־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֔עוּ וְגַם־הֵיטֵ֖יב אֵ֥ין אוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber patch,
They cannot speak.
They have to be carried,
For they cannot walk.
Be not afraid of them, for they can do no harm;
Nor is it in them to do any good.
מֵאֵ֥ין כָּמ֖וֹךָ יְהֹוָ֑ה גָּד֥וֹל אַתָּ֛ה וְגָד֥וֹל שִׁמְךָ֖ בִּגְבוּרָֽה׃ O LORD, there is none like You!
You are great and Your name is great in power.
מִ֣י לֹ֤א יִרָֽאֲךָ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם כִּ֥י לְךָ֖ יָאָ֑תָה כִּ֣י בְכׇל־חַכְמֵ֧י הַגּוֹיִ֛ם וּבְכׇל־מַלְכוּתָ֖ם מֵאֵ֥ין כָּמֽוֹךָ׃ Who would not revere You, O King of the nations?
For that is Your due,
Since among all the wise of the nations
And among all their royalty
There is none like You.
וּבְאַחַ֖ת יִבְעֲר֣וּ וְיִכְסָ֑לוּ מוּסַ֥ר הֲבָלִ֖ים עֵ֥ץ הֽוּא׃ But they are both dull and foolish;
cMeaning of Heb. uncertain.[Their] doctrine is but delusion;-c
It is a piece of wood,
כֶּ֣סֶף מְרֻקָּ֞ע מִתַּרְשִׁ֣ישׁ יוּבָ֗א וְזָהָב֙ מֵֽאוּפָ֔ז מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חָרָ֖שׁ וִידֵ֣י צוֹרֵ֑ף תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ לְבוּשָׁ֔ם מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֲכָמִ֖ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ Silver beaten flat, that is brought from Tarshish,
And gold from Uphaz,
The work of a craftsman and the goldsmith’s hands;
Their clothing is blue and purple,
All of them are the work of skilled men.
וַיהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ אֱמֶ֔ת הֽוּא־אֱלֹהִ֥ים חַיִּ֖ים וּמֶ֣לֶךְ עוֹלָ֑ם מִקִּצְפּוֹ֙ תִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹֽא־יָכִ֥לוּ גוֹיִ֖ם זַעְמֽוֹ׃ {פ}
But the LORD is truly God:
He is a living God,
The everlasting King.
At His wrath, the earth quakes,
And nations cannot endure His rage.
כִּדְנָה֙ תֵּאמְר֣וּן לְה֔וֹם אֱלָ֣הַיָּ֔א דִּֽי־שְׁמַיָּ֥א וְאַרְקָ֖א לָ֣א עֲבַ֑דוּ יֵאבַ֧דוּ מֵאַרְעָ֛א וּמִן־תְּח֥וֹת שְׁמַיָּ֖א אֵֽלֶּה׃ {ס} dThis verse is in Aramaic.Thus shall you say to them: Let the gods, who did not make heaven and earth, perish from the earth and from under these heavens.
עֹשֵׂ֥ה אֶ֙רֶץ֙ בְּכֹח֔וֹ מֵכִ֥ין תֵּבֵ֖ל בְּחׇכְמָת֑וֹ וּבִתְבוּנָת֖וֹ נָטָ֥ה שָׁמָֽיִם׃ He made the earth by His might,
Established the world by His wisdom,
And by His understanding stretched out the skies.
לְק֨וֹל תִּתּ֜וֹ הֲמ֥וֹן מַ֙יִם֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה נְשִׂאִ֖ים מִקְצֵ֣ה (ארץ) [הָאָ֑רֶץ] בְּרָקִ֤ים לַמָּטָר֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וַיּ֥וֹצֵא ר֖וּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃ eLit. “At the sound of His making.”When He makes His voice heard,-e
There is a rumbling of water in the skies;
He makes vapors rise from the end of the earth,
He makes lightning for the rain,
And brings forth wind from His treasuries.
נִבְעַ֤ר כׇּל־אָדָם֙ מִדַּ֔עַת הֹבִ֥ישׁ כׇּל־צוֹרֵ֖ף מִפָּ֑סֶל כִּ֛י שֶׁ֥קֶר נִסְכּ֖וֹ וְלֹא־ר֥וּחַ בָּֽם׃ Every man is proved dull, without knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame because of the idol,
For his molten image is a deceit—
There is no breath in them.
הֶ֣בֶל הֵ֔מָּה מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים בְּעֵ֥ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֖ם יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ They are delusion, a work of mockery;
In their hour of doom, they shall perish.
לֹא־כְאֵ֜לֶּה חֵ֣לֶק יַעֲקֹ֗ב כִּֽי־יוֹצֵ֤ר הַכֹּל֙ ה֔וּא וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל שֵׁ֖בֶט נַחֲלָת֑וֹ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמֽוֹ׃ {ס} Not like these is the Portion of Jacob;
For it is He who formed all things,
And Israel is His very own tribe:
LORD of Hosts is His name.
אִסְפִּ֥י מֵאֶ֖רֶץ כִּנְעָתֵ֑ךְ (ישבתי) [יֹשֶׁ֖בֶת] בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃ {ס} Gather up your bundlecMeaning of Heb. uncertain. from the ground,
You who dwell under siege!
כִּי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה הִנְנִ֥י קוֹלֵ֛עַ אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֑את וַהֲצֵרֹ֥תִי לָהֶ֖ם לְמַ֥עַן יִמְצָֽאוּ׃ {ס} For thus said the LORD: I will fling away the inhabitants of the land this time: I will harass them so that they shall fEmendation yields “have to leave.”feel it.-f
א֥וֹי לִי֙ עַל־שִׁבְרִ֔י נַחְלָ֖ה מַכָּתִ֑י וַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי אַ֛ךְ זֶ֥ה חֳלִ֖י וְאֶשָּׂאֶֽנּוּ׃ Woe unto me for my hurt,
My wound is severe!
I thought, “This is but a sickness
And I must bear it.”
אׇהֳלִ֣י שֻׁדָּ֔ד וְכׇל־מֵיתָרַ֖י נִתָּ֑קוּ בָּנַ֤י יְצָאֻ֙נִי֙ וְאֵינָ֔ם אֵין־נֹטֶ֥ה עוֹד֙ אׇהֳלִ֔י וּמֵקִ֖ים יְרִיעוֹתָֽי׃ My tents are ravaged,
All my tent cords are broken.
My children have gone forth from me
And are no more;
No one is left to stretch out my tents
And hang my tent cloths.
כִּ֤י נִבְעֲרוּ֙ הָרֹעִ֔ים וְאֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה לֹ֣א דָרָ֑שׁוּ עַל־כֵּן֙ לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ וְכׇל־מַרְעִיתָ֖ם נָפֽוֹצָה׃ {פ}
For the shepherdsgI.e., rulers; cf. note at 2.8. are dull
And did not seek the LORD;
Therefore they have not prospered
And all their flock is scattered.
ק֤וֹל שְׁמוּעָה֙ הִנֵּ֣ה בָאָ֔ה וְרַ֥עַשׁ גָּד֖וֹל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֑וֹן לָשׂ֞וּם אֶת־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה שְׁמָמָ֖ה מְע֥וֹן תַּנִּֽים׃ {ס} Hark, a noise! It is coming,
A great commotion out of the north,
That the towns of Judah may be made a desolation,
A haunt of jackals.
יָדַ֣עְתִּי יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א לָאָדָ֖ם דַּרְכּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־לְאִ֣ישׁ הֹלֵ֔ךְ וְהָכִ֖ין אֶֽת־צַעֲדֽוֹ׃ I know, O LORD, that man’s road is not his [to choose],
That man, as he walks, cannot direct his own steps.
יַסְּרֵ֥נִי יְהֹוָ֖ה אַךְ־בְּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֖ פֶּן־תַּמְעִטֵֽנִי׃ Chastise me, O LORD, but in measure;
Not in Your wrath, lest You reduce me to naught.
שְׁפֹ֣ךְ חֲמָתְךָ֗ עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יְדָע֔וּךָ וְעַל֙ מִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּשִׁמְךָ֖ לֹ֣א קָרָ֑אוּ כִּֽי־אָכְל֣וּ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַֽאֲכָלֻ֙הוּ֙ וַיְכַלֻּ֔הוּ וְאֶת־נָוֵ֖הוּ הֵשַֽׁמּוּ׃ {פ}
Pour out Your wrath on the nations who have not heeded You,
Upon the clans that have not invoked Your name.
For they have devoured Jacob,
Have devoured and consumed him,
And have laid desolate his homesteads.