אַ֣לְלַי לִ֗י כִּ֤י הָיִ֙יתִי֙ כְּאׇסְפֵּי־קַ֔יִץ כְּעֹלְלֹ֖ת בָּצִ֑יר אֵין־אֶשְׁכּ֣וֹל לֶאֱכ֔וֹל בִּכּוּרָ֖ה אִוְּתָ֥ה נַפְשִֽׁי׃ Woe is me!aThe speaker is feminine (cf. ’elohayikh, v. 10), probably Samaria personified; cf. note l-l at 6.16.
I am become like leavings of a fig harvest,
Like gleanings when the vintage is over,
There is not a cluster to eat,
Not a ripe fig I could desire.
אָבַ֤ד חָסִיד֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְיָשָׁ֥ר בָּאָדָ֖ם אָ֑יִן כֻּלָּם֙ לְדָמִ֣ים יֶאֱרֹ֔בוּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֖יהוּ יָצ֥וּדוּ חֵֽרֶם׃ The pious are vanished from the land,
None upright are left among men;
All lie in wait to commit crimes,
One traps the other in his net.
עַל־הָרַ֤ע כַּפַּ֙יִם֙ לְהֵיטִ֔יב הַשַּׂ֣ר שֹׁאֵ֔ל וְהַשֹּׁפֵ֖ט בַּשִּׁלּ֑וּם וְהַגָּד֗וֹל דֹּבֵ֨ר הַוַּ֥ת נַפְשׁ֛וֹ ה֖וּא וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ׃ bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.They are eager to do evil:
The magistrate makes demands,
And the judge [judges] for a fee;
The rich man makes his crooked plea,
And they grant it.-b
טוֹבָ֣ם כְּחֵ֔דֶק יָשָׁ֖ר מִמְּסוּכָ֑ה י֤וֹם מְצַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ פְּקֻדָּתְךָ֣ בָ֔אָה עַתָּ֥ה תִהְיֶ֖ה מְבוּכָתָֽם׃ The best of them is like a prickly shrub;
The [most] upright, worse than a barrier of thorns.
bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.On the day you waited for,-b your doom has come—
Now their confusion shall come to pass.
אַל־תַּאֲמִ֣ינֽוּ בְרֵ֔עַ אַֽל־תִּבְטְח֖וּ בְּאַלּ֑וּף מִשֹּׁכֶ֣בֶת חֵיקֶ֔ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר פִּתְחֵי־פִֽיךָ׃ Trust no friend,
Rely on no intimate;
Be guarded in speech
With her who lies in your bosom.
כִּי־בֵן֙ מְנַבֵּ֣ל אָ֔ב בַּ֚ת קָמָ֣ה בְאִמָּ֔הּ כַּלָּ֖ה בַּחֲמֹתָ֑הּ אֹיְבֵ֥י אִ֖ישׁ אַנְשֵׁ֥י בֵיתֽוֹ׃ For son spurns father,
Daughter rises up against mother,
Daughter-in-law against mother-in-law—
A man’s own household
Are his enemies.
וַֽאֲנִי֙ בַּיהֹוָ֣ה אֲצַפֶּ֔ה אוֹחִ֖ילָה לֵאלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׁעִ֑י יִשְׁמָעֵ֖נִי אֱלֹהָֽי׃ Yet I will look to the LORD,
I will wait for the God who saves me,
My God will hear me.
אַֽל־תִּשְׂמְחִ֤י אֹיַ֙בְתִּי֙ לִ֔י כִּ֥י נָפַ֖לְתִּי קָ֑מְתִּי כִּֽי־אֵשֵׁ֣ב בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה א֥וֹר לִֽי׃ {פ}
Do not rejoice over me,
O my enemy!cHeb. feminine, apparently referring to Damascus.
Though I have fallen, I rise again;
Though I sit in darkness, the LORD is my light.
זַ֤עַף יְהֹוָה֙ אֶשָּׂ֔א כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אתִי ל֑וֹ עַד֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרִ֤יב רִיבִי֙ וְעָשָׂ֣ה מִשְׁפָּטִ֔י יוֹצִיאֵ֣נִי לָא֔וֹר אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ׃ I must bear the anger of the LORD,
Since I have sinned against Him,
Until He champions my cause
And upholds my claim.
He will let me out into the light;
I will enjoy vindication by Him.
וְתֵרֶ֤א אֹיַ֙בְתִּי֙ וּתְכַסֶּ֣הָ בוּשָׁ֔ה הָאֹמְרָ֣ה אֵלַ֔י אַיּ֖וֹ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יִךְ עֵינַי֙ תִּרְאֶ֣ינָּה בָּ֔הּ עַתָּ֛ה תִּהְיֶ֥ה לְמִרְמָ֖ס כְּטִ֥יט חוּצֽוֹת׃ When my enemycHeb. feminine, apparently referring to Damascus. sees it,
She shall be covered with shame,
She who taunts me with “Where is He,
The LORD your God?”
My eyes shall behold her [downfall];
Lo, she shall be for trampling
Like mud in the streets.
י֖וֹם לִבְנ֣וֹת גְּדֵרָ֑יִךְ י֥וֹם הַה֖וּא יִרְחַק־חֹֽק׃ A day for mending your wallsdTo keep out tramplers (end of preceding verse); cf. Isa. 5.5; Ps. 80.13–14.—
That is a far-off day.
י֥וֹם הוּא֙ וְעָדֶ֣יךָ יָב֔וֹא לְמִנִּ֥י אַשּׁ֖וּר וְעָרֵ֣י מָצ֑וֹר וּלְמִנִּ֤י מָצוֹר֙ וְעַד־נָהָ֔ר וְיָ֥ם מִיָּ֖ם וְהַ֥ר הָהָֽר׃ This is rather a day when to you
[Tramplers] will come streaming
From Assyria and the towns of Egypt—
From [every land from] Egypt to the Euphrates,
From sea to sea and from mountain to mountain—
וְהָיְתָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ לִשְׁמָמָ֖ה עַל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ מִפְּרִ֖י מַעַלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ {פ}
And youreHeb. “the.” land shall become a desolation—
Because of those who dwell in it—
As the fruit of their misdeeds.
רְעֵ֧ה עַמְּךָ֣ בְשִׁבְטֶ֗ךָ צֹ֚אן נַחֲלָתֶ֔ךָ שֹׁכְנִ֣י לְבָדָ֔ד יַ֖עַר בְּת֣וֹךְ כַּרְמֶ֑ל יִרְע֥וּ בָשָׁ֛ן וְגִלְעָ֖ד כִּימֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ Oh, shepherd Your people with Your staff,
Your very own flock.
May they who dwell isolated
fI.e., the land west of the Jordan, which is represented as far less fertile than adjacent regions.In a woodland surrounded by farmland-f
GrazegEmendation yields “possess.” Bashan and Gilead
As in olden days.
כִּימֵ֥י צֵאתְךָ֖ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אַרְאֶ֖נּוּ נִפְלָאֽוֹת׃ hEmendation yields “Show us.”I will show him-h wondrous deeds
As in the days when You sallied forth from the land of Egypt.
יִרְא֤וּ גוֹיִם֙ וְיֵבֹ֔שׁוּ מִכֹּ֖ל גְּבוּרָתָ֑ם יָשִׂ֤ימוּ יָד֙ עַל־פֶּ֔ה אׇזְנֵיהֶ֖ם תֶּחֱרַֽשְׁנָה׃ Let nations behold and be ashamed
Despite all their might;
Let them put hand to mouth;
Let their ears be deafened!
יְלַחֲכ֤וּ עָפָר֙ כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י אֶ֔רֶץ יִרְגְּז֖וּ מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם אֶל־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ יִפְחָ֔דוּ וְיִֽרְא֖וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ Let them lick dust like snakes,
Like crawling things on the ground!
bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Let them come trembling out of their strongholds-b
To the LORD our God;
Let them fear and dread You!
מִי־אֵ֣ל כָּמ֗וֹךָ נֹשֵׂ֤א עָוֺן֙ וְעֹבֵ֣ר עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית נַחֲלָת֑וֹ לֹֽא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק לָעַד֙ אַפּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ חֶ֖סֶד הֽוּא׃ Who is a God like You,
Forgiving iniquity
And remitting transgression;
Who has not maintained His wrath forever
Against the remnant of His own people,
Because He loves graciousness!
יָשׁ֣וּב יְרַחֲמֵ֔נוּ יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ עֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ בִּמְצֻל֥וֹת יָ֖ם כׇּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם׃ He will take us back in love;
He will cover up our iniquities,
You will hurl all ouriHeb. “their.” sins
Into the depths of the sea.
תִּתֵּ֤ן אֱמֶת֙ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב חֶ֖סֶד לְאַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ מִ֥ימֵי קֶֽדֶם׃ You will keep faith with Jacob,
Loyalty to Abraham,
As You promised on oath to our fathers
In days gone by.