הִנֵּ֨ה עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֤י מְבַשֵּׂר֙ מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ שָׁל֔וֹם חָגִּ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה חַגַּ֖יִךְ שַׁלְּמִ֣י נְדָרָ֑יִךְ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוֹסִ֥יף ע֛וֹד (לעבור) [לַעֲבׇר־]בָּ֥ךְ בְּלִיַּ֖עַל כֻּלֹּ֥ה נִכְרָֽת׃ Behold on the hills
The footsteps of a herald
Announcing good fortune!
“Celebrate your festivals, O Judah,
Fulfill your vows.
Never again shall scoundrels invade you,
They have totally vanished.”
עָלָ֥ה מֵפִ֛יץ עַל־פָּנַ֖יִךְ נָצ֣וֹר מְצוּרָ֑ה צַפֵּֽה־דֶ֙רֶךְ֙ חַזֵּ֣ק מׇתְנַ֔יִם אַמֵּ֥ץ כֹּ֖חַ מְאֹֽד׃ aThis verse would read well after v. 3.A shatterer has come up against you.
Man the guard posts,
Watch the road;
Steady your loins,
Brace all your strength!
כִּ֣י שָׁ֤ב יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּגְא֖וֹן יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֤י בְקָקוּם֙ בֹּֽקְקִ֔ים וּזְמֹרֵיהֶ֖ם שִׁחֵֽתוּ׃ For the LORD has restored b“Jacob” refers to the northern kingdom (cf. Amos 6.8; 8.7); Israel refers to the southern kingdom, regarded as the remnant of Israel after the fall of the northern kingdom (cf. Mic. 1.13–15).the PridecEmendation yields “vine.” of Jacob
As well as the PridecEmendation yields “vine.” of Israel,-b
Though marauders have laid them waste
And ravaged their branches.
מָגֵ֨ן גִּבֹּרֵ֜יהוּ מְאָדָּ֗ם אַנְשֵֽׁי־חַ֙יִל֙ מְתֻלָּעִ֔ים בְּאֵשׁ־פְּלָדֹ֥ת הָרֶ֖כֶב בְּי֣וֹם הֲכִינ֑וֹ וְהַבְּרֹשִׁ֖ים הׇרְעָֽלוּ׃ His warriors’ shields are painted red,
And the soldiers are clothed in crimson;
The chariots are like flaming torches,dUnderstanding peladoth as equivalent to lappidoth.
On the day they are made ready.
eMeaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “The horsemen charge”; cf. 3.3.The [arrows of] cypress wood are poisoned,-e
בַּחוּצוֹת֙ יִתְהוֹלְל֣וּ הָרֶ֔כֶב יִֽשְׁתַּקְשְׁק֖וּן בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת מַרְאֵיהֶן֙ כַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים כַּבְּרָקִ֖ים יְרוֹצֵֽצוּ׃ The chariots dash about frenzied in the fields,
They rush through the meadows.
They appear like torches,
They race like streaks of lightning.
יִזְכֹּר֙ אַדִּירָ֔יו יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ (בהלכותם) [בַּהֲלִיכָתָ֑ם] יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ וְהֻכַ֖ן הַסֹּכֵֽךְ׃ fMeaning of Heb. uncertain.He commands his burly men;
They stumble as they advance,
They hasten up to her wall,
Where gTo protect the crews that swung the battering rams.wheeled shelters-g are set up.-g
שַׁעֲרֵ֥י הַנְּהָר֖וֹת נִפְתָּ֑חוּ וְהַהֵיכָ֖ל נָמֽוֹג׃ hI.e., the walls are breached and the palace is overrun.The floodgates are opened,
And the palace is deluged.-h
וְהֻצַּ֖ב גֻּלְּתָ֣ה הֹֽעֲלָ֑תָה וְאַמְהֹתֶ֗יהָ מְנַֽהֲגוֹת֙ כְּק֣וֹל יוֹנִ֔ים מְתֹפְפֹ֖ת עַל־לִבְבֵהֶֽן׃ iMeaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “And its mistress is led out and exiled.”And Huzzab is exiled and carried away,-i
While her handmaidens jEmendation yields “moan.”escort [her]-j
As with the voices of doves,
Beating their breasts.
וְנִֽינְוֵ֥ה כִבְרֵכַת־מַ֖יִם מִ֣ימֵי הִ֑יא וְהֵ֣מָּה נָסִ֔ים עִמְד֥וּ עֲמֹ֖דוּ וְאֵ֥ין מַפְנֶֽה׃ Nineveh has been like a [placid] pool of water
fMeaning of Heb. uncertain.From earliest times;-f
Now they flee.
“Stop! Stop!”—
But none can turn them back.
בֹּ֥זּוּ כֶ֖סֶף בֹּ֣זּוּ זָהָ֑ב וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַתְּכוּנָ֔ה כָּבֹ֕ד מִכֹּ֖ל כְּלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה׃ “Plunder silver! Plunder gold!”
There is no limit to the treasure;
It is a hoard of all precious objects.
בּוּקָ֥ה וּמְבוּקָ֖ה וּמְבֻלָּקָ֑ה וְלֵ֨ב נָמֵ֜ס וּפִ֣ק בִּרְכַּ֗יִם וְחַלְחָלָה֙ בְּכׇל־מׇתְנַ֔יִם וּפְנֵ֥י כֻלָּ֖ם קִבְּצ֥וּ פָארֽוּר׃ Desolation, devastation, and destruction!
Spirits sink,
Knees buckle,
All loins tremble,
All faces kMeaning of Heb. uncertain; cf. note at Joel 2.6.turn ashen.-k
אַיֵּה֙ מְע֣וֹן אֲרָי֔וֹת וּמִרְעֶ֥ה ה֖וּא לַכְּפִרִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָלַךְ֩ אַרְיֵ֨ה לָבִ֥יא שָׁ֛ם גּ֥וּר אַרְיֵ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃ What has become of that lions’ den,
That pasturelEmendation yields “cave.” of great beasts,
Where lion and lion’s breed walked,
And lion’s cub—with none to disturb them?
אַרְיֵ֤ה טֹרֵף֙ בְּדֵ֣י גֹרוֹתָ֔יו וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶ֣רֶף חֹרָ֔יו וּמְעֹנֹתָ֖יו טְרֵפָֽה׃ [Where is] the lion that tore victims for his cubs
And strangled for his lionesses,
And filled his lairs with prey
And his dens with mangled flesh?
הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְהִבְעַרְתִּ֤י בֶעָשָׁן֙ רִכְבָּ֔הּ וּכְפִירַ֖יִךְ תֹּ֣אכַל חָ֑רֶב וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ טַרְפֵּ֔ךְ וְלֹא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע ע֖וֹד ק֥וֹל מַלְאָכֵֽכֵה׃ {פ}
I am going to deal with you
—declares the LORD of Hosts:
I will burn down mEmendation yields “your thicket in fire.”her chariots in smoke,-m
And the sword shall devour your great beasts;
I will stamp out your killings from the earth,
And the sound of your messengersnEmendation yields “devouring.”
Shall be heard no more.