Reading Isaiah in Elul: Between Ego & Humility

(יב) אָנֹכִ֧י אָנֹכִ֛י ה֖וּא מְנַחֶמְכֶ֑ם מִֽי־אַ֤תְּ וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ יָמ֔וּת וּמִבֶּן־אָדָ֖ם חָצִ֥יר יִנָּתֵֽן׃ (יג) וַתִּשְׁכַּ֞ח יי עֹשֶׂ֗ךָ נוֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַיִם֮ וְיֹסֵ֣ד אָרֶץ֒ וַתְּפַחֵ֨ד תָּמִ֜יד כָּל־הַיּ֗וֹם מִפְּנֵי֙ חֲמַ֣ת הַמֵּצִ֔יק כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר כּוֹנֵ֖ן לְהַשְׁחִ֑ית וְאַיֵּ֖ה חֲמַ֥ת הַמֵּצִֽיק׃ (יד) מִהַ֥ר צֹעֶ֖ה לְהִפָּתֵ֑חַ וְלֹא־יָמ֣וּת לַשַּׁ֔חַת וְלֹ֥א יֶחְסַ֖ר לַחְמֽוֹ׃ (טו) וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ יי אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ רֹגַ֣ע הַיָּ֔ם וַיֶּהֱמ֖וּ גַּלָּ֑יו יי צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמֽוֹ׃ (טז) וָאָשִׂ֤ים דְּבָרַי֙ בְּפִ֔יךָ וּבְצֵ֥ל יָדִ֖י כִּסִּיתִ֑יךָ לִנְטֹ֤עַ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְלִיסֹ֣ד אָ֔רֶץ וְלֵאמֹ֥ר לְצִיּ֖וֹן עַמִּי־אָֽתָּה׃ (ס) (יז) הִתְעוֹרְרִ֣י הִֽתְעוֹרְרִ֗י ק֚וּמִי יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁתִ֛ית מִיַּ֥ד יי אֶת־כּ֣וֹס חֲמָת֑וֹ אֶת־קֻבַּ֜עַת כּ֧וֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָ֛ה שָׁתִ֖ית מָצִֽית׃ (יח) אֵין־מְנַהֵ֣ל לָ֔הּ מִכָּל־בָּנִ֖ים יָלָ֑דָה וְאֵ֤ין מַחֲזִיק֙ בְּיָדָ֔הּ מִכָּל־בָּנִ֖ים גִּדֵּֽלָה׃ (יט) שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֙נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִךְ מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑ךְ הַשֹּׁ֧ד וְהַשֶּׁ֛בֶר וְהָרָעָ֥ב וְהַחֶ֖רֶב מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽךְ׃ (כ) בָּנַ֜יִךְ עֻלְּפ֥וּ שָׁכְב֛וּ בְּרֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־חוּצ֖וֹת כְּת֣וֹא מִכְמָ֑ר הַֽמְלֵאִ֥ים חֲמַת־יי גַּעֲרַ֥ת אֱלֹקָֽיִךְ׃ (כא) לָכֵ֛ן שִׁמְעִי־נָ֥א זֹ֖את עֲנִיָּ֑ה וּשְׁכֻרַ֖ת וְלֹ֥א מִיָּֽיִן׃ (ס) (כב) כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנַ֣יִךְ יי וֵאלֹקַ֙יִךְ֙ יָרִ֣יב עַמּ֔וֹ הִנֵּ֥ה לָקַ֛חְתִּי מִיָּדֵ֖ךְ אֶת־כּ֣וֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָ֑ה אֶת־קֻבַּ֙עַת֙ כּ֣וֹס חֲמָתִ֔י לֹא־תוֹסִ֥יפִי לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֖הּ עֽוֹד׃ (כג) וְשַׂמְתִּ֙יהָ֙ בְּיַד־מוֹגַ֔יִךְ אֲשֶׁר־אָמְר֥וּ לְנַפְשֵׁ֖ךְ שְׁחִ֣י וְנַעֲבֹ֑רָה וַתָּשִׂ֤ימִי כָאָ֙רֶץ֙ גֵּוֵ֔ךְ וְכַח֖וּץ לַעֹבְרִֽים׃ (ס) (א) עוּרִ֥י עוּרִ֛י לִבְשִׁ֥י עֻזֵּ֖ךְ צִיּ֑וֹן לִבְשִׁ֣י ׀ בִּגְדֵ֣י תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ עִ֣יר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ כִּ֣י לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֛יף יָבֹא־בָ֥ךְ ע֖וֹד עָרֵ֥ל וְטָמֵֽא׃ (ב) הִתְנַעֲרִ֧י מֵעָפָ֛ר ק֥וּמִי שְּׁבִ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם התפתחו [הִֽתְפַּתְּחִי֙] מוֹסְרֵ֣י צַוָּארֵ֔ךְ שְׁבִיָּ֖ה בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן׃ (ס) (ג) כִּֽי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יי חִנָּ֖ם נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֑ם וְלֹ֥א בְכֶ֖סֶף תִּגָּאֵֽלוּ׃ (ד) כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אדושם יי מִצְרַ֛יִם יָֽרַד־עַמִּ֥י בָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה לָג֣וּר שָׁ֑ם וְאַשּׁ֖וּר בְּאֶ֥פֶס עֲשָׁקֽוֹ׃ (ה) וְעַתָּ֤ה מי־לי־[מַה־] [לִּי־] פֹה֙ נְאֻם־יי כִּֽי־לֻקַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י חִנָּ֑ם משלו [מֹשְׁלָ֤יו] יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ נְאֻם־יי וְתָמִ֥יד כָּל־הַיּ֖וֹם שְׁמִ֥י מִנֹּאָֽץ׃ (ו) לָכֵ֛ן יֵדַ֥ע עַמִּ֖י שְׁמִ֑י לָכֵן֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּֽי־אֲנִי־ה֥וּא הַֽמְדַבֵּ֖ר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ (ז) מַה־נָּאו֨וּ עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֣י מְבַשֵּׂ֗ר מַשְׁמִ֧יעַ שָׁל֛וֹם מְבַשֵּׂ֥ר ט֖וֹב מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ יְשׁוּעָ֑ה אֹמֵ֥ר לְצִיּ֖וֹן מָלַ֥ךְ אֱלֹקָֽיִךְ׃ (ח) ק֥וֹל צֹפַ֛יִךְ נָ֥שְׂאוּ ק֖וֹל יַחְדָּ֣ו יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֣י עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ יִרְא֔וּ בְּשׁ֥וּב יי צִיּֽוֹן׃ (ט) פִּצְח֤וּ רַנְּנוּ֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו חָרְב֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּֽי־נִחַ֤ם יי עַמּ֔וֹ גָּאַ֖ל יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (י) חָשַׂ֤ף יי אֶת־זְר֣וֹעַ קָדְשׁ֔וֹ לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְרָאוּ֙ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ אֵ֖ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ׃ (ס) (יא) ס֤וּרוּ ס֙וּרוּ֙ צְא֣וּ מִשָּׁ֔ם טָמֵ֖א אַל־תִּגָּ֑עוּ צְא֣וּ מִתּוֹכָ֔הּ הִבָּ֕רוּ נֹשְׂאֵ֖י כְּלֵ֥י יי (יב) כִּ֣י לֹ֤א בְחִפָּזוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֔אוּ וּבִמְנוּסָ֖ה לֹ֣א תֵלֵכ֑וּן כִּֽי־הֹלֵ֤ךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם֙ יי וּמְאַסִּפְכֶ֖ם אֱלֹקֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס)

(12) I, I am He who comforts you! What ails you that you fear Man who must die, Mortals who fare like grass? (13) You have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the skies and made firm the earth! And you live all day in constant dread Because of the rage of an oppressor Who is aiming to cut [you] down. Yet of what account is the rage of an oppressor? (14) Quickly the crouching one is freed; He is not cut down and slain, And he shall not want for food. (15) For I the LORD your God— Who stir up the sea into roaring waves, Whose name is LORD of Hosts— (16) Have put My words in your mouth And sheltered you with My hand; I, who planted the skies and made firm the earth, Have said to Zion: You are My people! (17) Rouse, rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who from the LORD’s hand Have drunk the cup of His wrath, You who have drained to the dregs The bowl, the cup of reeling! (18) She has none to guide her Of all the sons she bore; None takes her by the hand, Of all the sons she reared. (19) These two things have befallen you: Wrack and ruin—who can console you? Famine and sword—how shall I comfort you? (20) Your sons lie in a swoon At the corner of every street— Like an antelope caught in a net— Drunk with the wrath of the LORD, With the rebuke of your God. (21) Therefore, Listen to this, unhappy one, Who are drunk, but not with wine! (22) Thus said the LORD, your Lord, Your God who champions His people: Herewith I take from your hand The cup of reeling, The bowl, the cup of My wrath; You shall never drink it again. (23) I will put it in the hands of your tormentors, Who have commanded you, “Get down, that we may walk over you”— So that you made your back like the ground, Like a street for passersby. (1) Awake, awake, O Zion! Clothe yourself in splendor; Put on your robes of majesty, Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall never enter you again. (2) Arise, shake off the dust, Sit [on your throne], Jerusalem! Loose the bonds from your neck, O captive one, Fair Zion! (3) For thus said the LORD: You were sold for no price, And shall be redeemed without money. (4) For thus said the Lord GOD: Of old, My people went down To Egypt to sojourn there; But Assyria has robbed them, Giving nothing in return. (5) What therefore do I gain here? —declares the LORD— For My people has been carried off for nothing, Their mockers howl —declares the LORD— And constantly, unceasingly, My name is reviled. (6) Assuredly, My people shall learn My name, Assuredly [they shall learn] on that day That I, the One who promised, Am now at hand. (7) How welcome on the mountain Are the footsteps of the herald Announcing happiness, Heralding good fortune, Announcing victory, Telling Zion, “Your God is King!” (8) Hark! Your watchmen raise their voices, As one they shout for joy; For every eye shall behold The LORD’s return to Zion. (9) Raise a shout together, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD will comfort His people, Will redeem Jerusalem. (10) The LORD will bare His holy arm In the sight of all the nations, And the very ends of earth shall see The victory of our God. (11) Turn, turn away, touch naught unclean As you depart from there; Keep pure, as you go forth from there, You who bear the vessels of the LORD! (12) For you will not depart in haste, Nor will you leave in flight; For the LORD is marching before you, The God of Israel is your rear guard.