כִּי֩ יְרַחֵ֨ם יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֗ב וּבָחַ֥ר עוֹד֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהִנִּיחָ֖ם עַל־אַדְמָתָ֑ם וְנִלְוָ֤ה הַגֵּר֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְנִסְפְּח֖וּ עַל־בֵּ֥ית יַעֲקֹֽב׃ But GOD will pardon Jacob, and will again choose Israel, and will settle them on their own soil. And strangers shall join them and shall cleave to the House of Jacob.
וּלְקָח֣וּם עַמִּים֮ וֶהֱבִיא֣וּם אֶל־מְקוֹמָם֒ וְהִֽתְנַחֲל֣וּם בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל עַ֚ל אַדְמַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְלִשְׁפָח֑וֹת וְהָיוּ֙ שֹׁבִ֣ים לְשֹׁבֵיהֶ֔ם וְרָד֖וּ בְּנֹגְשֵׂיהֶֽם׃ {ס} For peoples shall take themathem I.e., the House of Jacob. and bring them to their homeland; and the House of Israel shall possess thembthem I.e., the peoples. as slaves and handmaids on GOD’s soil. They shall be captors of their captors and masters to their taskmasters.
וְהָיָ֗ה בְּי֨וֹם הָנִ֤יחַ יְהֹוָה֙ לְךָ֔ מֵֽעׇצְבְּךָ֖ וּמִֽרׇגְזֶ֑ךָ וּמִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַקָּשָׁ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֻבַּד־בָּֽךְ׃ And when GOD has given you rest from your sorrow and trouble, and from the hard service that you were made to serve,
וְנָשָׂ֜אתָ הַמָּשָׁ֥ל הַזֶּ֛ה עַל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל וְאָמָ֑רְתָּ אֵ֚יךְ שָׁבַ֣ת נֹגֵ֔שׂ שָׁבְתָ֖ה מַדְהֵבָֽה׃ you shall recite this song of scorn over the king of Babylon:
How is the taskmaster vanished,
How is oppressioncoppression Reading marhebah with 1QIsᵃ (cf. Septuagint). The traditional reading madhebah is of unknown meaning. ended!
שָׁבַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה מַטֵּ֣ה רְשָׁעִ֑ים שֵׁ֖בֶט מֹשְׁלִֽים׃ GOD has broken the staff of the wicked,
The rod of tyrants,
מַכֶּ֤ה עַמִּים֙ בְּעֶבְרָ֔ה מַכַּ֖ת בִּלְתִּ֣י סָרָ֑ה רֹדֶ֤ה בָאַף֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם מֻרְדָּ֖ף בְּלִ֥י חָשָֽׂךְ׃ That smote peoples in wrath
With stroke unceasing,
That belabored nations in fury
In relentless pursuit.
נָ֥חָה שָׁקְטָ֖ה כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ פָּצְח֖וּ רִנָּֽה׃ All the earth is calm, untroubled;
Loudly it cheers.
גַּם־בְּרוֹשִׁ֛ים שָׂמְח֥וּ לְךָ֖ אַרְזֵ֣י לְבָנ֑וֹן מֵאָ֣ז שָׁכַ֔בְתָּ לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה הַכֹּרֵ֖ת עָלֵֽינוּ׃ Even pines rejoice at your fate,
And cedars of Lebanon:
“Now that you have lain down,
None shall come up to fell us.”
שְׁא֗וֹל מִתַּ֛חַת רָגְזָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לִקְרַ֣את בּוֹאֶ֑ךָ עוֹרֵ֨ר לְךָ֤ רְפָאִים֙ כׇּל־עַתּ֣וּדֵי אָ֔רֶץ הֵקִים֙ מִכִּסְאוֹתָ֔ם כֹּ֖ל מַלְכֵ֥י גוֹיִֽם׃ Sheol below was astir
To greet your coming—
Rousing for you the shades
Of all earth’s chieftains,
Raising from their thrones
All the kings of nations.
כֻּלָּ֣ם יַעֲנ֔וּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ גַּם־אַתָּ֛ה חֻלֵּ֥יתָ כָמ֖וֹנוּ אֵלֵ֥ינוּ נִמְשָֽׁלְתָּ׃ All speak up and say to you,
“So you have been stricken as we were,
You have become like us!
הוּרַ֥ד שְׁא֛וֹל גְּאוֹנֶ֖ךָ הֶמְיַ֣ת נְבָלֶ֑יךָ תַּחְתֶּ֙יךָ֙ יֻצַּ֣ע רִמָּ֔ה וּמְכַסֶּ֖יךָ תּוֹלֵעָֽה׃ Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
And the strains of your lutes!
Worms are to be your bed,
Maggots your blanket!”
אֵ֛יךְ נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־שָׁ֑חַר נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ לָאָ֔רֶץ חוֹלֵ֖שׁ עַל־גּוֹיִֽם׃ How are you fallen from heaven,
O Shining One, son of Dawn!dShining One, son of Dawn A character in some lost myth.
How are you felled to earth,
O vanquisher of nations!
וְאַתָּ֞ה אָמַ֤רְתָּ בִֽלְבָבְךָ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֶעֱלֶ֔ה מִמַּ֥עַל לְכוֹכְבֵי־אֵ֖ל אָרִ֣ים כִּסְאִ֑י וְאֵשֵׁ֥ב בְּהַר־מוֹעֵ֖ד בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י צָפֽוֹן׃ Once you thought in your heart,
“I will climb to the sky;
Higher than the stars of God
I will set my throne.
I will sit in the mount of assembly,eassembly I.e., the assembly of the gods in council.
On the summit of Zaphon:fthe summit of Zaphon The abode of the gods; cf. Ps. 48.3.
אֶעֱלֶ֖ה עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי עָ֑ב אֶדַּמֶּ֖ה לְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃ I will mount the back of a cloud—
I will match the Most High.”
אַ֧ךְ אֶל־שְׁא֛וֹל תּוּרָ֖ד אֶל־יַרְכְּתֵי־בֽוֹר׃ Instead, you are brought down to Sheol,
To the bottom of the Pit.gthe bottom of the Pit A region of the netherworld reserved for those who have not received decent burial; cf. Ezek. 32.21ff.
רֹאֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יַשְׁגִּ֔יחוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ יִתְבּוֹנָ֑נוּ הֲזֶ֤ה הָאִישׁ֙ מַרְגִּ֣יז הָאָ֔רֶץ מַרְעִ֖ישׁ מַמְלָכֽוֹת׃ They who behold you stare;
They peer at you closely:
“Is this the man
Who shook the earth,
Who made realms tremble,
שָׂ֥ם תֵּבֵ֛ל כַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְעָרָ֣יו הָרָ֑ס אֲסִירָ֖יו לֹא־פָ֥תַח בָּֽיְתָה׃ Who made the world like a waste
And wrecked its towns,
Who never released his prisoners to their homes?”
כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֥י גוֹיִ֖ם כֻּלָּ֑ם שָׁכְב֥וּ בְכָב֖וֹד אִ֥ישׁ בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃ All the kings of nations
Were laid, every one, in honorhWho never released … in honor Emendation yields “Who chained to his palace gate / All the kings of nations? / Yet they were all laid in honor…” The practice of chaining captive chieftains to gates is attested in Mesopotamia.
Each in his tomb;
וְאַתָּ֞ה הׇשְׁלַ֤כְתָּ מִֽקִּבְרְךָ֙ כְּנֵ֣צֶר נִתְעָ֔ב לְבֻ֥שׁ הֲרֻגִ֖ים מְטֹ֣עֲנֵי חָ֑רֶב יוֹרְדֵ֥י אֶל־אַבְנֵי־ב֖וֹר כְּפֶ֥גֶר מוּבָֽס׃ While you were left lying unburied,
Like loathsome carrion,icarrion So several ancient versions; cf. postbiblical neṣel, “putrefying flesh or blood.”
Like a trampled corpse
[In] the clothing of slain gashed by the sword
Who sink to the very stones of the Pit.
לֹֽא־תֵחַ֤ד אִתָּם֙ בִּקְבוּרָ֔ה כִּי־אַרְצְךָ֥ שִׁחַ֖תָּ עַמְּךָ֣ הָרָ֑גְתָּ לֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א לְעוֹלָ֖ם זֶ֥רַע מְרֵעִֽים׃ You shall not have a burial like them;
Because you destroyed your country,
Murdered your people.jyour country, / Murdered your people Emendation yields “…countries, / Murdered peoples.”
Let the breed of evildoers
Nevermore be named!
הָכִ֧ינוּ לְבָנָ֛יו מַטְבֵּ֖חַ בַּעֲוֺ֣ן אֲבוֹתָ֑ם בַּל־יָקֻ֙מוּ֙ וְיָ֣רְשׁוּ אָ֔רֶץ וּמָלְא֥וּ פְנֵי־תֵבֵ֖ל עָרִֽים׃ Prepare a slaughtering block for his sonskhis sons As potential heirs to the throne; cf. Kimhi.
Because of the guilt of their father.lfather Heb. “fathers.”
Let them not arise to possess the earth!
Then the world’s face shall be covered with towns.
וְקַמְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וְהִכְרַתִּ֨י לְבָבֶ֜ל שֵׁ֥ם וּשְׁאָ֛ר וְנִ֥ין וָנֶ֖כֶד נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ I will rise up against them—declares GOD of Hosts—and will wipe out from Babylon name and remnant, kith and kin—declares GOD—
וְשַׂמְתִּ֛יהָ לְמוֹרַ֥שׁ קִפֹּ֖ד וְאַגְמֵי־מָ֑יִם וְטֵאטֵאתִ֙יהָ֙ בְּמַטְאֲטֵ֣א הַשְׁמֵ֔ד נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ {ס} and I will make it a home of bitterns,mbitterns Meaning of Heb. uncertain. pools of water. I will sweep it with a broom of extermination—declares GOD of Hosts.
נִשְׁבַּ֛ע יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־לֹ֞א כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר דִּמִּ֙יתִי֙ כֵּ֣ן הָיָ֔תָה וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָעַ֖צְתִּי הִ֥יא תָקֽוּם׃ GOD of Hosts has sworn this oath:
“As I have designed, so shall it happen;
What I have planned, that shall come to pass:
לִשְׁבֹּ֤ר אַשּׁוּר֙ בְּאַרְצִ֔י וְעַל־הָרַ֖י אֲבוּסֶ֑נּוּ וְסָ֤ר מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶם֙ עֻלּ֔וֹ וְסֻ֨בֳּל֔וֹ מֵעַ֥ל שִׁכְמ֖וֹ יָסֽוּר׃ To break Assyria in My land,
To crush him on My mountain.”nMy mountain Heb. “My mountains”; for the designation of the entire land of Israel as GOD’s mountain, cf. 11.9.
And his yoke shall drop off them,
And his burden shall drop from theirotheir Heb. “his.” backs.pAnd his yoke … backs These lines would read well after v. 26.
זֹ֛את הָעֵצָ֥ה הַיְּעוּצָ֖ה עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְזֹ֛את הַיָּ֥ד הַנְּטוּיָ֖ה עַל־כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ That is the plan that is planned
For all the earth;
That is why an arm is poised
Over all the nations.
כִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת יָעָ֖ץ וּמִ֣י יָפֵ֑ר וְיָד֥וֹ הַנְּטוּיָ֖ה וּמִ֥י יְשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃ {פ}
For GOD of Hosts has planned,
Who then can foil it?
It is the divine arm that is poised,
And who can stay it?
בִּשְׁנַת־מ֖וֹת הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָחָ֑ז הָיָ֖ה הַמַּשָּׂ֥א הַזֶּֽה׃ This pronouncement was made in the year that King Ahaz died:
אַֽל־תִּשְׂמְחִ֤י פְלֶ֙שֶׁת֙ כֻּלֵּ֔ךְ כִּ֥י נִשְׁבַּ֖ר שֵׁ֣בֶט מַכֵּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־מִשֹּׁ֤רֶשׁ נָחָשׁ֙ יֵ֣צֵא צֶ֔פַע וּפִרְי֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ף מְעוֹפֵֽף׃ Rejoice not, all Philistia,
Because the staff of him that beat you is broken.
For from the stock of a snake there sprouts an asp,
A flying seraph qseraph In contrast to others “fiery serpent”; cf. Num. 21.6, 8. branches out from it.
וְרָעוּ֙ בְּכוֹרֵ֣י דַלִּ֔ים וְאֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים לָבֶ֣טַח יִרְבָּ֑צוּ וְהֵמַתִּ֤י בָרָעָב֙ שׇׁרְשֵׁ֔ךְ וּשְׁאֵרִיתֵ֖ךְ יַהֲרֹֽג׃ The first-born of the poor shall grazerThe first-born of the poor shall graze Emendation yields “The poor shall graze in his pasture.”
And the destitute lie down secure.sThe first-born … lie down secure These lines would read well after v. 32.
I will kill your stock by famine,tI will kill your stock by famine Emendation yields “It shall kill your offspring with its venom (zarʻekh beroʼsho).”
And it shall slay the very last of you.
הֵילִ֤ילִֽי שַׁ֙עַר֙ זַֽעֲקִי־עִ֔יר נָמ֖וֹג פְּלֶ֣שֶׁת כֻּלֵּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י מִצָּפוֹן֙ עָשָׁ֣ן בָּ֔א וְאֵ֥ין בּוֹדֵ֖ד בְּמוֹעָדָֽיו׃ Howl, O gate; cry out, O city;
Quake, all Philistia!
For a stout one is coming from the north
And there is no straggler in his ranks.uFor a stout one … in his ranks Meaning of Heb. uncertain; the rendering “stout one” is suggested by the Syriac ʻashshīn.
וּמַֽה־יַּעֲנֶ֖ה מַלְאֲכֵי־ג֑וֹי כִּ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ יִסַּ֣ד צִיּ֔וֹן וּבָ֥הּ יֶחֱס֖וּ עֲנִיֵּ֥י עַמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
And what will he answer the messengers of any nation?
That Zion has been established by GOD:
In it, the needy of this covenanted people shall find shelter.