The prophets
Judgment on the Rebels and Blessing for the Lord's Servants
The Lord accuses a rebellious people who sacrifice to other gods and offend Him, warning of judgment upon them. At the same time, He promises to preserve a remnant of Jacob and Judah, His servants who seek Him. He will create new heavens and a new earth, making Jerusalem a city filled with joy and peace where the wolf and the lamb graze together.
Isaiah 65,1-25
1I let myself be sought by those who never asked for me; I let myself be found by those who never looked for me. I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that never called on my name.
נִדְרַ֙שְׁתִּי֙ לְל֣וֹא שָׁאָ֔לוּ נִמְצֵ֖אתִי לְלֹ֣א בִקְשֻׁ֑נִי אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ הִנֵּ֣נִי הִנֵּ֔נִי אֶל־גּ֖וֹי לֹֽא־קֹרָ֥א בִשְׁמִֽי׃
2All day long I have held out my hands to a rebellious people, who walk a path that is not good, following their own devices—
פֵּרַ֧שְׂתִּי יָדַ֛י כָּל־הַיּ֖וֹם אֶל־עַ֣ם סוֹרֵ֑ר הַהֹלְכִים֙ הַדֶּ֣רֶךְ לֹא־ט֔וֹב אַחַ֖ר מַחְשְׁבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
3a people who provoke me to my face without ceasing, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks,
הָעָ֗ם הַמַּכְעִיסִ֥ים אוֹתִ֛י עַל־פָּנַ֖י תָּמִ֑יד זֹֽבְחִים֙ בַּגַּנּ֔וֹת וּֽמְקַטְּרִ֖ים עַל־הַלְּבֵנִֽים׃
4who sit among the graves and spend the night in secret places, who eat the flesh of swine, with broth of foul things in their pots,
הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בַּקְּבָרִ֔ים וּבַנְּצוּרִ֖ים יָלִ֑ינוּ הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר הַחֲזִ֔יר *ופרק **וּמְרַ֥ק פִּגֻּלִ֖ים כְּלֵיהֶֽם׃
5who say, "Keep your distance! Do not come near me, for I am holier than you." These are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that smolders all day long.
הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ קְרַ֣ב אֵלֶ֔יךָ אַל־תִּגַּשׁ־בִּ֖י כִּ֣י קְדַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ אֵ֚לֶּה עָשָׁ֣ן בְּאַפִּ֔י אֵ֥שׁ יֹקֶ֖דֶת כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃
6See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay—I will repay it into their lap,
הִנֵּ֥ה כְתוּבָ֖ה לְפָנָ֑י לֹ֤א אֶחֱשֶׂה֙ כִּ֣י אִם־שִׁלַּ֔מְתִּי וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֖י עַל־חֵיקָֽם׃
7your own sins together with the sins of your fathers, says the LORD. Because they burned incense on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure out into their lap the wages of their former deeds.
עֲ֠וֺנֹתֵיכֶם וַעֲוֺנֹ֨ת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֤ם יַחְדָּו֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר קִטְּרוּ֙ עַל־הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים וְעַל־הַגְּבָע֖וֹת חֵרְפ֑וּנִי וּמַדֹּתִ֧י פְעֻלָּתָ֛ם רִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה *על־**אֶל־חֵיקָֽם׃ ס
8This is what the LORD says: As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and someone says, "Do not destroy it, there is a blessing in it," so will I do for the sake of my servants: I will not destroy them all.
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִמָּצֵ֤א הַתִּירוֹשׁ֙ בָּֽאֶשְׁכּ֔וֹל וְאָמַר֙ אַל־תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֔הוּ כִּ֥י בְרָכָ֖ה בּ֑וֹ כֵּ֤ן אֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ לְמַ֣עַן עֲבָדַ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֖י הֽ͏ַשְׁחִ֥ית הַכֹּֽל׃
9I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains. My chosen ones will possess it, and my servants will dwell there.
וְהוֹצֵאתִ֤י מִֽיַּעֲקֹב֙ זֶ֔רַע וּמִיהוּדָ֖ה יוֹרֵ֣שׁ הָרָ֑י וִירֵשׁ֣וּהָ בְחִירַ֔י וַעֲבָדַ֖י יִשְׁכְּנוּ־שָֽׁמָּה׃
10Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for cattle, for my people who seek me.
וְהָיָ֤ה הַשָּׁרוֹן֙ לִנְוֵה־צֹ֔אן וְעֵ֥מֶק עָכ֖וֹר לְרֵ֣בֶץ בָּקָ֑ר לְעַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֥ר דְּרָשֽׁוּנִי׃
11But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny—
וְאַתֶּם֙ עֹזְבֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה הַשְּׁכֵחִ֖ים אֶת־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֑י הֽ͏ַעֹרְכִ֤ים לַגַּד֙ שֻׁלְחָ֔ן וְהַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים לַמְנִ֥י מִמְסָֽךְ׃
12I will assign you to the sword, and you will all bow down for the slaughter. For I called and you did not answer; I spoke and you did not listen. You did what is evil in my eyes and chose what displeases me.
וּמָנִ֨יתִי אֶתְכֶ֜ם לַחֶ֗רֶב וְכֻלְּכֶם֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח תִּכְרָ֔עוּ יַ֤עַן קָרָ֙אתִי֙ וְלֹ֣א עֲנִיתֶ֔ם דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם וַתַּעֲשׂ֤וּ הָרַע֙ בְּעֵינַ֔י וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־חָפַ֖צְתִּי בְּחַרְתֶּֽם׃ פ
13Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה עֲבָדַ֤י ׀ יֹאכֵ֙לוּ֙ וְאַתֶּ֣ם תִּרְעָ֔בוּ הִנֵּ֧ה עֲבָדַ֛י יִשְׁתּ֖וּ וְאַתֶּ֣ם תִּצְמָ֑אוּ הִנֵּ֧ה עֲבָדַ֛י יִשְׂמָ֖חוּ וְאַתֶּ֥ם תֵּבֹֽשׁוּ׃
14My servants will sing out of gladness of heart, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail from a broken spirit.
הִנֵּ֧ה עֲבָדַ֛י יָרֹ֖נּוּ מִטּ֣וּב לֵ֑ב וְאַתֶּ֤ם תִּצְעֲקוּ֙ מִכְּאֵ֣ב לֵ֔ב וּמִשֵּׁ֥בֶר ר֖וּחַ תְּיֵלִֽילוּ׃
15You will leave your name behind as a curse to my chosen ones; the Lord GOD will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name.
וְהִנַּחְתֶּ֨ם שִׁמְכֶ֤ם לִשְׁבוּעָה֙ לִבְחִירַ֔י וֶהֱמִיתְ֖ךָ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וְלַעֲבָדָ֥יו יִקְרָ֖א שֵׁ֥ם אַחֵֽר׃
16Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever swears an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles are forgotten, and hidden from my eyes.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַמִּתְבָּרֵ֜ךְ בָּאָ֗רֶץ יִתְבָּרֵךְ֙ בֵּאלֹהֵ֣י אָמֵ֔ן וְהַנִּשְׁבָּ֣ע בָּאָ֔רֶץ יִשָּׁבַ֖ע בֵּאלֹהֵ֣י אָמֵ֑ן כִּ֣י נִשְׁכְּח֗וּ הַצָּרוֹת֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנ֔וֹת וְכִ֥י נִסְתְּר֖וּ מֵעֵינָֽי׃
17See, I am creating new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י בוֹרֵ֛א שָׁמַ֥יִם חֲדָשִׁ֖ים וָאָ֣רֶץ חֲדָשָׁ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תִזָּכַ֙רְנָה֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנ֔וֹת וְלֹ֥א תַעֲלֶ֖ינָה עַל־לֵֽב׃
18Instead, rejoice and be glad forever in what I create; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a delight and her people as a joy.
כִּֽי־אִם־שִׂ֤ישׂוּ וְגִ֙ילוּ֙ עֲדֵי־עַ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֣י בוֹרֵ֑א כִּי֩ הִנְנִ֨י בוֹרֵ֧א אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם גִּילָ֖ה וְעַמָּ֥הּ מָשֽׂוֹשׂ׃
19I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people; the sound of weeping and crying will never be heard in her again.
וְגַלְתִּ֥י בִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וְשַׂשְׂתִּ֣י בְעַמִּ֑י וְלֹֽא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע בָּהּ֙ ע֔וֹד ק֥וֹל בְּכִ֖י וְק֥וֹל זְעָקָֽה׃
20Never again will there be an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years. The one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth, and the sinner who reaches only a hundred will be considered cursed.
לֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה מִשָּׁ֜ם ע֗וֹד ע֤וּל יָמִים֙ וְזָקֵ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְמַלֵּ֖א אֶת־יָמָ֑יו כִּ֣י הַנַּ֗עַר בֶּן־מֵאָ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ יָמ֔וּת וְהַ֣חוֹטֶ֔א בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה יְקֻלָּֽל׃
21They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
וּבָנ֥וּ בָתִּ֖ים וְיָשָׁ֑בוּ וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֔ים וְאָכְל֖וּ פִּרְיָֽם׃
22They will not build for another to inhabit, nor plant for another to eat. For my people's days will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.
לֹ֤א יִבְנוּ֙ וְאַחֵ֣ר יֵשֵׁ֔ב לֹ֥א יִטְּע֖וּ וְאַחֵ֣ר יֹאכֵ֑ל כִּֽי־כִימֵ֤י הָעֵץ֙ יְמֵ֣י עַמִּ֔י וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיהֶ֖ם יְבַלּ֥וּ בְחִירָֽי׃
23They will not labor in vain, nor bear children for calamity; for they are offspring blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them.
לֹ֤א יִֽיגְעוּ֙ לָרִ֔יק וְלֹ֥א יֵלְד֖וּ לַבֶּהָלָ֑ה כִּ֣י זֶ֜רַע בְּרוּכֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ הֵ֔מָּה וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖ם אִתָּֽם׃
24Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.
וְהָיָ֥ה טֶֽרֶם־יִקְרָ֖אוּ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶעֱנֶ֑ה ע֛וֹד הֵ֥ם מְדַבְּרִ֖ים וַאֲנִ֥י אֶשְׁמָֽע׃
25The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the serpent's food will be dust. They will do no harm and work no ruin on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.
זְאֵ֨ב וְטָלֶ֜ה יִרְע֣וּ כְאֶחָ֗ד וְאַרְיֵה֙ כַּבָּקָ֣ר יֹֽאכַל־תֶּ֔בֶן וְנָחָ֖שׁ עָפָ֣ר לַחְמ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יָרֵ֧עוּ וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֛יתוּ בְּכָל־הַ֥ר קָדְשִׁ֖י אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ ס