Profeterna
The Promise of Restoration and Zion's Future
Despite Zion's complaint that the Lord has forgotten her, God assures him that he will never forget his people—he has engraved Zion on the palms of his hands. He promises that children will return from exile, that kings and queens will be foster fathers and nurses for Zion's children, and that even the captives of the mighty will be freed Isaiah 49:8-26.
Jesaja 49,8-26
8This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I answered you; on the day of salvation I helped you. I will keep you and make you a covenant for the people, to restore the land and apportion its desolate inheritances,
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה בְּעֵ֤ת רָצוֹן֙ עֲנִיתִ֔יךָ וּבְי֥וֹם יְשׁוּעָ֖ה עֲזַרְתִּ֑יךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֙ לִבְרִ֣ית עָ֔ם לְהָקִ֣ים אֶ֔רֶץ לְהַנְחִ֖יל נְחָל֥וֹת שֹׁמֵמֽוֹת׃
9to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Show yourselves!' They will graze along the roads and find pasture on every barren height.
לֵאמֹ֤ר לַֽאֲסוּרִים֙ צֵ֔אוּ לַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּחֹ֖שֶׁךְ הִגָּל֑וּ עַל־דְּרָכִ֣ים יִרְע֔וּ וּבְכָל־שְׁפָיִ֖ים מַרְעִיתָֽם׃
10They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun strike them down. For he who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them to springs of water.
לֹ֤א יִרְעָ֙בוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִצְמָ֔אוּ וְלֹא־יַכֵּ֥ם שָׁרָ֖ב וָשָׁ֑מֶשׁ כִּי־מְרַחֲמָ֣ם יְנַהֲגֵ֔ם וְעַל־מַבּ֥וּעֵי מַ֖יִם יְנַהֲלֵֽם׃
11I will turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways will be raised up.
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י כָל־הָרַ֖י לַדָּ֑רֶךְ וּמְסִלֹּתַ֖י יְרֻמֽוּן׃
12See, they come from far away—these from the north, these from the west, and these from the land of Syene.[^1]
[^1]: Hebrew "the land of Sinim," likely Syene (Aswan) in the far south of Egypt.
הִנֵּה־אֵ֕לֶּה מֵרָח֖וֹק יָבֹ֑אוּ וְהִֽנֵּה־אֵ֙לֶּה֙ מִצָּפ֣וֹן וּמִיָּ֔ם וְאֵ֖לֶּה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ סִינִֽים׃
13Sing for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; break into song, you mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
רָנּ֤וּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְגִ֣ילִי אָ֔רֶץ *יפצחו **וּפִצְח֥וּ הָרִ֖ים רִנָּ֑ה כִּֽי־נִחַ֤ם יְהוָה֙ עַמּ֔וֹ וַעֲנִיָּ֖ו יְרַחֵֽם׃ ס
14But Zion said, "The LORD has abandoned me; the Lord has forgotten me."
וַתֹּ֥אמֶר צִיּ֖וֹן עֲזָבַ֣נִי יְהוָ֑ה וַאדֹנָ֖י שְׁכֵחָֽנִי׃
15Can a woman forget the child at her breast, or have no compassion on the son she bore? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you.
הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ עוּלָ֔הּ מֵרַחֵ֖ם בֶּן־בִּטְנָ֑הּ גַּם־אֵ֣לֶּה תִשְׁכַּ֔חְנָה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א אֶשְׁכָּחֵֽךְ׃
16See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
הֵ֥ן עַל־כַּפַּ֖יִם חַקֹּתִ֑יךְ חוֹמֹתַ֥יִךְ נֶגְדִּ֖י תָּמִֽיד׃
17Your builders hurry back;[^1] those who tore you down and laid you waste depart from you.
[^1]: Or "your sons"; the two words differ only in vowels, and the traditional Hebrew text reads "your sons."
מִֽהֲר֖וּ בָּנָ֑יִךְ מְהָֽרְסַ֥יִךְ וּמַחֲרִבַ֖יִךְ מִמֵּ֥ךְ יֵצֵֽאוּ׃
18Lift up your eyes and look around: they are all gathering, they are coming to you. As surely as I live, declares the LORD, you will wear them all like jewelry; you will put them on like a bride.
שְׂאִֽי־סָבִ֤יב עֵינַ֙יִךְ֙ וּרְאִ֔י כֻּלָּ֖ם נִקְבְּצ֣וּ בָֽאוּ־לָ֑ךְ חַי־אָ֣נִי נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה כִּ֤י כֻלָּם֙ כָּעֲדִ֣י תִלְבָּ֔שִׁי וּֽתְקַשְּׁרִ֖ים כַּכַּלָּֽה׃
19Though you were ruined and laid waste, your land in rubble, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.
כִּ֤י חָרְבֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ וְשֹׁ֣מְמֹתַ֔יִךְ וְאֶ֖רֶץ הֲרִֽסֻתֵ֑יךְ כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ תֵּצְרִ֣י מִיּוֹשֵׁ֔ב וְרָחֲק֖וּ מְבַלְּעָֽיִךְ׃
20The children born in your bereavement will yet say in your hearing, "This place is too cramped for me; make room for me to settle."
ע֚וֹד יֹאמְר֣וּ בְאָזְנַ֔יִךְ בְּנֵ֖י שִׁכֻּלָ֑יִךְ צַר־לִ֥י הַמָּק֖וֹם גְּשָׁה־לִּ֥י וְאֵשֵֽׁבָה׃
21Then you will say in your heart, "Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and cast aside—so who raised them? I was left all alone; where have these come from?"
וְאָמַ֣רְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵ֗ךְ מִ֤י יָֽלַד־לִי֙ אֶת־אֵ֔לֶּה וַאֲנִ֥י שְׁכוּלָ֖ה וְגַלְמוּדָ֑ה גֹּלָ֣ה ׀ וְסוּרָ֗ה וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ מִ֣י גִדֵּ֔ל הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ נִשְׁאַ֣רְתִּי לְבַדִּ֔י אֵ֖לֶּה אֵיפֹ֥ה הֵֽם׃ פ
22This is what the Lord GOD says: "See, I will lift up my hand to the nations and raise my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אֶשָּׂ֤א אֶל־גּוֹיִם֙ יָדִ֔י וְאֶל־עַמִּ֖ים אָרִ֣ים נִסִּ֑י וְהֵבִ֤יאוּ בָנַ֙יִךְ֙ בְּחֹ֔צֶן וּבְנֹתַ֖יִךְ עַל־כָּתֵ֥ף תִּנָּשֶֽׂאנָה׃
23Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, and that those who hope in me will not be put to shame."
וְהָי֨וּ מְלָכִ֜ים אֹֽמְנַ֗יִךְ וְשָׂרֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ מֵינִ֣יקֹתַ֔יִךְ אַפַּ֗יִם אֶ֚רֶץ יִשְׁתַּ֣חֲווּ לָ֔ךְ וַעֲפַ֥ר רַגְלַ֖יִךְ יְלַחֵ֑כוּ וְיָדַ֙עַתְּ֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ קֹוָֽי׃ ס
24Can plunder be taken from a warrior, or captives rescued from a tyrant?[^1]
[^1]: The traditional Hebrew text reads "from a righteous one"; ancient scroll and version evidence, along with the parallel in the next verse, reads "from a tyrant."
הֲיֻקַּ֥ח מִגִּבּ֖וֹר מַלְק֑וֹחַ וְאִם־שְׁבִ֥י צַדִּ֖יק יִמָּלֵֽט׃
25But this is what the LORD says: "Yes, the warrior's captives will be taken, and the tyrant's plunder rescued. I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
כִּי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה גַּם־שְׁבִ֤י גִבּוֹר֙ יֻקָּ֔ח וּמַלְק֥וֹחַ עָרִ֖יץ יִמָּלֵ֑ט וְאֶת־יְרִיבֵךְ֙ אָנֹכִ֣י אָרִ֔יב וְאֶת־בָּנַ֖יִךְ אָנֹכִ֥י אוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."
וְהַאֲכַלְתִּ֤י אֶת־מוֹנַ֙יִךְ֙ אֶת־בְּשָׂרָ֔ם וְכֶעָסִ֖יס דָּמָ֣ם יִשְׁכָּר֑וּן וְיָדְע֣וּ כָל־בָּשָׂ֗ר כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ מֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֔ךְ וְגֹאֲלֵ֖ךְ אֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ ס