Isaiah 48

שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֣את בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַנִּקְרָאִים֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִמֵּ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יָצָ֑אוּ הַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים׀ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהֹוָ֗ה וּבֵאלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יַזְכִּ֔ירוּ לֹ֥א בֶאֱמֶ֖ת וְלֹ֥א בִצְדָקָֽה׃

Listen to this, O House of Jacob, Who bear the name Israel And have issued from the waters of Judah, Who swear by the name of G OD And invoke the God of Israel— Though not in truth and sincerity—

כִּֽי־מֵעִ֤יר הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ נִקְרָ֔אוּ וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִסְמָ֑כוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמֽוֹ׃ {ס}

For you are called after the Holy City And you do lean on the God of Israel, Whose name is G OD of Hosts:

הָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙ מֵאָ֣ז הִגַּ֔דְתִּי וּמִפִּ֥י יָצְא֖וּ וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם עָשִׂ֖יתִי וַתָּבֹֽאנָה׃

Long ago, I foretold things that happened, From My mouth they issued, and I announced them; Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

מִדַּעְתִּ֕י כִּ֥י קָשֶׁ֖ה אָ֑תָּה וְגִ֤יד בַּרְזֶל֙ עׇרְפֶּ֔ךָ וּמִצְחֲךָ֖ נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

Because I know how stubborn you are (Your neck is like an iron sinew And your forehead bronze),

וָאַגִּ֤יד לְךָ֙ מֵאָ֔ז בְּטֶ֥רֶם תָּב֖וֹא הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ פֶּן־תֹּאמַר֙ עׇצְבִּ֣י עָשָׂ֔ם וּפִסְלִ֥י וְנִסְכִּ֖י צִוָּֽם׃

Therefore I told you long beforehand, Announced things to you ere they happened— That you might not say, “My idol caused them, My carved and molten images ordained them.”

שָׁמַ֤עְתָּֽ חֲזֵה֙ כֻּלָּ֔הּ וְאַתֶּ֖ם הֲל֣וֹא תַגִּ֑ידוּ הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָ חֲדָשׁוֹת֙ מֵעַ֔תָּה וּנְצֻר֖וֹת וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽם׃

You have heard all this; look, must you not acknowledge it? As of now, I announce to you new things, Well-guarded secrets you did not know.

עַתָּ֤ה נִבְרְאוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מֵאָ֔ז וְלִפְנֵי־י֖וֹם וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתָּ֑ם פֶּן־תֹּאמַ֖ר הִנֵּ֥ה יְדַעְתִּֽין׃

Only now are they created, and not of old; Before today you had not heard them; You cannot say, “I knew them already.”

גַּ֣ם לֹֽא־שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ גַּ֚ם לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ גַּ֕ם מֵאָ֖ז לֹא־פִתְּחָ֣ה אׇזְנֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ בָּג֣וֹד תִּבְגּ֔וֹד וּפֹשֵׁ֥עַ מִבֶּ֖טֶן קֹ֥רָא לָֽךְ׃

You had never heard, you had never known, Your ears were not opened of old. Though I know that you are treacherous, That you were called a rebel from birth,

לְמַ֤עַן שְׁמִי֙ אַאֲרִ֣יךְ אַפִּ֔י וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י אֶחֱטׇם־לָ֑ךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י הַכְרִיתֶֽךָ׃

For the sake of My name I control My wrath; To My own glory, I am patient with you, And I will not destroy you.

הִנֵּ֥ה צְרַפְתִּ֖יךָ וְלֹ֣א בְכָ֑סֶף בְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָ בְּכ֥וּר עֹֽנִי׃

See, I refine you, but not as silver; I test you in the furnace of affliction.

לְמַעֲנִ֧י לְמַעֲנִ֛י אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה כִּ֣י אֵ֣יךְ יֵחָ֑ל וּכְבוֹדִ֖י לְאַחֵ֥ר לֹא־אֶתֵּֽן׃ {פ}

For My sake, My own sake, do I act— Lest [My name] be dishonored! I will not give My glory to another.

שְׁמַ֤ע אֵלַי֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מְקֹרָאִ֑י אֲנִי־הוּא֙ אֲנִ֣י רִאשׁ֔וֹן אַ֖ף אֲנִ֥י אַחֲרֽוֹן׃

Listen to Me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am the One—I am the first, And I am the last as well.

אַף־יָדִי֙ יָ֣סְדָה אֶ֔רֶץ וִימִינִ֖י טִפְּחָ֣ה שָׁמָ֑יִם קֹרֵ֥א אֲנִ֛י אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם יַעַמְד֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃

My own hand founded the earth, My right hand spread out the skies. I call unto them, let them stand up.

הִקָּבְצ֤וּ כֻלְּכֶם֙ וּֽשְׁמָ֔עוּ מִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם הִגִּ֣יד אֶת־אֵ֑לֶּה יְהֹוָ֣ה אֲהֵב֔וֹ יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה חֶפְצוֹ֙ בְּבָבֶ֔ל וּזְרֹע֖וֹ כַּשְׂדִּֽים׃

Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among you foretold these things: “He whom G OD loves Shall work the divine will against Babylon, And, with divine might, against Chaldea”?

אֲנִ֥י אֲנִ֛י דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אַף־קְרָאתִ֑יו הֲבִאֹתִ֖יו וְהִצְלִ֥יחַ דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

I, I predicted, and I called him; I have brought him and he shall succeed in his mission.

קִרְב֧וּ אֵלַ֣י שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֗את לֹ֤א מֵרֹאשׁ֙ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי מֵעֵ֥ת הֱיוֹתָ֖הּ שָׁ֣ם אָ֑נִי וְעַתָּ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֧י יֱהֹוִ֛ה שְׁלָחַ֖נִי וְרוּחֽוֹ׃ {פ}

Draw near to Me and hear this: From the beginning, I did not speak in secret; From the time anything existed, I was there. “And now the Sovereign G OD has sent me, endowed with divine spirit.”

כֹּה־אָמַ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה גֹּאַלְךָ֖ קְד֣וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲנִ֨י יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ מְלַמֶּדְךָ֣ לְהוֹעִ֔יל מַדְרִֽיכְךָ֖ בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ תֵּלֵֽךְ׃

Thus said G OD your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: I the E TERNAL One am your God, Instructing you for your own benefit. Guiding you in the way you should go.

ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְמִצְוֺתָ֑י וַיְהִ֤י כַנָּהָר֙ שְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ כְּגַלֵּ֥י הַיָּֽם׃

If only you would heed My commands! Then your prosperity would be like a river, Your triumph like the waves of the sea.

וַיְהִ֤י כַחוֹל֙ זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וְצֶאֱצָאֵ֥י מֵעֶ֖יךָ כִּמְעֹתָ֑יו לֹא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת וְֽלֹא־יִשָּׁמֵ֛ד שְׁמ֖וֹ מִלְּפָנָֽי׃ {ס}

Your offspring would be as many as the sand, Their issue as many as its grains. Their name would never be cut off Or obliterated from before Me.

צְא֣וּ מִבָּבֶל֮ בִּרְח֣וּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים֒ בְּק֣וֹל רִנָּ֗ה הַגִּ֤ידוּ הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ זֹ֔את הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ עַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ אִמְר֕וּ גָּאַ֥ל יְהֹוָ֖ה עַבְדּ֥וֹ יַעֲקֹֽב׃

Go forth from Babylon, Flee from Chaldea! Declare this with loud shouting, Announce this, Bring out the word to the ends of the earth! Say: “ G OD has redeemed Jacob—God’s servant!”

וְלֹ֣א צָמְא֗וּ בׇּֽחֳרָבוֹת֙ הוֹלִיכָ֔ם מַ֥יִם מִצּ֖וּר הִזִּ֣יל לָ֑מוֹ וַיִּ֨בְקַע־צ֔וּר וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ מָֽיִם׃

They have known no thirst, Though they were led through parched places; [God] made water flow for them from the rock, Cleaving the rock so that water gushed forth.

אֵ֣ין שָׁל֔וֹם אָמַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה לָרְשָׁעִֽים׃ {פ}

There is no safety—said G OD —for the wicked.