Isaiah 59

הֵ֛ן לֹא־קָצְרָ֥ה יַד־יְהֹוָ֖ה מֵהוֹשִׁ֑יעַ וְלֹא־כָבְדָ֥ה אׇזְנ֖וֹ מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃

No, G OD ’s arm is not too short to save, Or ear too dull to hear;

כִּ֤י אִם־עֲוֺנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ הָי֣וּ מַבְדִּלִ֔ים בֵּינֵכֶ֕ם לְבֵ֖ין אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְחַטֹּאותֵיכֶ֗ם הִסְתִּ֧ירוּ פָנִ֛ים מִכֶּ֖ם מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃

But your iniquities have been a barrier Between you and your God— Your sins have turned the divine face away In refusal to hear you.

כִּ֤י כַפֵּיכֶם֙ נְגֹאֲל֣וּ בַדָּ֔ם וְאֶצְבְּעוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם בֶּעָוֺ֑ן שִׂפְתֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ דִּבְּרוּ־שֶׁ֔קֶר לְשׁוֹנְכֶ֖ם עַוְלָ֥ה תֶהְגֶּֽה׃

For your hands are defiled with crime And your fingers with iniquity. Your lips speak falsehood, Your tongue utters treachery.

אֵין־קֹרֵ֣א בְצֶ֔דֶק וְאֵ֥ין נִשְׁפָּ֖ט בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה בָּט֤וֹחַ עַל־תֹּ֙הוּ֙ וְדַבֶּר־שָׁ֔וְא הָר֥וֹ עָמָ֖ל וְהוֹלֵ֥יד אָֽוֶן׃

No one sues justly Or pleads honestly; They rely on emptiness and speak falsehood, Conceiving wrong and begetting evil.

בֵּיצֵ֤י צִפְעוֹנִי֙ בִּקֵּ֔עוּ וְקוּרֵ֥י עַכָּבִ֖ישׁ יֶאֱרֹ֑גוּ הָאֹכֵ֤ל מִבֵּֽיצֵיהֶם֙ יָמ֔וּת וְהַזּוּרֶ֖ה תִּבָּקַ֥ע אֶפְעֶֽה׃

They hatch adder’s eggs And weave spider webs; Whoever eats of those eggs will die, And if one is crushed, it hatches out a viper.

קֽוּרֵיהֶם֙ לֹֽא־יִהְי֣וּ לְבֶ֔גֶד וְלֹ֥א יִתְכַּסּ֖וּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם מַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶם֙ מַֽעֲשֵׂי־אָ֔וֶן וּפֹ֥עַל חָמָ֖ס בְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃

Their webs will not serve as a garment, What they make cannot serve as clothing; Their deeds are deeds of mischief, Their hands commit lawless acts,

רַגְלֵיהֶם֙ לָרַ֣ע יָרֻ֔צוּ וִֽימַהֲר֔וּ לִשְׁפֹּ֖ךְ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י מַחְשְׁבֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֔וֶן שֹׁ֥ד וָשֶׁ֖בֶר בִּמְסִלּוֹתָֽם׃

Their feet run after evil, They hasten to shed the blood of the innocent. Their plans are plans of mischief, Destructiveness and injury are on their roads.

דֶּ֤רֶךְ שָׁלוֹם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ וְאֵ֥ין מִשְׁפָּ֖ט בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָ֑ם נְתִיבֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ עִקְּשׁ֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם כֹּ֚ל דֹּרֵ֣ךְ בָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א יָדַ֖ע שָׁלֽוֹם׃

They do not care for the way of integrity, There is no justice on their paths. They make their courses crooked, No one who walks in them cares for integrity.

עַל־כֵּ֗ן רָחַ֤ק מִשְׁפָּט֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תַשִּׂיגֵ֖נוּ צְדָקָ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לָאוֹר֙ וְהִנֵּה־חֹ֔שֶׁךְ לִנְגֹה֖וֹת בָּאֲפֵל֥וֹת נְהַלֵּֽךְ׃

“That is why redress is far from us, And vindication does not reach us. We hope for light, and lo! there is darkness; For a gleam, and we must walk in gloom.

נְגַשְׁשָׁ֤ה כַֽעִוְרִים֙ קִ֔יר וּכְאֵ֥ין עֵינַ֖יִם נְגַשֵּׁ֑שָׁה כָּשַׁ֤לְנוּ בַֽצׇּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁף בָּאַשְׁמַנִּ֖ים כַּמֵּתִֽים׃

We grope, like the blind along a wall; Like those without eyes we grope. We stumble at noon, as if in darkness; Among the sturdy, we are like the dead.

נֶהֱמֶ֤ה כַדֻּבִּים֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וְכַיּוֹנִ֖ים הָגֹ֣ה נֶהְגֶּ֑ה נְקַוֶּ֤ה לַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ וָאַ֔יִן לִישׁוּעָ֖ה רָחֲקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

We all growl like bears And moan like doves. We hope for redress, and there is none; For victory, and it is far from us.

כִּֽי־רַבּ֤וּ פְשָׁעֵ֙ינוּ֙ נֶגְדֶּ֔ךָ וְחַטֹּאותֵ֖ינוּ עָ֣נְתָה בָּ֑נוּ כִּֽי־פְשָׁעֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֔נוּ וַעֲוֺנֹתֵ֖ינוּ יְדַעֲנֽוּם׃

For our many sins are before You, Our guilt testifies against us. We are aware of our sins, And we know well our iniquities:

פָּשֹׁ֤עַ וְכַחֵשׁ֙ בַּֽיהֹוָ֔ה וְנָס֖וֹג מֵאַחַ֣ר אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ דַּבֶּר־עֹ֣שֶׁק וְסָרָ֔ה הֹר֧וֹ וְהֹג֛וֹ מִלֵּ֖ב דִּבְרֵי־שָֽׁקֶר׃

Rebellion, faithlessness to G OD , And turning away from our God, Planning fraud and treachery, Conceiving lies and uttering them with the throat.

וְהֻסַּ֤ג אָחוֹר֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה מֵרָח֣וֹק תַּעֲמֹ֑ד כִּֽי־כָשְׁלָ֤ה בָֽרְחוֹב֙ אֱמֶ֔ת וּנְכֹחָ֖ה לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל לָבֽוֹא׃ {ס}

And so redress is turned back And vindication stays afar, Because honesty stumbles in the public square And uprightness cannot enter.

וַתְּהִ֤י הָאֱמֶת֙ נֶעְדֶּ֔רֶת וְסָ֥ר מֵרָ֖ע מִשְׁתּוֹלֵ֑ל וַיַּ֧רְא יְהֹוָ֛ה וַיֵּ֥רַע בְּעֵינָ֖יו כִּי־אֵ֥ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Honesty has been lacking, Whoever turns away from evil is despoiled.” G OD saw and was displeased That there was no redress.

וַיַּרְא֙ כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין אִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖ם כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין מַפְגִּ֑יעַ וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁע־לוֹ֙ זְרֹע֔וֹ וְצִדְקָת֖וֹ הִ֥יא סְמָכָֽתְהוּ׃

[God] saw that there was nobody else, Gazing long, but no one intervened. Then God’s own arm did win triumph, The victorious right hand gave support.

וַיִּלְבַּ֤שׁ צְדָקָה֙ כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ן וְכ֥וֹבַע יְשׁוּעָ֖ה בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּלְבַּ֞שׁ בִּגְדֵ֤י נָקָם֙ תִּלְבֹּ֔שֶׁת וַיַּ֥עַט כַּמְעִ֖יל קִנְאָֽה׃

[God] donned victory like a coat of mail, Wearing a helmet of triumph— Dressing in garments of retribution, Wrapped in zeal like a robe.

כְּעַ֤ל גְּמֻלוֹת֙ כְּעַ֣ל יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם חֵמָ֣ה לְצָרָ֔יו גְּמ֖וּל לְאֹיְבָ֑יו לָאִיִּ֖ים גְּמ֥וּל יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

According to their deserts, So shall fury be repaid to God’s foes; Requital shall be made to God’s enemies, Requital to the distant lands.

וְיִֽרְא֤וּ מִֽמַּעֲרָב֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה וּמִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ אֶת־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ כִּֽי־יָב֤וֹא כַנָּהָר֙ צָ֔ר ר֥וּחַ יְהֹוָ֖ה נֹ֥סְסָה בֽוֹ׃

From the west, they shall revere G OD ’s name, And from the east, the divine Presence. For [God] shall come like a hemmed-in stream That the wind of the E TERNAL drives on;

וּבָ֤א לְצִיּוֹן֙ גּוֹאֵ֔ל וּלְשָׁבֵ֥י פֶ֖שַׁע בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָֽה׃

[God] shall come as redeemer to Zion, To those in Jacob who turn back from sin —declares G OD .

וַאֲנִ֗י זֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֤י אוֹתָם֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה רוּחִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלֶ֔יךָ וּדְבָרַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּֽי בְּפִ֑יךָ לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁוּ מִפִּ֩יךָ֩ וּמִפִּ֨י זַרְעֲךָ֜ וּמִפִּ֨י זֶ֤רַע זַרְעֲךָ֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה מֵעַתָּ֖ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ {ס}

And this shall be My covenant with them, said G OD : My spirit that is upon you, and the words that I have placed in your mouth, shall not be absent from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children—said G OD —from now on, for all time.