Isaiah 1:2-20: A Bilingual Edition

John F. Hobbins
www.ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com

Last revised 5/4/2007

Isaiah 1:2-6
Hear o heavens
give ear o earth
Yahweh has spoken
sons I reared and raised
and they rebelled against me
an ox knows its owner
an ass its master’s pen
Israel does not know
my people do not consider
O errant nation
iniquity laden people
brood of evildoers
miscreant sons
who abandoned Yahweh
despised Israel’s Holy One
turned back
where shall one strike you again?
you go on turning away
the whole head is injured
the whole heart sick
from sole of foot to head
no soundness in it
sore and gash
raw wound
not drained
not dressed
not softened with oil
6‫־‬2 ‫ישעיהו א‬
‫ִשׁ ְמ ֤עוּ ָשׁ ַ֙מיִ ֙ם‬
‫וְ ַה ֲא ִ ֣זינִ י ֶ֔א ֶרץ‬
‫הוה ִדּ ֵ ֑בּר‬ ֖ ָ ְ‫ִ ֥כּי־י‬
‫רוֹמ ְמ ִתּי‬
ַ֔ ְ‫ָבּנִ ֙ים ִגּ ַ ֣דּ ְל ִתּי ו‬
‫וְ ֵ ֖הם ָ ֥פּ ְשׁעוּ ִ ֽבי‬
‫שׁוֹר ק ֵֹ֔נהוּ‬֙ ‫יָ ַ ֥דע‬
‫וַ ֲח ֖מוֹר ֵא ֣בוּס ְבּ ָע ָ ֑ליו‬
‫ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵאל֙ ֣ל ֹא יָ ַ ֔דע‬
‫בּוֹנֽ ן‬
ָ ‫ַע ִ ֖מּי ֥ל ֹא ִה ְת‬
‫֣הוֹי ׀ גּ֣ וֹי חֹ ֵ֗טא‬
‫ַ ֚עם ֶ ֣כּ ֶבד ָע ֔וֹן‬
‫ֶז֣  ַרע ְמ ֵר ֔ ִעים‬
‫יתים‬
֑ ִ ‫ָבּ ִ ֖נים ַמ ְשׁ ִח‬
‫הוה‬
ָ֗ ְ‫ָעזְ ֣בוּ ֶאת־י‬
‫ת־ק ֥דוֹשׁ ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵ ֖אל‬ ְ ‫ִ ֽנ ֲא ֛צוּ ֶא‬
‫נָ ֹ֥זרוּ ָא ֽחוֹר‬
‫ַ ֣על־ ֶ ֥מה ֻת ֛כּוּ ֖עוֹד‬
‫תּוֹסיפוּ ָס ָ ֑רה‬ ִ֣
‫כֹּל ֣ר ֹאשׁ ָל ֳח ֔ ִלי‬
‫וְ כֹל ֵל ָ ֖בב ַדָּ ֽוּי‬
‫אשׁ‬
֙ ֹ ‫ף־ר ֶגל וְ ַעד־ר‬ ֤ ֶ ‫ִמ ַכּ‬
‫תם‬ ֹ ֔ ‫ֵ ֽאין ֣בּוֹ ְמ‬
‫בּוּרה‬
֖ ָ ‫ֶ ֥פּ ַצע וְ ַח‬
‫וּמ ָ ֣כּה ְט ִר ָיּ֑ה‬ ַ
‫רוּ‬֙ ֹ ‫לֹא ֙ז‬
‫וְ ֣ל ֹא ֻח ָ֔בּשׁוּ‬
‫וְ ֥ל ֹא ֻר ְכּ ָ ֖כה ַבּ ָ ֽשּׁ ֶמן‬
Isaiah 1:7-9 9‫־‬7 ‫ישעיהו א‬

Your land is a desolation ‫ַא ְר ְצ ֶ ֣כם ְשׁ ָמ ָ֔מה‬

your cities consumed with fire ‫יכם ְשׂ ֻר ֣פוֹת ֵ ֑אשׁ‬ ֖ ֶ ‫ָע ֵר‬
your soil in your sight ‫ַא ְד ַמ ְת ֶ֗כם ְלנֶ ְג ְדּ ֶכ ֙ם‬
of which foreigners eat ‫זָ ִר ֙ים א ְֹכ ִ ֣לים א ָֹ֔תהּ‬
a desolation like a storm’s devastation ‫וּשׁ ָמ ָ ֖מה ְכּ ַמ ְה ֵפּ ַ ֥כת זָ ִ ֽרים‬ ְ
lovely Zion left over ‫ת־ציּ֖ וֹן‬
ִ ‫נוֹת ָ ֥רה ַב‬ ְ ְ‫ו‬
like a hut in a vineyard ‫ְכּ ֻס ָ ֣כּה ְב ָ ֑כ ֶרם‬
like a lean-to in a melon patch ‫לוּנה ְב ִמ ְק ָ ֖שׁה‬ ֥ ָ ‫ִכּ ְמ‬
the city preserved ‫צוּרה‬
ֽ ָ ְ‫ְכּ ִ ֥עיר נ‬
if Yahweh of Armies ‫הוה ְצ ָב ֔אוֹת‬ ֣ ָ ְ‫לוּלי י‬
ֵ֙
had not left us a remnant ‫הוֹתיר ָ ֛לנוּ ָשׂ ִ ֖ריד‬ ִ֥
soon we’d have been like Sodom ‫ִכּ ְמ ָ ֑עט ִכּ ְס ֣דֹם ָה ִ֔יינוּ‬
to Gomorrah compare ‫ַל ֲעמ ָ ֹ֖רה ָדּ ִ ֽמינוּ‬
Isaiah 1:10-15
Hear the word of Yahweh
notables of Sodom
give ear to our God’s direction
people of Gomorrah
what to me are your many slaughters?
says Yahweh
I am sated with whole-burnt rams
fat of fed beasts
blood of bullocks
lambs and he-goats
I’m not pleased that you come
to see my face
who asked this from your hand
that you trample my courts
Do not continue
bringing offerings
its savor is false
to me an abomination
new moon and sabbath
calling of convocation
Ì cannot abide
assembled evil your new moons
your seasons my soul hates
they’re a burden to me
I’m weary of bearing them
and when you spread out your hands
I’ll hide my eyes from you
no matter how much you pray
Ì will not listen
your hands are covered with blood
15‫־‬10 ‫ישעיהו א‬
‫הוה‬
֖ ָ ְ‫ִשׁ ְמ ֥עוּ ְד ַבר י‬
‫יני ְס ֑ד ֹם‬֣ ֵ ‫ְק ִצ‬
‫ֹלהינוּ‬
֖ ֵ ‫תּוֹרת ֱא‬ ֥ ַ ‫ַה ֲא ִ ֛זינוּ‬
‫ַ ֥עם ֲעמ ָ ֹֽרה‬
‫ָל ָמּה ִ ֤לּי רֹב־זִ ְב ֵח ֶיכ ֙ם‬
‫הוה‬ ָ֔ ְ‫אמר י‬ַ֣ ֹ‫י‬
‫ילים‬
֖ ִ ‫ָשׂ ַ ֛ב ְע ִתּי ע ֹ֥לוֹת ֵא‬
‫יאים‬ ֑ ִ ‫וְ ֵ ֣ח ֶלב ְמ ִר‬
‫וְ ַ ֨דם ָפּ ִ ֧רים‬
‫וּכ ָב ִ ֛שׂים וְ ַעתּוּ ִ ֖דים‬ ְ
‫֥ל ֹא ָח ָ ֽפ ְצ ִתּי ִ ֣כּי־ ָת ֔בֹאוּ‬
‫ִל ְ ֯ר ֖אוֹת ָפּ ָ ֑ני‬
‫י־ב ֵ ֥קּשׁ ֛ז ֹאת ִמיֶּ ְד ֶ ֖כם‬ִ ‫ִמ‬
‫מס ֲח ֵצ ָ ֽרי‬ ֹ ֥ ‫ְר‬
‫תוֹסיפוּ‬ ִ֗ ‫֣ל ֹא‬
‫יא ִמנְ ֯חֹת‬֙ ‫ָה ִב‬
‫ָ֔שׁ ְוא ְק ֧טֹ ֶרת‬
‫תּוֹע ָ ֛בה ִ ֖היא ִ ֑לי‬
ֵ
‫֤חֹ ֶדשׁ וְ ַשׁ ָבּ ֙ת‬
‫ְק ֣ר ֹא ִמ ְק ָ ֔רא‬
‫אוּכל‬
֥ ַ ‫לֹא‬
‫יכם‬ ֤ ֶ ‫ָ ֖אוֶ ן וַ ֲע ָצ ָ ֽרה ָח ְד ֵשׁ‬
‫וּמוֹע ֵד ֶיכ ֙ם ָשׂנְ ָ ֣אה נַ ְפ ִ֔שׁי‬ֲ
‫ָהי֥ וּ ָע ַ ֖לי ָל ֑טֹ ַרח‬
‫נִ ְל ֵ ֖א ִיתי נְ ֽשׂ ֹא‬
‫וּב ָפ ִר ְשׂ ֶ ֣כם ַכּ ֵפּ ֶ֗יכם‬
ְ
‫ַא ְע ִ ֤לים ֵעינַ ֙י ִמ ֶ֔כּם‬
‫י־ת ְר ֥בּוּ ְת ִפ ָ ֖לּה‬ ַ ‫ַ ֛גּם־ ִ ֽכּ‬
‫יננִּ י שׁ ֵ ֹ֑מ ַע‬ ֣ ֶ ‫ֵא‬
‫יכם ָדּ ִ ֥מים ָמ ֵ ֽלאוּ׃‬ ֖ ֶ ‫יְ ֵד‬
Isaiah 1:16-20
Wash get clean
remove your evil doings
from before my eyes
cease dealing harshly
practice dealing kindly
seek after justice
correct the violent
defend the fatherless
plead for the widow
Come let’s settle the case
says Yahweh
though your sins be like scarlet robes
they’ll turn white as snow
though red as crimson dye
they’ll become like fleece
if you acquiesce and obey
you’ll eat of the good of the land
if you refuse and revolt
you’ll be eaten by the sword
Yahweh’s mouth has spoken
20‫־‬16 ‫ישעיהו א‬
‫צוּ ִהזַּ ֔כּוּ‬ ֙ ‫ַר ֲח‬
‫יכם‬
֖ ֶ ‫ָה ִ ֛סירוּ ֥ר ֹ ַע ַמ ַע ְל ֵל‬
‫יני‬֑ ָ ‫ִמ ֶ ֣נּ  ֶגד ֵע‬
‫ִח ְד ֖לוּ ָה ֵ ֽר ַע‬
‫יטב‬ ֛ ֵ ‫ִל ְמ ֥דוּ ֵה‬
‫ִדּ ְר ֥שׁוּ ִמ ְשׁ ָ ֖פּט‬
‫ַא ְשּׁ ֣רוּ ָח ֑מוֹץ‬
‫ִשׁ ְפ ֣טוּ יָ ֔תוֹם‬
‫ִ ֖ריבוּ ַא ְל ָמ ָנֽה‬
‫כוּ־נא וְ נִ ָ ֽוּ ְכ ָ ֖חה‬
֛ ָ ‫ְל‬
‫הוה‬ ֑ ָ ְ‫אמר י‬ַ֣ ֹ‫י‬
‫יכם ַכּ ָשּׁנִ ֙ים‬֤ ֶ ‫ִאם־יִ ְֽהי֨ וּ ֲח ָט ֵא‬
‫שּׁ ֶלג יַ ְל ִ֔בּינוּ‬ ֣ ֶ ‫ַכּ‬
‫תּוֹלע‬
֖ ָ ‫ִאם־יַ ְא ִ ֥דּימוּ ַכ‬
‫ַכּ ֶ ֥צּ ֶמר יִ ְהיֽ וּ‬
‫וּשׁ ַמ ְע ֶ ֑תּם‬ ְ ‫ֹאבוּ‬ ֖ ‫ִאם־תּ‬
‫ֹאכלוּ‬ ֽ ֵ ‫֥טוּב ָה ָ ֖א ֶרץ תּ‬
‫יתם‬֑ ֶ ‫וּמ ִר‬ ְ ‫ם־תּ ָמ ֲאנ֖ וּ‬ ְ ‫֯ ִא‬
‫ֶ ֣ח ֶרב ְתּ ֻא ְכּ ֔לוּ‬
‫הוה ִדּ ֵ ֽבּר‬ ֖ ָ ְ‫ִ ֛כּי־ ִ ֥פּי י‬