Tanach · Prophets

Isaiah 8/ישעיהו ח׳

אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קַח־לְךָ֖ גִּלָּי֣וֹן גָּד֑וֹל וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶט אֱנ֔וֹשׁ לְמַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃

1 GOD said to me, “Get yourself a large sheet and write on it in common script^a ‘For Maher-shalal-hash-baz’;^b

בוְאָעִ֣ידָה לִּ֔י עֵדִ֖ים נֶאֱמָנִ֑ים אֵ֚ת אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶת־זְכַרְיָ֖הוּ בֶּ֥ן יְבֶרֶכְיָֽהוּ׃

2and call reliable witnesses, the priest Uriah and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah, to witness for Me.”

גוָֽאֶקְרַב֙ אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ מַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃

3I was intimate with the prophetess,^c and she conceived and bore a son; and GOD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.^d

דכִּ֗י בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ יֵדַ֣ע הַנַּ֔עַר קְרֹ֖א אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֑י יִשָּׂ֣א׀ אֶת־חֵ֣יל דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק וְאֵת֙ שְׁלַ֣ל שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִפְנֵ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃

4For before the boy learns to call ‘Father’ and ‘Mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria, and the delights of Rezin and of the son of Remaliah,^e shall be carried off before the king of Assyria.”

הוַיֹּ֣סֶף יְהֹוָ֔ה דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד לֵאמֹֽר׃

5Again GOD spoke to me, thus:

ויַ֗עַן כִּ֤י מָאַס֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֚ת מֵ֣י הַשִּׁלֹ֔חַ הַהֹלְכִ֖ים לְאַ֑ט וּמְשׂ֥וֹשׂ אֶת־רְצִ֖ין וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃

6“Because that people has spurnedThe gently flowing waters of Siloam”^f—

זוְלָכֵ֡ן הִנֵּ֣ה אֲדֹנָי֩ מַעֲלֶ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַנָּהָ֗ר הָעֲצוּמִים֙ וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְאֶת־כׇּל־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ וְעָלָה֙ עַל־כׇּל־אֲפִיקָ֔יו וְהָלַ֖ךְ עַל־כׇּל־גְּדוֹתָֽיו׃

7Assuredly,The Sovereign will bring up against themThe mighty, massive waters of the Euphrates,The king of Assyria and all his multitude.It shall rise above all its channels,And flow over all its beds,

חוְחָלַ֤ף בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ שָׁטַ֣ף וְעָבַ֔ר עַד־צַוָּ֖אר יַגִּ֑יעַ וְהָיָה֙ מֻטּ֣וֹת כְּנָפָ֔יו מְלֹ֥א רֹחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל׃

8And swirl through Judah like a flash floodReaching up to the neck.^g ^h But with us is God,Whose wings are spreadAs wide as your land is broad!

טרֹ֤עוּ עַמִּים֙ וָחֹ֔תּוּ וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ וָחֹֽתּוּ׃

9Band together, O peoples—you shall be broken!Listen to this, you remotest parts of the earth:Gird yourselves—you shall be broken;Gird yourselves—you shall be broken!

יעֻ֥צוּ עֵצָ֖ה וְתֻפָ֑ר דַּבְּר֤וּ דָבָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָק֔וּם כִּ֥י עִמָּ֖נוּ אֵֽל׃

10Hatch a plot—it shall be foiled;Agree on action—it shall not succeed.For with us is God!

יאכִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י כְּחֶזְקַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ד וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי מִלֶּ֛כֶת בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

11For this is what GOD said to me, upon taking me by the handⁱ and charging me not to walk in the path of that people:

יבלֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן קֶ֔שֶׁר לְכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁר וְאֶת־מוֹרָא֥וֹ לֹא־תִֽירְא֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃

12^j “You must not call conspiracy^k All that that people calls conspiracy,^l Nor revere what it reveres,Nor hold it in awe.

יגאֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֹת֣וֹ תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ וְה֥וּא מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם וְה֥וּא מַעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃

13None but GOD of HostsShall you account holy;Give reverence to [God] alone,Hold [God] alone in awe.

ידוְהָיָ֖ה לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ וּלְאֶ֣בֶן נֶ֠גֶף וּלְצ֨וּר מִכְשׁ֜וֹל לִשְׁנֵ֨י בָתֵּ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְפַ֣ח וּלְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ לְיוֹשֵׁ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

14[God] shall become a sanctuary,A stone^m people strike against:A rock people stumble overFor the two Houses of Israel,And a trap and a snare for thoseWho dwell in Jerusalem.

טווְכָ֥שְׁלוּ בָ֖ם רַבִּ֑ים וְנָפְל֣וּ וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ׃

15The masses shall trip over theseAnd shall fall and be injured,Shall be snared and be caught.

טזצ֖וֹר תְּעוּדָ֑ה חֲת֥וֹם תּוֹרָ֖ה בְּלִמֻּדָֽי׃

16Bind up the message,Seal the instruction with My disciples.”

יזוְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנָ֖יו מִבֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְקִוֵּ֖יתִי־לֽוֹ׃

17So I will wait for GOD, whose face is hidden from the House of Jacob, and in whom I will trust.

יחהִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י וְהַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַן־לִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לְאֹת֥וֹת וּלְמוֹפְתִ֖ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מֵעִם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הַשֹּׁכֵ֖ן בְּהַ֥ר צִיּֽוֹן׃

18Here stand I and the children GOD has given me as signs and portents in Israel from GOD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

יטוְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם דִּרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָֽאֹבוֹת֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים הֲלוֹא־עַם֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו יִדְרֹ֔שׁ בְּעַ֥ד הַחַיִּ֖ים אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃

19Now, should people say to you, “Inquire of the ghosts and familiar spirits that chirp and moan; for a people may inquire of its divine beingsⁿ—of the dead on behalf of the living—

כלְתוֹרָ֖ה וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ל֖וֹ שָֽׁחַר׃

20for instruction and message,” surely, for those who speak thus there shall be no dawn.

כאוְעָ֥בַר בָּ֖הּ נִקְשֶׁ֣ה וְרָעֵ֑ב וְהָיָ֨ה כִֽי־יִרְעַ֜ב וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף וְקִלֵּ֧ל בְּמַלְכּ֛וֹ וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו וּפָנָ֥ה לְמָֽעְלָה׃

21^o And they shall go about in it wretched and hungry; and when they are hungry, they shall rage and revolt against their king and their divine beings. They may turn their face upward

כבוְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַֽחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה מְנֻדָּֽח׃

22or they may look below, but beholdDistress and darkness, with no daybreak;^p Straitness and gloom, with no dawn.^q

כגכִּ֣י לֹ֣א מוּעָף֮ לַאֲשֶׁ֣ר מוּצָ֣ק לָהּ֒ כָּעֵ֣ת הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן הֵקַ֞ל אַ֤רְצָה זְבֻלוּן֙ וְאַ֣רְצָה נַפְתָּלִ֔י וְהָאַחֲר֖וֹן הִכְבִּ֑יד דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַיָּם֙ עֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן גְּלִ֖יל הַגּוֹיִֽם׃

23For if there were to be^r any break of day for that [land] that is in straits, only the former [king] would have brought abasement to the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali—while the later one would have brought honor to the Way of the Sea, the other side of the Jordan, and Galilee of the Nations.^s, see Judg. 13.23.