Isaiah 1:2-20: A Bilingual Edition

John F. Hobbins
www.ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com

Last revised 5/4/2007

Isaiah 1:2-6 6‫־‬2 ‫ישעיהו א‬

Hear o heavens ‫ִשׁ ְמ ֤עוּ ָשׁ ַ֙מיִ ֙ם‬

give ear o earth ‫וְ ַה ֲא ִ ֣זינִ י ֶ֔א ֶרץ‬
Yahweh has spoken ‫הוה ִדּ ֵ ֑בּר‬ ֖ ָ ְ‫ִ ֥כּי־י‬
sons I reared and raised ‫רוֹמ ְמ ִתּי‬
ַ֔ ְ‫ָבּנִ ֙ים ִגּ ַ ֣דּ ְל ִתּי ו‬
and they rebelled against me ‫וְ ֵ ֖הם ָ ֥פּ ְשׁעוּ ִ ֽבי‬
an ox knows its owner ‫שׁוֹר ק ֵֹ֔נהוּ‬֙ ‫יָ ַ ֥דע‬
an ass its master’s pen ‫וַ ֲח ֖מוֹר ֵא ֣בוּס ְבּ ָע ָ ֑ליו‬
Israel does not know ‫ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵאל֙ ֣ל ֹא יָ ַ ֔דע‬
my people do not consider ‫בּוֹנֽ ן‬
ָ ‫ַע ִ ֖מּי ֥ל ֹא ִה ְת‬

O errant nation ‫֣הוֹי ׀ גּ֣ וֹי חֹ ֵ֗טא‬

iniquity laden people ‫ַ ֚עם ֶ ֣כּ ֶבד ָע ֔וֹן‬
brood of evildoers ‫ֶז֣  ַרע ְמ ֵר ֔ ִעים‬
miscreant sons ‫יתים‬
֑ ִ ‫ָבּ ִ ֖נים ַמ ְשׁ ִח‬
who abandoned Yahweh ‫הוה‬
ָ֗ ְ‫ָעזְ ֣בוּ ֶאת־י‬
despised Israel’s Holy One ‫ת־ק ֥דוֹשׁ ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵ ֖אל‬ ְ ‫ִ ֽנ ֲא ֛צוּ ֶא‬
turned back ‫נָ ֹ֥זרוּ ָא ֽחוֹר‬
where shall one strike you again? ‫ַ ֣על־ ֶ ֥מה ֻת ֛כּוּ ֖עוֹד‬
you go on turning away ‫תּוֹסיפוּ ָס ָ ֑רה‬ ִ֣
the whole head is injured ‫כֹּל ֣ר ֹאשׁ ָל ֳח ֔ ִלי‬
the whole heart sick ‫וְ כֹל ֵל ָ ֖בב ַדָּ ֽוּי‬
from sole of foot to head ‫אשׁ‬
֙ ֹ ‫ף־ר ֶגל וְ ַעד־ר‬ ֤ ֶ ‫ִמ ַכּ‬
no soundness in it ‫תם‬ ֹ ֔ ‫ֵ ֽאין ֣בּוֹ ְמ‬
sore and gash ‫בּוּרה‬
֖ ָ ‫ֶ ֥פּ ַצע וְ ַח‬
raw wound ‫וּמ ָ ֣כּה ְט ִר ָיּ֑ה‬ ַ
not drained ‫רוּ‬֙ ֹ ‫לֹא ֙ז‬
not dressed ‫וְ ֣ל ֹא ֻח ָ֔בּשׁוּ‬
not softened with oil ‫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 15‫־‬10 ‫ישעיהו א‬

Hear the word of Yahweh ‫הוה‬

֖ ָ ְ‫ִשׁ ְמ ֥עוּ ְד ַבר י‬
notables of Sodom ‫יני ְס ֑ד ֹם‬֣ ֵ ‫ְק ִצ‬
give ear to our God’s direction ‫ֹלהינוּ‬
֖ ֵ ‫תּוֹרת ֱא‬ ֥ ַ ‫ַה ֲא ִ ֛זינוּ‬
people of Gomorrah ‫ַ ֥עם ֲעמ ָ ֹֽרה‬
what to me are your many slaughters? ‫ָל ָמּה ִ ֤לּי רֹב־זִ ְב ֵח ֶיכ ֙ם‬
says Yahweh ‫הוה‬ ָ֔ ְ‫אמר י‬ַ֣ ֹ‫י‬
I am sated with whole-burnt rams ‫ילים‬
֖ ִ ‫ָשׂ ַ ֛ב ְע ִתּי ע ֹ֥לוֹת ֵא‬
fat of fed beasts ‫יאים‬ ֑ ִ ‫וְ ֵ ֣ח ֶלב ְמ ִר‬
blood of bullocks ‫וְ ַ ֨דם ָפּ ִ ֧רים‬
lambs and he-goats ‫וּכ ָב ִ ֛שׂים וְ ַעתּוּ ִ ֖דים‬ ְ
I’m not pleased that you come ‫֥ל ֹא ָח ָ ֽפ ְצ ִתּי ִ ֣כּי־ ָת ֔בֹאוּ‬
to see my face ‫ִל ְ ֯ר ֖אוֹת ָפּ ָ ֑ני‬
who asked this from your hand ‫י־ב ֵ ֥קּשׁ ֛ז ֹאת ִמיֶּ ְד ֶ ֖כם‬ִ ‫ִמ‬
that you trample my courts ‫מס ֲח ֵצ ָ ֽרי‬ ֹ ֥ ‫ְר‬
Do not continue ‫תוֹסיפוּ‬ ִ֗ ‫֣ל ֹא‬
bringing offerings ‫יא ִמנְ ֯חֹת‬֙ ‫ָה ִב‬
its savor is false ‫ָ֔שׁ ְוא ְק ֧טֹ ֶרת‬
to me an abomination ‫תּוֹע ָ ֛בה ִ ֖היא ִ ֑לי‬
ֵ
new moon and sabbath ‫֤חֹ ֶדשׁ וְ ַשׁ ָבּ ֙ת‬
calling of convocation ‫ְק ֣ר ֹא ִמ ְק ָ ֔רא‬
Ì cannot abide ‫אוּכל‬
֥ ַ ‫לֹא‬
assembled evil your new moons ‫יכם‬ ֤ ֶ ‫ָ ֖אוֶ ן וַ ֲע ָצ ָ ֽרה ָח ְד ֵשׁ‬
your seasons my soul hates ‫וּמוֹע ֵד ֶיכ ֙ם ָשׂנְ ָ ֣אה נַ ְפ ִ֔שׁי‬ֲ
they’re a burden to me ‫ָהי֥ וּ ָע ַ ֖לי ָל ֑טֹ ַרח‬
I’m weary of bearing them ‫נִ ְל ֵ ֖א ִיתי נְ ֽשׂ ֹא‬
and when you spread out your hands ‫וּב ָפ ִר ְשׂ ֶ ֣כם ַכּ ֵפּ ֶ֗יכם‬
ְ
I’ll hide my eyes from you ‫ַא ְע ִ ֤לים ֵעינַ ֙י ִמ ֶ֔כּם‬
no matter how much you pray ‫י־ת ְר ֥בּוּ ְת ִפ ָ ֖לּה‬ ַ ‫ַ ֛גּם־ ִ ֽכּ‬
Ì will not listen ‫יננִּ י שׁ ֵ ֹ֑מ ַע‬ ֣ ֶ ‫ֵא‬
your hands are covered with blood ‫יכם ָדּ ִ ֥מים ָמ ֵ ֽלאוּ׃‬ ֖ ֶ ‫יְ ֵד‬
Isaiah 1:16-20 20‫־‬16 ‫ישעיהו א‬

Wash get clean ‫צוּ ִהזַּ ֔כּוּ‬ ֙ ‫ַר ֲח‬

remove your evil doings ‫יכם‬
֖ ֶ ‫ָה ִ ֛סירוּ ֥ר ֹ ַע ַמ ַע ְל ֵל‬
from before my eyes ‫יני‬֑ ָ ‫ִמ ֶ ֣נּ  ֶגד ֵע‬
cease dealing harshly ‫ִח ְד ֖לוּ ָה ֵ ֽר ַע‬
practice dealing kindly ‫יטב‬ ֛ ֵ ‫ִל ְמ ֥דוּ ֵה‬
seek after justice ‫ִדּ ְר ֥שׁוּ ִמ ְשׁ ָ ֖פּט‬
correct the violent ‫ַא ְשּׁ ֣רוּ ָח ֑מוֹץ‬
defend the fatherless ‫ִשׁ ְפ ֣טוּ יָ ֔תוֹם‬
plead for the widow ‫ִ ֖ריבוּ ַא ְל ָמ ָנֽה‬
Come let’s settle the case ‫כוּ־נא וְ נִ ָ ֽוּ ְכ ָ ֖חה‬
֛ ָ ‫ְל‬
says Yahweh ‫הוה‬ ֑ ָ ְ‫אמר י‬ַ֣ ֹ‫י‬
though your sins be like scarlet robes ‫יכם ַכּ ָשּׁנִ ֙ים‬֤ ֶ ‫ִאם־יִ ְֽהי֨ וּ ֲח ָט ֵא‬
they’ll turn white as snow ‫שּׁ ֶלג יַ ְל ִ֔בּינוּ‬ ֣ ֶ ‫ַכּ‬
though red as crimson dye ‫תּוֹלע‬
֖ ָ ‫ִאם־יַ ְא ִ ֥דּימוּ ַכ‬
they’ll become like fleece ‫ַכּ ֶ ֥צּ ֶמר יִ ְהיֽ וּ‬
if you acquiesce and obey ‫וּשׁ ַמ ְע ֶ ֑תּם‬ ְ ‫ֹאבוּ‬ ֖ ‫ִאם־תּ‬
you’ll eat of the good of the land ‫ֹאכלוּ‬ ֽ ֵ ‫֥טוּב ָה ָ ֖א ֶרץ תּ‬
if you refuse and revolt ‫יתם‬֑ ֶ ‫וּמ ִר‬ ְ ‫ם־תּ ָמ ֲאנ֖ וּ‬ ְ ‫֯ ִא‬
you’ll be eaten by the sword ‫ֶ ֣ח ֶרב ְתּ ֻא ְכּ ֔לוּ‬
Yahweh’s mouth has spoken ‫הוה ִדּ ֵ ֽבּר‬ ֖ ָ ְ‫ִ ֛כּי־ ִ ֥פּי י‬