Isaiah 21 יְשַׁעְיָהוּ
Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917
1מַשָּׂ֖א מִדְבַּר־יָ֑ם כְּסוּפ֤וֹת בַּנֶּ֨גֶב֙ לַֽחֲלֹ֔ף מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר בָּ֔א מֵאֶ֖רֶץ נוֹרָאָֽה׃
massa midbar-yam kesufot bannegev lachalof mimmidbar ba me'eretz nora'a
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, It cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land.
2חָז֥וּת קָשָׁ֖ה הֻגַּד־לִ֑י הַבּוֹגֵ֤ד ׀ בּוֹגֵד֙ וְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד ׀ שׁוֹדֵ֔ד עֲלִ֤י עֵילָם֙ צוּרִ֣י מָדַ֔י כָּל־אַנְחָתָ֖ה הִשְׁבַּֽתִּי׃
chazut kasha huggad-li habboged boged vehashoded shoded ali elam tzuri maday kal-anchata hishbatti
A grievous vision is declared unto me: ‘The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam! besiege, O Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.’
3עַל־כֵּ֗ן מָלְא֤וּ מָתְנַי֙ חַלְחָלָ֔ה צִירִ֣ים אֲחָז֔וּנִי כְּצִירֵ֖י יֽוֹלֵדָ֑ה נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי מִשְּׁמֹ֔עַ נִבְהַ֖לְתִּי מֵרְאֽוֹת׃
al-ken malu matnay chalchala tzirim achazuni ketzire yoleda na'aveti mishemoa nivhalti merot
Therefore are my loins filled with convulsion; Pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bent so that I cannot hear; I am affrighted so that I cannot see.
4תָּעָ֣ה לְבָבִ֔י פַּלָּצ֖וּת בִּֽעֲתָ֑תְנִי אֵ֚ת נֶ֣שֶׁף חִשְׁקִ֔י שָׂ֥ם לִ֖י לַחֲרָדָֽה׃
ta'a levavi pallatzut bi'atatni et neshef chishki sam li lacharada
My heart is bewildered, terror hath overwhelmed me; The twilight that I longed for hath been turned for me into trembling.
5עָרֹ֧ךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ן צָפֹ֥ה הַצָּפִ֖ית אָכ֣וֹל שָׁתֹ֑ה ק֥וּמוּ הַשָּׂרִ֖ים מִשְׁח֥וּ מָגֵֽן׃
arokh hashulchan tzafo hatzafit akhol shato kumu hassarim mishchu magen
They prepare the table, they light the lamps, they eat, they drink— ’Rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.’
6כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֵלַ֖י אֲדֹנָ֑י לֵ֚ךְ הַעֲמֵ֣ד הַֽמְצַפֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִרְאֶ֖ה יַגִּֽיד׃
ki kho amar elay adonay lekh ha'amed hamtzappe asher yir'e yaggid
For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth!
7וְרָ֣אָה רֶ֗כֶב צֶ֚מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים רֶ֥כֶב חֲמ֖וֹר רֶ֣כֶב גָּמָ֑ל וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב קֶ֖שֶׁב רַב־קָֽשֶׁב׃
vera'a rekhev tzemed parashim rekhev chamor rekhev gamal vehikshiv keshev rav-kashev
And when he seeth a troop, horsemen by pairs, A troop of asses, a troop of camels, He shall hearken diligently with much heed.
8וַיִּקְרָ֖א אַרְיֵ֑ה עַל־מִצְפֶּ֣ה ׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י אָנֹכִ֞י עֹמֵ֤ד תָּמִיד֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְעַל־מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔י אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב כָּל־הַלֵּילֽוֹת׃
vayyikra arye al-mitzpe adonay anokhi omed tamid yomam ve'al-mishmarti anokhi nitzav kal-hallelot
And he cried as a lion: ‘Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand continually in the daytime, And I am set in my ward all the nights.’
9וְהִנֵּה־זֶ֥ה בָא֙ רֶ֣כֶב אִ֔ישׁ צֶ֖מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָפְלָ֤ה נָֽפְלָה֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְכָל־פְּסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ שִׁבַּ֥ר לָאָֽרֶץ׃
vehinne-ze va rekhev ish tzemed parashim vayya'an vayyomer nafla nafla bavel vekhal-pesile eloheha shibbar la'aretz
And, behold, there came a troop of men, horsemen by pairs. And he spoke and said: ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon; And all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.’
10מְדֻשָׁתִ֖י וּבֶן־גָּרְנִ֑י אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי מֵאֵ֨ת יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הִגַּ֥דְתִּי לָכֶֽם׃
medushati uven-garni asher shama'ti me'et ADONAI tzevaot elohe yisra'el higgadti lakhem
O thou my threshing, and the winnowing of my floor, That which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
11מַשָּׂ֖א דּוּמָ֑ה אֵלַי֙ קֹרֵ֣א מִשֵּׂעִ֔יר שֹׁמֵר֙ מַה־מִלַּ֔יְלָה שֹׁמֵ֖ר מַה־מִלֵּֽיל׃
massa duma elay kore misse'ir shomer ma-millayla shomer ma-millel
The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir: ‘Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?’
12אָמַ֣ר שֹׁמֵ֔ר אָתָ֥ה בֹ֖קֶר וְגַם־לָ֑יְלָה אִם־תִּבְעָי֥וּן בְּעָ֖יוּ שֻׁ֥בוּ אֵתָֽיוּ׃
amar shomer ata voker vegam-layla im-tiv'ayun be'ayu shuvu etayu
The watchman said: ‘The morning cometh, and also the night— If ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.’
13מַשָּׂ֖א בַּעְרָ֑ב בַּיַּ֤עַר בַּעְרַב֙ תָּלִ֔ינוּ אֹֽרְח֖וֹת דְּדָנִֽים׃
massa ba'rav bayya'ar ba'rav talinu orchot dedanim
The burden upon Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.
14לִקְרַ֥את צָמֵ֖א הֵתָ֣יוּ מָ֑יִם יֹשְׁבֵי֙ אֶ֣רֶץ תֵּימָ֔א בְּלַחְמ֖וֹ קִדְּמ֥וּ נֹדֵֽד׃
likrat tzame hetayu mayim yoshve eretz tema belachmo kiddemu noded
Unto him that is thirsty bring ye water! The inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitive with his bread.
15כִּֽי־מִפְּנֵ֥י חֲרָב֖וֹת נָדָ֑דוּ מִפְּנֵ֣י ׀ חֶ֣רֶב נְטוּשָׁ֗ה וּמִפְּנֵי֙ קֶ֣שֶׁת דְּרוּכָ֔ה וּמִפְּנֵ֖י כֹּ֥בֶד מִלְחָמָֽה׃
ki-mippene charavot nadadu mippene cherev netusha umippene keshet derukha umippene koved milchama
For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, And from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
16כִּי־כֹ֛ה אָמַ֥ר אֲדֹנָ֖י אֵלָ֑י בְּע֤וֹד שָׁנָה֙ כִּשְׁנֵ֣י שָׂכִ֔יר וְכָלָ֖ה כָּל־כְּב֥וֹד קֵדָֽר׃
ki-kho amar adonay elay be'od shana kishne sakhir vekhala kal-kevod kedar
For thus hath the Lord said unto me: ‘Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail;
17וּשְׁאָ֧ר מִסְפַּר־קֶ֛שֶׁת גִּבּוֹרֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־קֵדָ֖ר יִמְעָ֑טוּ כִּ֛י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל דִּבֵּֽר׃
ushe'ar mispar-keshet gibbore vene-kedar yim'atu ki ADONAI elohe-yisra'el dibber
and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished; for the LORD, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.’
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Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (ketiv shown with the qere in brackets). JPS 1917 and the Hebrew use Hebrew verse numbers; the English column uses English numbering, which sometimes differs by a verse.