Revised Literal Translation

Isaiah 23

1The burdenמַשָּׂ֖אma.Sa'H4853of Tyreצֹ֑רTzorH6865.Howlהֵילִ֣ילוּ׀hei.Li.luH3213,ye shipsאֳנִיּ֣וֹת'o.ni.YotH591of Tarshishתַּרְשִׁ֗ישׁtar.ShishH8659;for it is laid wasteשֻׁדַּ֤דshu.DadH7703,so that there is no houseמִבַּ֙יִת֙mi.Ba.yitH1004,no entering inמִבּ֔וֹאmi.Bo'H935:from the landמֵאֶ֥רֶץme.'E.retzH776of Chittimכִּתִּ֖יםki.TimH3794it is revealedנִגְלָה־nig.lah-H1540to them.

2Be stillדֹּ֖מּוּDo.muH1826,ye inhabitantsיֹ֣שְׁבֵיYo.she.veiH3427of the isleאִ֑י'IH339;thou whom the merchantsסֹחֵ֥רso.CherH5503of Sidonצִיד֛וֹןtzi.DonH6721,that pass overעֹבֵ֥ר'o.VerH5674the seaיָ֖םyamH3220,have replenishedמִלְאֽוּךְ׃mil.'UkhH4390.

3And by greatרַבִּים֙ra.BimH7227watersוּבְמַ֤יִםu.ve.Ma.yimH4325the seedזֶ֣רַעZe.ra'H2233of Sihorשִׁחֹ֔רshi.ChorH7883,the harvestקְצִ֥ירke.TzirH7105of the riverיְא֖וֹרye.'orH2975, isher revenueתְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּte.vu.'a.TahH8393;and she is a martH5505of nationsגּוֹיִֽם׃go.YimH1471.

4Be thou ashamedבּ֣וֹשִׁיBo.o.shiH954,O Sidonצִיד֔וֹןtzi.DonH6721:for the seaיָ֔םYamH3220hath spokenאָמַ֣ר'a.MarH559, eventhe strengthמָע֥וֹזma.'ozH4581of the seaהַיָּ֖םhai.YamH3220,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559,I travailחַ֣לְתִּיChal.tiH2342not, nor bring forth childrenיָלַ֗דְתִּיya.Lad.tiH3205,neither do I nourish upגִדַּ֛לְתִּיgi.Dal.tiH1431young menבַּחוּרִ֖יםba.chu.RimH970, norbring upרוֹמַ֥מְתִּיro.Mam.tiH7311virginsבְתוּלֽוֹת׃ve.tu.LotH1330.

5As at the reportשֵׁ֖מַעShe.ma'H8088concerning Egyptלְמִצְרָ֑יִםle.mitz.Ra.yimH4714, soshall they be sorely painedיָחִ֖ילוּya.Chi.luH2342at the reportכְּשֵׁ֥מַעke.She.ma'H8088of Tyreצֹֽר׃TzorH6865.

6Pass ye overעִבְר֖וּ'iv.RuH5674to Tarshishתַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁהtar.Shi.shahH8659;howlהֵילִ֖ילוּhei.Li.luH3213,ye inhabitantsיֹ֥שְׁבֵיYo.she.veiH3427of the isleאִֽי׃'IH339.

7Isthis your joyousעַלִּיזָ֑ה'a.li.ZahH5947city,whose antiquityקַדְמָתָהּ֙kad.ma.TahH6927isof ancientקֶ֤דֶםKe.demH6924daysמִֽימֵי־mi.mei-H3117?her own feetרַגְלֶ֔יהָrag.Lei.haH7272shall carryיֹבִל֣וּהָyoi.Lu.haH2986her afar offמֵֽרָח֖וֹקme.ra.ChokH7350to sojournלָגֽוּר׃la.GurH1481.

8Who hath taken this counselיָעַ֣ץya.'AtzH3289against Tyreצֹ֖רtzorH6865,the crowningהַמַּֽעֲטִירָ֑הha.ma.'a.ti.RahH5849city,whose merchantsסֹחֲרֶ֙יה֙so.cha.ReihH5503areprincesשָׂרִ֔יםsa.RimH8269,whose traffickersכִּנְעָנֶ֖יהָkin.'a.Nei.haH3667arethe honourableנִכְבַּדֵּי־nikh.ba.dei-H3513of the earthאָֽרֶץ׃'A.retzH776?

9Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068of Armiesצְבָא֖וֹתtze.va.'otH6635hath purposedיְעָצָ֑הּye.'a.TzahH3289it, to stainלְחַלֵּל֙le.cha.LelH2490the prideגְּא֣וֹןge.'onH1347of all gloryצְבִ֔יtze.ViH6643, andto bring into contemptלְהָקֵ֖לle.ha.KelH7043all the honourableנִכְבַּדֵּי־nikh.ba.dei-H3513of the earthאָֽרֶץ׃'A.retzH776.

10Passעִבְרִ֥י'iv.RiH5674through thy landאַרְצֵ֖ךְ'ar.TzekhH776as a riverכַּיְאֹ֑רkay.'OrH2975,O daughterבַּת־bat-H1323of Tarshishתַּרְשִׁ֕ישׁtar.ShishH8659: there isno more strengthמֵ֥זַחMe.zachH4206.

11He stretched outנָטָ֣הna.TahH5186his handיָדוֹ֙ya.DoH3027over the seaהַיָּ֔םhai.YamH3220,he shookהִרְגִּ֖יזhir.GizH7264the kingdomsמַמְלָכ֑וֹתmam.la.KhotH4467:Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068hath given a commandmentצִוָּ֣הtzi.VahH6680against the merchantכְּנַ֔עַןke.Na.'anH3667city,to destroyלַשְׁמִ֖דlash.MidH8045the strongH4581holdsH4581thereof.

12And he saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,Thou shalt no moreתוֹסִ֥יפִיto.Si.fiH3254rejoiceלַעְל֑וֹזla'.LozH5937,O thou oppressedהַֽמְעֻשָּׁקָ֞הham.'u.sha.KahH6231virginבְּתוּלַ֣תbe.tu.LatH1330,daughterבַּת־bat-H1323of Sidonצִיד֗וֹןtzi.DonH6721:ariseק֣וּמִיKu.miH6965,pass overעֲבֹ֔רִי'a.Vo.riH5674to Chittimכִּתִּים֙ki.ti.yimH3794;there also shalt thou have no restיָנ֥וּחַֽya.Nu.achH5117.

13Behold the landאֶ֣רֶץ'E.retzH776of the Chaldeansכַּשְׂדִּ֗יםkas.DimH3778;this peopleהָעָם֙ha.'AmH5971was not, tillthe Assyrianאַשּׁ֖וּר'a.ShurH804foundedיְסָדָ֣הּye.sa.DahH3245it for them that dwell in the wildernessלְצִיִּ֑יםle.tzi.YimH6728:they set upהֵקִ֣ימוּhe.Ki.muH6965the towersבַחוּנָ֗יוve.chi.navH971thereof, they raised upעֹרְרוּ֙'o.re.RuH6209the palacesאַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ'ar.me.no.Tei.haH759thereof; andhe broughtשָׂמָ֖הּsa.MahH7760it to ruinלְמַפֵּלָֽה׃le.ma.pe.LahH4654.

14Howlהֵילִ֖ילוּhei.Li.luH3213,ye shipsאֳנִיּ֣וֹת'o.ni.YotH591of Tarshishתַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁtar.ShishH8659:for your strengthמָעֻזְּכֶֽן׃ סma.'u.ze.KhenH4581is laid wasteשֻׁדַּ֖דshu.DadH7703.

15And it shall come to pass in that dayבַּיּ֣וֹםbai.YomH3117,that Tyreצֹר֙tzorH6865shall be forgottenוְנִשְׁכַּ֤חַתve.nish.Ka.chatH7911seventyשִׁבְעִ֣יםshiv.'ImH7657yearsשָׁנָ֔הsha.NahH8141,according to the daysכִּימֵ֖יki.MeiH3117of oneאֶחָ֑ד'e.ChadH259kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428:after the endמִקֵּ֞ץmi.KetzH7093of seventyשִׁבְעִ֤יםshiv.'ImH7657yearsשָׁנָה֙sha.NahH8141shall Tyreלְצֹ֔רle.TzorH6865singכְּשִׁירַ֖תke.shi.RatH7892as an harlotהַזּוֹנָֽה׃ha.zo.NahH2181.

16Takeקְחִ֥יke.ChiH3947an harpכִנּ֛וֹרkhi.NorH3658,go aboutסֹ֥בִּיSo.biH5437the cityעִ֖יר'irH5892,thou harlotזוֹנָ֣הzo.NahH2181that hast been forgottenנִשְׁכָּחָ֑הnish.ka.ChahH7911;make sweetהֵיטִ֤יבִיhei.Ti.viH3190melodyנַגֵּן֙na.GenH5059,sing manyהַרְבִּי־har.bi-H7235songsשִׁ֔ירShirH7892,that thou mayest be rememberedתִּזָּכֵֽרִי׃ti.za.Khe.riH2142.

17And it shall come to pass after the endמִקֵּ֣ץ׀mi.KetzH7093of seventyשִׁבְעִ֣יםshiv.'ImH7657yearsשָׁנָ֗הsha.NahH8141,that Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068will visitיִפְקֹ֤דyif.KodH6485Tyreצֹ֔רTzorH6865,and she shall turnוְשָׁבָ֖הve.sha.VahH7725to her hireלְאֶתְנַנָּ֑הle.'et.na.NahH868,and shall commit fornicationוְזָֽנְתָ֛הve.za.ne.TahH2181with all the kingdomsמַמְלְכ֥וֹתmam.le.KhotH4467of the worldהָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzH776upon the faceפְּנֵ֥יpe.NeiH6440of the earthהָאֲדָמָֽה׃ha.'a.da.MahH127.

18And her merchandiseסַחְרָ֜הּsach.RahH5504and her hireוְאֶתְנַנָּ֗הּve.'et.na.NahH868shall be holinessקֹ֚דֶשׁKo.deshH6944to Yhwhלַֽיהוָ֔הla.Yah.wehH3068:it shall not be treasuredיֵֽאָצֵ֖רye.'a.TzerH686nor laid upיֵֽחָסֵ֑ןye.cha.SenH2630;for her merchandiseסַחְרָ֔הּsach.RahH5504shall be for them that dwellלַיֹּשְׁבִ֞יםlai.yo.she.VimH3427beforeלִפְנֵ֤יlif.NeiH6440Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068,to eatלֶאֱכֹ֥לle.'e.KholH398sufficientlyלְשָׂבְעָ֖הle.sa.ve.'AhH7654,and for durableעָתִֽיק׃ פ'a.TikH6266clothingוְלִמְכַסֶּ֥הve.lim.kha.SehH4374.

Commentaries on Isaiah 23