Revised Literal Translation

Isaiah 48

1Hearשִׁמְעוּ־shim.'u-H8085ye this, O houseבֵּֽית־beit-H1004of Jacobיַעֲקֹ֗בya.'a.KoH3290,which are calledהַנִּקְרָאִים֙ha.nik.ra.'ImH7121by the nameבְּשֵׁ֣םbe.ShemH8034of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478,and are come forthיָצָ֑אוּya.Tza.'uH3318out of the watersוּמִמֵּ֥יu.mi.MeiH4325of Judahיְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.DahH3063,which swearהַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים׀ha.nish.ba.'ImH7650by the nameבְּשֵׁ֣םbe.ShemH8034of Yhwhיְהוָ֗הYah.wehH3068,and make mentionיַזְכִּ֔ירוּyaz.Ki.ruH2142of the Godוּבֵאלֹהֵ֤יu.ve.lo.HeiH430of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElH3478, butnot in truthבֶאֱמֶ֖תve.'e.MetH571,nor in righteousnessבִצְדָקָֽה׃vitz.da.KahH6666.

2For they callנִקְרָ֔אוּnik.Ra.'uH7121themselves of the holyהַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ha.Ko.deshH6944cityמֵעִ֤ירme.'IrH5892,and stayנִסְמָ֑כוּnis.Ma.khuH5564themselves upon the Godאֱלֹהֵ֥י'e.lo.HeiH430of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElH3478;Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068of Armiesצְבָא֖וֹתtze.va.'otH6635ishis nameשְׁמֽוֹ׃ סshe.MoH8034.

3I have declaredהִגַּ֔דְתִּיhi.Gad.tiH5046the former thingsהָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙ha.ri.sho.nOtH7223from the beginningמֵאָ֣זme.'AzH227;and they went forthיָצְא֖וּya.tze.'UH3318out of my mouthוּמִפִּ֥יu.mi.PiH6310,and I shewedוְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑םve.'ash.mi.'EmH8085them; I didעָשִׂ֖יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213themsuddenlyפִּתְאֹ֥םpit.'OmH6597,and they came to passוַתָּבֹֽאנָה׃va.ta.Vo.nahH935.

4Because I knewH1847that thou artobstinateקָשֶׁ֖הka.ShehH7186,and thy neckעָרְפֶּ֔ךָ'a.re.Pe.khaH6203isan ironבַּרְזֶל֙bar.ZelH1270sinewוְגִ֤ידve.GidH1517,and thy browוּמִצְחֲךָ֖u.mitz.cha.KhaH4696brassנְחוּשָֽׁה׃ne.chu.ShahH5154;

5I have even from the beginningמֵאָ֔זme.'AzH227declaredוָאַגִּ֤ידva.'a.GidH5046itto thee; before it came to passתָּב֖וֹאta.Vo'H935I shewedהִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָhish.ma'.Ti.khaH8085itthee: lest thou shouldest sayתֹּאמַר֙to.MarH559,Mine idolעָצְבִּ֣י'a.tze.BiH6090hath doneעָשָׂ֔ם'a.SamH6213them, and my graven imageוּפִסְלִ֥יu.fis.LiH6459,and my molten imageוְנִסְכִּ֖יve.nis.KiH5262,hath commandedצִוָּֽם׃tzi.VamH6680them.

6Thou hast heardשָׁמַ֤עְתָּֽsha.Ma'.taH8085,seeחֲזֵה֙cha.ZehH2372all this; and will not ye declareתַגִּ֑ידוּta.Gi.duH5046it?I have shewedהִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָhish.ma'.Ti.khaH8085thee new thingsחֲדָשׁוֹת֙cha.da.shOtH2319from this timeמֵעַ֔תָּהme.'A.tahH6258,even hidden thingsוּנְצֻר֖וֹתu.ne.tzu.RotH5341,and thou didst not knowיְדַעְתָּֽם׃ye.da'.TamH3045them.

7They are createdנִבְרְאוּ֙niv.re.'UH1254now, and not from the beginning; even beforeוְלִפְנֵי־ve.lif.nei-H6440the dayי֖וֹםYomH3117when thou heardestשְׁמַעְתָּ֑םshe.ma'.TamH8085them not; lest thou shouldest sayתֹּאמַ֖רto.MarH559,Behold, I knewיְדַעְתִּֽין׃ye.da'.TinH3045them.

8Yea, thou heardestשָׁמַ֗עְתָּsha.Ma'.taH8085not; yea, thou knewestיָדַ֔עְתָּya.Da'.taH3045not; yea, from that time thatthine earאָזְנֶ֑ךָ'a.ze.Ne.khaH241was not openedפִתְּחָ֣הfi.te.ChahH6605:for I knewיָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ya.Da'.tiH3045that thou wouldest deal veryבָּג֣וֹדba.GodH898treacherouslyתִּבְגּ֔וֹדtiv.GodH898,and wast calledקֹ֥רָאKo.ra'H7121a transgressorוּפֹשֵׁ֥עַu.fo.She.a'H6586from the wombמִבֶּ֖טֶןmi.Be.tenH990.

9For my name’sשְׁמִי֙she.MiH8034sake will I deferאַאֲרִ֣יךְ'a.'a.RikhH748mine angerאַפִּ֔י'a.PiH639,and for my praiseוּתְהִלָּתִ֖יu.te.hi.la.TiH8416will I refrainאֶחֱטָם־'e.che.tom-H2413for thee, that I cut thee not offהַכְרִיתֶֽךָ׃hakh.ri.Te.khaH3772.

10Behold, I have refinedצְרַפְתִּ֖יךָtze.raf.Ti.khaH6884thee, but not with silverבְכָ֑סֶףve.Kha.sefH3701;I have chosenבְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָbe.char.Ti.khaH977thee in the furnaceבְּכ֥וּרbe.KhurH3564of afflictionעֹֽנִי׃'O.niH6040.

11For mine own sake, evenfor mine own sake, will I doאֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה'e.'e.SehH6213it: for how should my namebe pollutedיֵחָ֑לye.ChalH2490?and I will not giveאֶתֵּֽן׃ ס'e.TenH5414my gloryוּכְבוֹדִ֖יu.khe.vo.DiH3519unto anotherלְאַחֵ֥רle.'a.CherH312.

12Hearkenשְׁמַ֤עshe.Ma'H8085unto me, O Jacobיַֽעֲקֹ֔בya.'a.KoH3290and Israelוְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לve.Yis.ra.'ElH3478,my calledמְקֹרָאִ֑יme.ko.ra.'IH7121; I am he; I amthe firstרִאשׁ֔וֹןri.ShonH7223, I also amthe lastאַחֲרֽוֹן׃'a.cha.RonH314.

13Mine handיָדִי֙ya.DiH3027also hath laid the foundationיָ֣סְדָהYa.se.dahH3245of the earthאֶ֔רֶץ'E.retzH776,and my right handוִֽימִינִ֖יvi.mi.NiH3225hath spannedטִפְּחָ֣הti.pe.ChahH2946the heavensשָׁמָ֑יִםsha.Ma.yimH8064: whenI callקֹרֵ֥אko.Re'H7121unto them, they stand upיַעַמְד֥וּya.'am.DuH5975togetherיַחְדָּֽו׃yach.DavH3162.

14All ye, assembleהִקָּבְצ֤וּhi.ka.ve.TzuH6908yourselves, and hearוּֽשֲׁמָ֔עוּu.sha.Ma.'uH8085;which among them hath declaredהִגִּ֣ידhi.GidH5046these things?Yhwhיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068hath lovedאֲהֵב֔וֹ'a.he.VoH157him: he will doיַעֲשֶׂ֤הya.'a.SehH6213his pleasureחֶפְצוֹ֙chef.TzoH2656on Babylonבְּבָבֶ֔לbe.va.VelH894,and his armוּזְרֹע֖וֹu.ze.ro.'OH2220shall be onthe Chaldeansכַּשְׂדִּֽים׃kas.DimH3778.

15I, evenI, have spokenדִּבַּ֖רְתִּיdi.Bar.tiH1696;yea, I have calledקְרָאתִ֑יוke.ra.TivH7121him: I have broughtהֲבִיאֹתִ֖יוha.vi.'o.TivH935him, and he shall make his wayדַּרְכּֽוֹ׃dar.KoH1870prosperousוְהִצְלִ֥יחַve.hitz.Li.achH6743.

16ComeH7126ye nearH7126unto me, hearשִׁמְעוּ־shim.'u-H8085ye this; I have not spokenדִּבַּ֔רְתִּיdi.Bar.tiH1696in secretבַּסֵּ֣תֶרba.Se.terH5643from the beginningמֵרֹאשׁ֙me.roShH7218;from the timeמֵעֵ֥תme.'EtH6256that it was, there amI: and now the Lordאֲדֹנָ֧י'a.do.NaiH136Yhwhיְהוִ֛הYah.wehH3069,and his Spiritוְרוּחֽוֹ׃ פve.ru.ChoH7307,hath sentשְׁלָחַ֖נִיshe.la.Cha.niH7971me.

17Thus saithאָמַ֧ר'a.MarH559Yhwhיְהוָ֛הYah.wehH3068,thy Redeemerגֹּאַלְךָ֖go.'al.KhaH1350,the Holy Oneקְד֣וֹשׁke.Do.oshH6918of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElH3478; I amYhwhיְהוָ֤הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙'e.lo.Hei.khaH430which teachethמְלַמֶּדְךָ֣me.la.med.KhaH3925thee to profitלְהוֹעִ֔ילle.ho.'IlH3276,which leadethמַדְרִֽיכֲךָ֖mad.ri.kha.KhaH1869thee by the wayבְּדֶ֥רֶךְbe.De.rekhH1870thatthou shouldest goH3212.

18O thatל֥וּאlu'H3863thou hadst hearkenedהִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּhik.Shav.taH7181to my commandmentsלְמִצְוֹתָ֑יle.mitz.vo.TaiH4687!then had thy peaceשְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָshe.lo.Me.khaH7965been as a riverכַנָּהָר֙kha.na.HarH5104,and thy righteousnessוְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ve.tzid.ka.te.ChaH6666as the wavesכְּגַלֵּ֥יke.ga.LeiH1530of the seaהַיָּֽם׃hai.YamH3220:

19Thy seedזַרְעֶ֔ךָzar.'E.khaH2233also had been as the sandכַחוֹל֙kha.chOlH2344,and the offspringוְצֶאֱצָאֵ֥יve.tze.'e.tza.'EiH6631of thy bowelsמֵעֶ֖יךָme.'Ei.khaH4578like the gravelכִּמְעֹתָ֑יוkim.'o.TavH4579thereof; his nameשְׁמ֖וֹshe.MoH8034should not have been cut offיִכָּרֵ֧תyi.ka.RetH3772nor destroyedיִשָּׁמֵ֛דyi.sha.MedH8045from beforeמִלְּפָנָֽי׃mi.le.fa.NaiH6440me.

20Go ye forthצְא֣וּtze.'UH3318of Babylonמִבָּבֶל֮mi.ba.VelH894,fleeבִּרְח֣וּbir.ChuH1272ye from the Chaldeansמִכַּשְׂדִּים֒mi.kas.DimH3778,with a voiceבְּק֣וֹלbe.KolH6963of singingרִנָּ֗הri.NahH7440declareהַגִּ֤ידוּha.Gi.duH5046ye, tellהַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙hash.Mi.'uH8085this, utterהוֹצִיא֖וּהָho.tzi.'U.haH3318it evento the endקְצֵ֣הke.TzehH7097of the earthהָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzH776;sayאִמְר֕וּ'im.RuH559ye, Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068hath redeemedגָּאַ֥לga.'AlH1350his servantעַבְדּ֥וֹav.DoH5650Jacobיַעֲקֹֽב׃ya.'a.KoH3290.

21And they thirstedצָמְא֗וּtza.me.'UH6770not whenhe ledH3212them through the desertsבָּחֳרָבוֹת֙bo.cho.ra.VotH2723:he caused the watersמַ֥יִםMa.yimH4325to flowהִזִּ֣ילhi.ZilH5140out of the rockמִצּ֖וּרmi.TzurH6697for them: he claveוַיִּ֨בְקַע־vai.Yiv.ka'-H1234the rockצ֔וּרTzurH6697also, and the watersמָֽיִם׃Ma.yimH4325gushed outוַיָּזֻ֖בוּvai.ya.Zu.vuH2100.

22There isno peaceשָׁל֔וֹםsha.LomH7965,saithאָמַ֥ר'a.MarH559Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068,unto the wickedלָרְשָׁעִֽים׃ סla.re.sha.'ImH7563.

Commentaries on Isaiah 48