Revised Literal Translation

Isaiah 57

1The righteousהַצַּדִּ֣יקha.tza.DikH6662perishethאָבָ֔ד'a.VadH6,and no manאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376layethשָׂ֣םsamH7760itto heartלֵ֑בLevH3820:and mercifulחֶ֤סֶדChe.sedH2617menוְאַנְשֵׁי־ve.'an.shei-H582aretaken awayנֶֽאֱסָפִים֙ne.'e.sa.FimH622,none consideringמֵבִ֔יןme.VinH995that the righteousהַצַּדִּֽיק׃ha.tza.DikH6662is taken awayנֶאֱסַ֥ףne.'e.SafH622fromמִפְּנֵ֥יmi.pe.NeiH6440the evilהָרָעָ֖הha.ra.'AhH7451to come.

2He shall enterיָב֣וֹאya.Vo'H935into peaceשָׁל֔וֹםsha.LomH7965:they shall restיָנ֖וּחוּya.Nu.chuH5117in their bedsמִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑םmish.ke.vo.TamH4904, each onewalkingהֹלֵ֖ךְho.LekhH1980inhis uprightnessנְכֹחֽוֹ׃ne.kho.ChoH5228.

3But draw nearקִרְבוּ־kir.vu-H7126hither, ye sonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of the sorceressעֹנְנָ֑ה'o.ne.NahH6049,the seedזֶ֥רַעZe.ra'H2233of the adultererמְנָאֵ֖ףme.na.'EfH5003and the whoreוַתִּזְנֶֽה׃va.tiz.NehH2181.

4Against whom do ye sportתִּתְעַנָּ֔גוּtit.'a.Na.guH6026yourselves? against whom make ye a wideתַּרְחִ֥יבוּtar.Chi.vuH7337mouthפֶ֖הfehH6310, anddraw outתַּאֲרִ֣יכוּta.'a.Ri.khuH748the tongueלָשׁ֑וֹןla.ShonH3956? areye not childrenיִלְדֵי־yil.dei-H3206of transgressionפֶ֖שַׁעFe.sha'H6588,a seedזֶ֥רַעZe.ra'H2233of falsehoodשָֽׁקֶר׃Sha.kerH8267,

5Enflamingהַנֵּֽחָמִים֙ha.ne.cha.MimH2552yourselves with idolsH410under every greenרַעֲנָ֑ןra.'a.NanH7488treeעֵ֣ץ'etzH6086,slayingשֹׁחֲטֵ֤יsho.cha.TeiH7819the childrenהַיְלָדִים֙hay.la.DimH3206in the valleysבַּנְּחָלִ֔יםba.ne.cha.LimH5158under the cliftsסְעִפֵ֥יse.'i.FeiH5585of the rocksהַסְּלָעִֽים׃ha.se.la.'ImH5553?

6Among the smoothבְּחַלְּקֵי־be.cha.le.kei-H2511stonesof the streamנַ֣חַלNa.chalH5158isthy portionחֶלְקֵ֔ךְchel.KekhH2506; they, they arethy lotגּוֹרָלֵ֑ךְgo.ra.LekhH1486:even to them hast thou pouredשָׁפַ֥כְתְּsha.FakhtH8210a drink offeringנֶ֙סֶךְ֙ne.sekhH5262,thou hast offeredהֶעֱלִ֣יתhe.'e.LitH5927a grain offeringמִנְחָ֔הmin.ChahH4503.Should I receive comfortאֶנָּחֵֽם׃'e.na.ChemH5162in these?

7Upon a loftyגָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ga.Vo.ahH1364and highוְנִשָּׂ֔אve.ni.Sa'H5375mountainהַר־har-H2022hast thou setשַׂ֖מְתְּsamtH7760thy bedמִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְmish.ka.VekhH4904:even thither wentest thou upעָלִ֖ית'a.LitH5927to offerלִזְבֹּ֥חַliz.Bo.achH2076sacrificeזָֽבַח׃Za.vachH2077.

8Behindוְאַחַ֤רve.'a.CharH310the doorsהַדֶּ֙לֶת֙ha.De.letH1817also and the postsוְהַמְּזוּזָ֔הve.ha.me.zu.ZahH4201hast thou set upשַׂ֖מְתְּsamtH7760thy remembranceזִכְרוֹנֵ֑ךְzikh.ro.NekhH2146:for thou hast discoveredגִּלִּ֣יתgi.LitH1540thyself to anotherthan me, and art gone upוַֽתַּעֲלִ֗יva.ta.'a.LiH5927;thou hast enlargedהִרְחַ֤בְתְּhir.ChavtH7337thy bedמִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙mish.ka.veKhH4904,and madeוַתִּכְרָת־va.tikh.rot-H3772thee a covenantwith them; thou lovedstאָהַ֥בְתְּ'a.HavtH157their bedמִשְׁכָּבָ֖םmish.ka.VamH4904whereיָ֥דyadH3027thou sawestחָזִֽית׃cha.ZitH2372it.

9And thou wentestוַתָּשֻׁ֤רִיva.ta.Shu.riH7788to the kingלַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙la.Me.lekhH4428with ointmentבַּשֶּׁ֔מֶןba.She.menH8081,and didst increaseוַתַּרְבִּ֖יva.tar.BiH7235thy perfumesרִקֻּחָ֑יִךְri.ku.Cha.yikhH7547,and didst sendוַתְּשַׁלְּחִ֤יva.te.sha.le.ChiH7971thy messengersצִרַ֙יךְ֙tzi.RaikhH6735far offמֵ֣רָחֹ֔קme.ra.ChokH7350,and didst debaseוַתַּשְׁפִּ֖ילִיva.tash.Pi.liH8213thyself evenunto hellשְׁאֽוֹל׃she.'olH7585.

10Thou art weariedיָגַ֔עַתְּya.Ga.'atH3021in the greatnessבְּרֹ֤בbe.RoH7230of thy wayדַּרְכֵּךְ֙dar.keKhH1870; yetsaidstאָמַ֖רְתְּ'a.MartH559thou not, There is no hopeנוֹאָ֑שׁno.'AshH2976:thou hast foundמָצָ֔אתma.TzatH4672the lifeחַיַּ֤תchai.YatH2416of thine handיָדֵךְ֙ya.deKhH3027;therefore thou wast not grievedחָלִֽית׃cha.LitH2470.

11And of whom hast thou been afraidדָּאַ֤גְתְּda.'AgtH1672or fearedוַתִּֽירְאִי֙va.ti.re.'IH3372,that thou hast liedתְכַזֵּ֔בִיte.kha.Ze.viH3576,and hast not rememberedזָכַ֔רְתְּza.KhartH2142me, nor laidשַׂ֖מְתְּsamtH7760itto thy heartלִבֵּ֑ךְli.BekhH3820?have not I held my peaceמַחְשֶׁה֙mach.ShehH2814even of oldוּמֵ֣עֹלָ֔םu.Me.'o.LamH5769,and thou fearestתִירָֽאִי׃ti.Ra.'iH3372me not?

12I will declareאַגִּ֖יד'a.GidH5046thy righteousnessצִדְקָתֵ֑ךְtzid.ka.TekhH6666,and thy worksמַעֲשַׂ֖יִךְma.'a.Sa.yikhH4639;for they shall not profitיוֹעִילֽוּךְ׃yo.'i.LukhH3276thee.

13When thou criestבְּזַֽעֲקֵךְ֙be.za.'a.keKhH2199,let thy companiesקִבּוּצַ֔יִךְki.bu.Tza.yikhH6899deliverיַצִּילֻ֣ךְya.tzi.LukhH5337thee; but the windר֖וּחַRu.achH7307shall carry them all awayיִשָּׂא־yi.sa'-H5375;vanityהָ֑בֶלHa.velH1892shall takeיִקַּח־yi.kach-H3947them:but he that putteth his trustוְהַחוֹסֶ֥הve.ha.cho.SehH2620in me shall possessיִנְחַל־yin.chal-H5157the landאֶ֔רֶץ'E.retzH776,and shall inheritוְיִירַ֖שׁve.yi.RashH3423my holyקָדְשִֽׁי׃kod.shiH6944mountainהַר־har-H2022;

14And shall sayוְאָמַ֥רve.'a.MarH559,Cast ye upסֹֽלּוּ־so.lu-H5549,cast ye upסֹ֖לּוּSo.luH5549,prepareפַּנּוּ־pa.nu-H6437the wayדָ֑רֶךְDa.rekhH1870,take upהָרִ֥ימוּha.Ri.muH7311the stumblingblockמִכְשׁ֖וֹלmikh.SholH4383out of the wayמִדֶּ֥רֶךְmi.De.rekhH1870of my peopleעַמִּֽי׃ ס'a.MiH5971.

15For thus saithאָמַ֜ר'a.MarH559the highרָ֣םramH7311and lofty Oneוְנִשָּׂ֗אve.ni.Sa'H5375that inhabitethשֹׁכֵ֥ןsho.KhenH7931eternityעַד֙'adH5703,whose nameשְׁמ֔וֹshe.MoH8034isHolyוְקָד֣וֹשׁve.ka.Do.oshH6918;I dwellאֶשְׁכּ֑וֹן'esh.KonH7931in the highמָר֥וֹםma.RomH4791and holyוְקָד֖וֹשׁve.ka.Do.oshH6918place, with him also that isof a contriteדַּכָּא֙da.Ka'H1793and humbleוּשְׁפַל־u.she.fal-H8217spiritר֔וּחַRu.achH7307,to reviveלְהַחֲיוֹת֙le.ha.cha.yOtH2421the spiritר֣וּחַRu.achH7307of the humbleשְׁפָלִ֔יםshe.fa.LimH8217,and to reviveוּֽלְהַחֲי֖וֹתu.le.ha.cha.YotH2421the heartלֵ֥בlevH3820of the contrite onesנִדְכָּאִֽים׃nid.ka.'ImH1792.

16For I will not contendאָרִ֔יב'a.RivH7378for everלְעוֹלָם֙le.'o.LamH5769,neither will I be alwaysלָנֶ֖צַחla.Ne.tzachH5331wrothאֶקְּצ֑וֹף'e.ke.TzofH7107:for the spiritר֙וּחַ֙Ru.achH7307should failיַֽעֲט֔וֹףya.'a.TofH5848beforeמִלְּפָנַ֣יmi.le.fa.NaiH6440me, and the soulsוּנְשָׁמ֖וֹתu.ne.sha.MotH5397whichI have madeעָשִֽׂיתִי׃'a.Si.tiH6213.

17For the iniquityבַּעֲוֹ֥ןba.'a.VonH5771of his covetousnessבִּצְע֛וֹbitz.'OH1215was I wrothקָצַ֥פְתִּיka.Tzaf.tiH7107,and smoteוְאַכֵּ֖הוּve.'a.Ke.huH5221him: I hidהַסְתֵּ֣רhas.TerH5641me, and was wrothוְאֶקְצֹ֑ףve.'ek.TzofH7107,and he went onH3212backslidingשׁוֹבָ֖בsho.VavH7726in the wayבְּדֶ֥רֶךְbe.De.rekhH1870of his heartלִבּֽוֹ׃li.BoH3820.

18I have seenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200his waysדְּרָכָ֥יוde.ra.KhavH1870,and will healוְאֶרְפָּאֵ֑הוּve.'er.pa.'E.huH7495him: I will leadוְאַנְחֵ֕הוּve.'an.Che.huH5148him also, and restoreוַאֲשַׁלֵּ֧םva.'a.sha.LemH7999comfortsנִֽחֻמִ֛יםni.chu.MimH5150unto him and to his mournersוְלַאֲבֵלָֽיו׃ve.la.'a.ve.LavH57.

19I createבּוֹרֵ֖אbo.Re'H1254the fruitנִ֣יבnuvH5108of the lipsשְׂפָתָ֑יִםse.fa.Ta.yimH8193;Peaceשָׁל֨וֹם׀sha.LomH7965,peaceשָׁל֜וֹםsha.LomH7965to him that isfar offלָרָח֧וֹקla.ra.ChokH7350, and to him that isnearוְלַקָּר֛וֹבve.la.ka.RovH7138,saithאָמַ֥ר'a.MarH559Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068;and I will healוּרְפָאתִֽיו׃u.re.fa.TivH7495him.

20But the wickedוְהָרְשָׁעִ֖יםve.ha.re.sha.'ImH7563arelike the troubledנִגְרָ֑שׁnig.RashH1644seaכַּיָּ֣םkai.YamH3220,when it cannotיוּכָ֔לyu.KhalH3201restהַשְׁקֵט֙hash.KetH8252,whose watersמֵימָ֖יוmei.MavH4325cast upוַיִּגְרְשׁ֥וּvai.yig.re.ShuH1644mireרֶ֥פֶשׁRe.feshH7516and dirtוָטִֽיט׃va.TitH2916.

21There isno peaceשָׁל֔וֹםsha.LomH7965,saithאָמַ֥ר'a.MarH559my Godאֱלֹהַ֖י'e.lo.HaiH430,to the wickedלָרְשָׁעִֽים׃ סla.re.sha.'ImH7563.

Commentaries on Isaiah 57