Isaiah 49
1 All you people who live on islands [in the ocean] and in other distant areas, pay attention [DOU] to what I will say! Yahweh called/chose me before I was born; he chose/appointed me when I was still in my mother’s womb.
| שמעו איים אלי והקשיבו לאמים מרחוק יהוה מבטן קראני ממעי אמי הזכיר שמי |
2 [When I grew up], he caused my messages to be like [SIM] a sharp sword. He has protected me with his hand [SYN]. [He protects me] [MET] like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver.
| וישם פי כחרב חדה בצל ידו החביאני וישימני לחץ ברור באשפתו הסתירני |
3 He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
| ויאמר לי עבדי אתה--ישראל אשר בך אתפאר |
4 I replied, “My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been (in vain/useless). However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me [as I deserve].”
| ואני אמרתי לריק יגעתי לתהו והבל כחי כליתי אכן משפטי את יהוה ופעלתי את אלהי |
5 Yahweh formed me when I was in [my mother’s] womb in order that I would serve him; he appointed me to bring [the people of] Israel back to himself [DOU]. Yahweh has honored me, and he is the one who has caused me to be strong.
| ועתה אמר יהוה יוצרי מבטן לעבד לו לשובב יעקב אליו וישראל לא (לו) יאסף ואכבד בעיני יהוה ואלהי היה עזי |
6 He says to me, “It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing the descendants of Jacob back to worship me again [DOU]; I also want you to be like [MET] a light for the non-Jews; I want you to take my [my message] about how to be saved to [people] all over the world.”
| ויאמר נקל מהיותך לי עבד להקים את שבטי יעקב ונצירי (ונצורי) ישראל להשיב ונתתיך לאור גוים להיות ישועתי עד קצה הארץ |
7 Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israeli [people], says to the one who was despised and rejected by the [people of many] nations, the one who is the slave of rulers, “[Some day] kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because [you serve] me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully [does what I promise]. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelis belong, the one who has chosen you.”
| כה אמר יהוה גאל ישראל קדושו לבזה נפש למתעב גוי לעבד משלים מלכים יראו וקמו שרים וישתחוו--למען יהוה אשר נאמן קדש ישראל ויבחרך |
8 This is also what Yahweh says: “At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when you will be rescued [from your oppressors], I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re-establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live/settle again in your land that was abandoned.
| כה אמר יהוה בעת רצון עניתיך וביום ישועה עזרתיך ואצרך ואתנך לברית עם להקים ארץ להנחיל נחלות שממות |
9 I will say to those who were captured [and (exiled/taken to Babylonia)], ‘Leave [Babylonia] and return to your own country!’ And I will say to those who are in dark prisons, ‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like [MET] sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where [previously] there was no grass.
| לאמר לאסורים צאו לאשר בחשך הגלו על דרכים ירעו ובכל שפיים מרעיתם |
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty [any more]; the hot sun will not beat upon them again [DOU]. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water.
| לא ירעבו ולא יצמאו ולא יכם שרב ושמש כי מרחמם ינהגם ועל מבועי מים ינהלם |
11 And I will cause the mountains to become [as though they were] level roads, and I will prepare good highways [for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem].
| ושמתי כל הרי לדרך ומסלתי ירמון |
12 My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
| הנה אלה מרחוק יבאו והנה אלה מצפון ומים ואלה מארץ סינים |
13 [Because of what Yahweh has promised to do], everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering.
| רנו שמים וגילי ארץ יפצחו (ופצחו) הרים רנה כי נחם יהוה עמו וענייו ירחם |
14 [The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
| ותאמר ציון עזבני יהוה ואדני שכחני |
15 But [Yahweh replies], “That is not true! (Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing?/A woman certainly cannot forget the infant that she is nursing!) [RHQ] (Can she stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth?/She certainly cannot stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth!) [RHQ] But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you!
| התשכח אשה עולה מרחם בן בטנה גם אלה תשכחנה ואנכי לא אשכחך |
16 Note that I have written your [names] on the palms of my hands; in my mind I can always see the walls of your city.
| הן על כפים חקתיך חומתיך נגדי תמיד |
17 Soon your children will be returning there (OR, Those who rebuild your city will work more quickly than those who destroyed it), and all those who destroyed your city will leave.
| מהרו בניך מהרסיך ומחריביך ממך יצאו |
18 You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be around you [for you to show to people] like [SIM] a bride shows her wedding ornaments!
| שאי סביב עיניך וראי כלם נקבצו באו לך חי אני נאם יהוה כי כלם כעדי תלבשי ותקשרים ככלה |
19 Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate/abandoned [DOU], but [some day] it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away.
| כי חרבתיך ושממתיך וארץ הרסתך כי עתה תצרי מיושב ורחקו מבלעיך |
20 The children who were born while you were (exiled/in Babylonia) [MET] will return [to Jerusalem] and say, ‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’
| עוד יאמרו באזניך בני שכליך צר לי המקום גשה לי ואשבה |
21 Then you will think to yourselves [MTY], ‘It is amazing that we have [RHQ] all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know [RHQ] where all these children have come from! Who raised them?'”
| ואמרת בלבבך מי ילד לי את אלה ואני שכולה וגלמודה גלה וסורה ואלה מי גדל--הן אני נשארתי לבדי אלה איפה הם |
22 This is what Yahweh our God says: “Watch! [It is as though] I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelis. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you.
| כה אמר אדני יהוה הנה אשא אל גוים ידי ואל עמים ארים נסי והביאו בניך בחצן ובנתיך על כתף תנשאנה |
23 Kings will serve you and will tutor/teach your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and [humble themselves by] licking the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do]; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.”
| והיו מלכים אמניך ושרותיהם מיניקתיך--אפים ארץ ישתחוו לך ועפר רגליך ילחכו וידעת כי אני יהוה אשר לא יבשו קוי |
24 There is no one [RHQ] who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things [in a war]; there is no one [RHQ] who can force a (tyrant/cruel man) to free the people whom he has captured.
| היקח מגבור מלקוח ואם שבי צדיק ימלט |
25 But Yahweh says this: “[Some day], those who have been captured will be freed, and the valuable things that (tyrants/cruel men) have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children.
| כי כה אמר יהוה גם שבי גבור יקח ומלקוח עריץ ימלט ואת יריבך אנכי אריב ואת בניך אנכי אושיע |
26 And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves [MET] instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone [in the world] will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom [you descendants of] [MTY] Jacob belong.”
| והאכלתי את מוניך את בשרם וכעסיס דמם ישכרון וידעו כל בשר כי אני יהוה מושיעך וגאלך אביר יעקב |
