TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 18

1Ah, land in the deep shadow of wings, Beyond the rivers of Nubia!

אהוֹי אֶרֶץ צִלְצַל כְּנָפָיִם אֲשֶׁר מֵעֵבֶר לְנַהֲרֵי־כוּשׁ׃

2Go, swift messengers, To a nation far and remote, To a people thrust forth and away— A nation of gibber and chatter— Whose land is cut off by streams; Which sends out envoys by sea, In papyrus vessels upon the water!*

בהַשֹּׁלֵחַ בַּיָּם צִירִים וּבִכְלֵי־גֹמֶא עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם לְכוּ מַלְאָכִים קַלִּים אֶל־גּוֹי מְמֻשָּׁךְ וּמוֹרָט אֶל־עַם נוֹרָא מִן־הוּא וָהָלְאָה גּוֹי קַו־קָו וּמְבוּסָה אֲשֶׁר־בָּזְאוּ נְהָרִים אַרְצוֹ׃

3[Say this:] “All you who live in the world And inhabit the earth, When a flag is raised in the hills, take note! When a shofar is blown, give heed!”

kol yo-sh'-VAY tay-VAYL v'-sho-kh'-NAY A-retz kin-so NAYS ha-REEM tir-U v'-khit-KO-a sho-FAR tish-MA-u

גכָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל וְשֹׁכְנֵי אָרֶץ כִּנְשֹׂא־נֵס הָרִים תִּרְאוּ וְכִתְקֹעַ שׁוֹפָר תִּשְׁמָעוּ׃

 18:3   When a flag is raised in the hills, take note

The word nays (נס) in this verse means ‘flag’ or ‘banner,’ but the same word also means ‘miracle.’ Just as a banner serves as a reminder to onlookers, a miracle is also meant to remind “all inhabitants of the world” that Hashem directs all events from behind the scenes.

4For thus Hashem said to me: “I rest calm and confident in My habitation— Like a scorching heat upon sprouts, Like a rain-cloud in the heat of reaping time.”

דכִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי אשקוטה [אֶשְׁקֳטָה] וְאַבִּיטָה בִמְכוֹנִי כְּחֹם צַח עֲלֵי־אוֹר כְּעָב טַל בְּחֹם קָצִיר׃

5For before the harvest, yet after the budding, When the blossom has hardened into berries, He will trim away the twigs with pruning hooks, And lop off the trailing branches.

הכִּי־לִפְנֵי קָצִיר כְּתָם־פֶּרַח וּבֹסֶר גֹּמֵל יִהְיֶה נִצָּה וְכָרַת הַזַּלְזַלִּים בַּמַּזְמֵרוֹת וְאֶת־הַנְּטִישׁוֹת הֵסִיר הֵתַז׃

6They shall all be left To the kites of the hills And to the beasts of the earth; The kites shall summer on them And all the beasts of the earth shall winter on them.

ויֵעָזְבוּ יַחְדָּו לְעֵיט הָרִים וּלְבֶהֱמַת הָאָרֶץ וְקָץ עָלָיו הָעַיִט וְכָל־בֶּהֱמַת הָאָרֶץ עָלָיו תֶּחֱרָף׃

7In that time, Tribute shall be brought to the lord of Hosts [From] a people far and remote, From a people thrust forth and away— A nation of gibber and chatter, Whose land is cut off by streams— At the place where the name of the lord of Hosts abides, At Mount Tzion.

זבָּעֵת הַהִיא יוּבַל־שַׁי לַיהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת עַם מְמֻשָּׁךְ וּמוֹרָט וּמֵעַם נוֹרָא מִן־הוּא וָהָלְאָה גּוֹי קַו־קָו וּמְבוּסָה אֲשֶׁר בָּזְאוּ נְהָרִים אַרְצוֹ אֶל־מְקוֹם שֵׁם־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת הַר־צִיּוֹן׃