TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 23
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1The “Tyre” Pronouncement. Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For havoc has been wrought, not a house is left; As they came from the land of Kittim, This was revealed to them.
אמַשָּׂא צֹר הֵילִילוּ אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ כִּי־שֻׁדַּד מִבַּיִת מִבּוֹא מֵאֶרֶץ כִּתִּים נִגְלָה־לָמוֹ׃
2Moan, you coastland dwellers, You traders of Sidon, Once thronged by seafarers,
בדֹּמּוּ יֹשְׁבֵי אִי סֹחֵר צִידוֹן עֹבֵר יָם מִלְאוּךְ׃
3Over many waters Your revenue came: From the trade of nations, From the grain of Shihor, The harvest of the Nile.
גוּבְמַיִם רַבִּים זֶרַע שִׁחֹר קְצִיר יְאוֹר תְּבוּאָתָהּ וַתְּהִי סְחַר גּוֹיִם׃
4Be ashamed, O Sidon! For the sea—this stronghold of the sea—declares, “I am as one who has never labored, Never given birth, Never raised youths Or reared maidens!”
דבּוֹשִׁי צִידוֹן כִּי־אָמַר יָם מָעוֹז הַיָּם לֵאמֹר לֹא־חַלְתִּי וְלֹא־יָלַדְתִּי וְלֹא גִדַּלְתִּי בַּחוּרִים רוֹמַמְתִּי בְתוּלוֹת׃
5When the Egyptians heard it, they quailed As when they heard about Tyre.
הכַּאֲשֶׁר־שֵׁמַע לְמִצְרָיִם יָחִילוּ כְּשֵׁמַע צֹר׃
6Pass on to Tarshish— Howl, you coastland dwellers!
ועִבְרוּ תַּרְשִׁישָׁה הֵילִילוּ יֹשְׁבֵי אִי׃
7Was such your merry city In former times, of yore? Did her feet carry her off To sojourn far away?
זהֲזֹאת לָכֶם עַלִּיזָה מִימֵי־קֶדֶם קַדְמָתָהּ יֹבִלוּהָ רַגְלֶיהָ מֵרָחוֹק לָגוּר׃
8Who was it that planned this For crown-wearing Tyre, Whose merchants were nobles, Whose traders the world honored?
חמִי יָעַץ זֹאת עַל־צֹר הַמַּעֲטִירָה אֲשֶׁר סֹחֲרֶיה שָׂרִים כִּנְעָנֶיהָ נִכְבַּדֵּי־אָרֶץ׃
9The lord of Hosts planned it— To defile all glorious beauty, To shame all the honored of the world.
a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT y'-a-TZAH l'-kha-LAYL g'-ON kol tz'-VEE l'-ha-KAYL kol nikh-ba-day A-retz
טיְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת יְעָצָהּ לְחַלֵּל גְּאוֹן כָּל־צְבִי לְהָקֵל כָּל־נִכְבַּדֵּי־אָרֶץ׃
23:9 To defile all glorious beauty
Yeshayahu concludes his prophecies against the nations with a description of the impending downfall of Tyre. Just as Babylon and Assyria represented the pinnacle of military might in the ancient world, Tyre represented the height of commercial power and riches. Based on the coast of what is today Lebanon, Tyre established trading colonies throughout the Mediterranean Sea, as far away as Spain. Verses 1-7 describe how the shocking news of Tyre’s downfall would reverberate throughout the ancient world. Yeshayahu places the blame for the downfall on Tyre’s sense of pride; rather than being thankful to Hashem who granted them riches, they viewed themselves as a great power. This idea of pride is a common theme throughout the prophecies of Yeshayahu. In chapter 2, he describes the pride of Israel as being the source of their sins which ultimately lead to their exile. When humanity abandons its arrogance and recognizes God’s goodness, He will again reveal Himself to the world.
10Traverse your land like the Nile, Fair Tarshish; This is a harbor no more.
יעִבְרִי אַרְצֵךְ כַּיְאֹר בַּת־תַּרְשִׁישׁ אֵין מֵזַח עוֹד׃
11Hashem poised His arm o'er the sea And made kingdoms quake; It was He decreed destruction For Phoenicia's strongholds,
יאיָדוֹ נָטָה עַל־הַיָּם הִרְגִּיז מַמְלָכוֹת יְהֹוָה צִוָּה אֶל־כְּנַעַן לַשְׁמִד מָעֻזְנֶיהָ׃
12And said, “You shall be gay no more, O plundered one, Fair Maiden Sidon. Up, cross over to Kittim— Even there you shall have no rest.”
יבוַיֹּאמֶר לֹא־תוֹסִיפִי עוֹד לַעְלוֹז הַמְעֻשָּׁקָה בְּתוּלַת בַּת־צִידוֹן כתיים [כִּתִּים] קוּמִי עֲבֹרִי גַּם־שָׁם לֹא־יָנוּחַ לָךְ׃
13Behold the land of Chaldea— This is the people that has ceased to be. Assyria, which founded it for ships, Which raised its watchtowers, Erected its ramparts, Has turned it into a ruin.
יגהֵן אֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים זֶה הָעָם לֹא הָיָה אַשּׁוּר יְסָדָהּ לְצִיִּים הֵקִימוּ בחיניו [בַחוּנָיו] עֹרְרוּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ שָׂמָהּ לְמַפֵּלָה׃
14Howl, O ships of Tarshish, For your stronghold is destroyed!
ידהֵילִילוּ אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ כִּי שֻׁדַּד מָעֻזְּכֶן׃
15In that day, Tyre shall remain forgotten for seventy years, equaling the lifetime of one king. After a lapse of seventy years, it shall go with Tyre as with the harlot in the ditty:
טווְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְנִשְׁכַּחַת צֹר שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה כִּימֵי מֶלֶךְ אֶחָד מִקֵּץ שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה יִהְיֶה לְצֹר כְּשִׁירַת הַזּוֹנָה׃
16Take a lyre, go about the town, Harlot long forgotten; Sweetly play, make much music, To bring you back to mind.
טזקְחִי כִנּוֹר סֹבִּי עִיר זוֹנָה נִשְׁכָּחָה הֵיטִיבִי נַגֵּן הַרְבִּי־שִׁיר לְמַעַן תִּזָּכֵרִי׃
17For after a lapse of seventy years, Hashem will take note of Tyre, and she shall resume her “fee-taking” and “play the harlot” with all the kingdoms of the world, on the face of the earth.
יזוְהָיָה מִקֵּץ שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה יִפְקֹד יְהֹוָה אֶת־צֹר וְשָׁבָה לְאֶתְנַנָּה וְזָנְתָה אֶת־כָּל־מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה׃
18But her profits and “hire” shall be consecrated to Hashem. They shall not be treasured or stored; rather shall her profits go to those who abide before Hashem, that they may eat their fill and clothe themselves elegantly.
יחוְהָיָה סַחְרָהּ וְאֶתְנַנָּהּ קֹדֶשׁ לַיהֹוָה לֹא יֵאָצֵר וְלֹא יֵחָסֵן כִּי לַיֹּשְׁבִים לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה יִהְיֶה סַחְרָהּ לֶאֱכֹל לְשָׂבְעָה וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק׃
