
TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 48
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1Listen to this, O House of Yaakov, Who bear the name Yisrael And have issued from the waters of Yehuda, Who swear by the name of Hashem And invoke the God of Yisrael— Though not in truth and sincerity—
אשִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת בֵּית־יַעֲקֹב הַנִּקְרָאִים בְּשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִמֵּי יְהוּדָה יָצָאוּ הַנִּשְׁבָּעִים בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה וּבֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַזְכִּירוּ לֹא בֶאֱמֶת וְלֹא בִצְדָקָה׃
2For you are called after the Holy City And you do lean on the God of Yisrael, Whose name is LORD of Hosts:
בכִּי־מֵעִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ נִקְרָאוּ וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְמָכוּ יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ׃
3Long ago, I foretold things that happened, From My mouth they issued, and I announced them; Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
גהָרִאשֹׁנוֹת מֵאָז הִגַּדְתִּי וּמִפִּי יָצְאוּ וְאַשְׁמִיעֵם פִּתְאֹם עָשִׂיתִי וַתָּבֹאנָה׃
4Because I know how stubborn you are (Your neck is like an iron sinew And your forehead bronze),
דמִדַּעְתִּי כִּי קָשֶׁה אָתָּה וְגִיד בַּרְזֶל עָרְפֶּךָ וּמִצְחֲךָ נְחוּשָׁה׃
5Therefore I told you long beforehand, Announced things to you ere they happened— That you might not say, “My idol caused them, My carved and molten images ordained them.”
הוָאַגִּיד לְךָ מֵאָז בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ פֶּן־תֹּאמַר עָצְבִּי עָשָׂם וּפִסְלִי וְנִסְכִּי צִוָּם׃
6You have heard all this; look, must you not acknowledge it? As of now, I announce to you new things, Well-guarded secrets you did not know.
ושָׁמַעְתָּ חֲזֵה כֻּלָּהּ וְאַתֶּם הֲלוֹא תַגִּידוּ הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ חֲדָשׁוֹת מֵעַתָּה וּנְצֻרוֹת וְלֹא יְדַעְתָּם׃
7Only now are they created, and not of old; Before today you had not heard them; You cannot say, “I knew them already.”
זעַתָּה נִבְרְאוּ וְלֹא מֵאָז וְלִפְנֵי־יוֹם וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתָּם פֶּן־תֹּאמַר הִנֵּה יְדַעְתִּין׃
8You had never heard, you had never known, Your ears were not opened of old. Though I know that you are treacherous, That you were called a rebel from birth,
חגַּם לֹא־שָׁמַעְתָּ גַּם לֹא יָדַעְתָּ גַּם מֵאָז לֹא־פִתְּחָה אָזְנֶךָ כִּי יָדַעְתִּי בָּגוֹד תִּבְגּוֹד וּפֹשֵׁעַ מִבֶּטֶן קֹרָא לָךְ׃
9For the sake of My name I control My wrath; To My own glory, I am patient with you, And I will not destroy you.
טלְמַעַן שְׁמִי אַאֲרִיךְ אַפִּי וּתְהִלָּתִי אֶחֱטָם־לָךְ לְבִלְתִּי הַכְרִיתֶךָ׃
10See, I refine you, but not as silver; I test you in the furnace of affliction.
יהִנֵּה צְרַפְתִּיךָ וְלֹא בְכָסֶף בְּחַרְתִּיךָ בְּכוּר עֹנִי׃
11For My sake, My own sake, do I act— Lest [My name] be dishonored! I will not give My glory to another.
יאלְמַעֲנִי לְמַעֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי אֵיךְ יֵחָל וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא־אֶתֵּן׃
12Listen to Me, O Yaakov, Yisrael, whom I have called: I am He—I am the first, And I am the last as well.
יבשְׁמַע אֵלַי יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְקֹרָאִי אֲנִי־הוּא אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן אַף אֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן׃
13My own hand founded the earth, My right hand spread out the skies. I call unto them, let them stand up.
יגאַף־יָדִי יָסְדָה אֶרֶץ וִימִינִי טִפְּחָה שָׁמָיִם קֹרֵא אֲנִי אֲלֵיהֶם יַעַמְדוּ יַחְדָּו׃
14Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among you foretold these things: “He whom Hashem loves Shall work His will against Babylon, And, with His might, against Chaldea”?
ידהִקָּבְצוּ כֻלְּכֶם וּשֲׁמָעוּ מִי בָהֶם הִגִּיד אֶת־אֵלֶּה יְהֹוָה אֲהֵבוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה חֶפְצוֹ בְּבָבֶל וּזְרֹעוֹ כַּשְׂדִּים׃
15I, I predicted, and I called him; I have brought him and he shall succeed in his mission.
טואֲנִי אֲנִי דִּבַּרְתִּי אַף־קְרָאתִיו הֲבִיאֹתִיו וְהִצְלִיחַ דַּרְכּוֹ׃
16Draw near to Me and hear this: From the beginning, I did not speak in secret; From the time anything existed, I was there. “And now Hashem has sent me, endowed with His spirit.”
טזקִרְבוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת לֹא מֵרֹאשׁ בַּסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי מֵעֵת הֱיוֹתָהּ שָׁם אָנִי וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה שְׁלָחַנִי וְרוּחוֹ׃
17Thus said Hashem your Redeemer, The Holy One of Yisrael: I Hashem am your God, Instructing you for your own benefit. Guiding you in the way you should go.
יזכֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה גֹּאַלְךָ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְלַמֶּדְךָ לְהוֹעִיל מַדְרִיכֲךָ בְּדֶרֶךְ תֵּלֵךְ׃
18If only you would heed My commands! Then your prosperity would be like a river, Your triumph like the waves of the sea.
יחלוּא הִקְשַׁבְתָּ לְמִצְוׂתָי וַיְהִי כַנָּהָר שְׁלוֹמֶךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ כְּגַלֵּי הַיָּם׃
19Your offspring would be as many as the sand, Their issue as many as its grains. Their name would never be cut off Or obliterated from before Me.
יטוַיְהִי כַחוֹל זַרְעֶךָ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי מֵעֶיךָ כִּמְעֹתָיו לֹא־יִכָּרֵת וְלֹא־יִשָּׁמֵד שְׁמוֹ מִלְּפָנָי׃
20Go forth from Babylon, Flee from Chaldea! Declare this with loud shouting, Announce this, Bring out the word to the ends of the earth! Say: “Hashem has redeemed His servant Yaakov!”
כצְאוּ מִבָּבֶל בִּרְחוּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים בְּקוֹל רִנָּה הַגִּידוּ הַשְׁמִיעוּ זֹאת הוֹצִיאוּהָ עַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ אִמְרוּ גָּאַל יְהֹוָה עַבְדּוֹ יַעֲקֹב׃
21They have known no thirst, Though He led them through parched places; He made water flow for them from the rock; He cleaved the rock and water gushed forth.
כאוְלֹא צָמְאוּ בָּחֳרָבוֹת הוֹלִיכָם מַיִם מִצּוּר הִזִּיל לָמוֹ וַיִּבְקַע־צוּר וַיָּזֻבוּ מָיִם׃
22There is no safety—said Hashem—for the wicked.
AYN sha-LOM a-MAR a-do-NAI la-r'-sha-EEM
כבאֵין שָׁלוֹם אָמַר יְהֹוָה לָרְשָׁעִים׃
48:22 There is no safety

Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1167)
Yeshayahu provides a triumphant account of the future journey out of Babylon and the return to Israel. In verse 21, he even includes allusions to the original journey through the desert to the Land of Israel. He concludes the section with the brief statement, “There is no safety—said Hashem—for the wicked.” Most commentators suggest that this is a continuation of the above contrast between Israel and Babylon; while Israel is redeemed, the wicked Babylon will find no peace. The commentator Ibn Ezra, however, suggests that “the wicked” refers to the Jews who refuse to leave Babylon when they have the opportunity, choosing to live among an idolatrous people rather than return to the Holy Land.