TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 49
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1Listen, O coastlands, to me, And give heed, O nations afar: Hashem appointed me before I was born, He named me while I was in my mother's womb.
אשִׁמְעוּ אִיִּים אֵלַי וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לְאֻמִּים מֵרָחוֹק יְהֹוָה מִבֶּטֶן קְרָאָנִי מִמְּעֵי אִמִּי הִזְכִּיר שְׁמִי׃
2He made my mouth like a sharpened blade, He hid me in the shadow of His hand, And He made me like a polished arrow; He concealed me in His quiver.
בוַיָּשֶׂם פִּי כְּחֶרֶב חַדָּה בְּצֵל יָדוֹ הֶחְבִּיאָנִי וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְחֵץ בָּרוּר בְּאַשְׁפָּתוֹ הִסְתִּירָנִי׃
3And He said to me, “You are My servant, Yisrael in whom I glory.”
גוַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי־אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר׃
4I thought, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for empty breath.” But my case rested with Hashem, My recompense was in the hands of my God.
דוַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לְרִיק יָגַעְתִּי לְתֹהוּ וְהֶבֶל כֹּחִי כִלֵּיתִי אָכֵן מִשְׁפָּטִי אֶת־יְהֹוָה וּפְעֻלָּתִי אֶת־אֱלֹהָי׃
5And now Hashem has resolved— He who formed me in the womb to be His servant— To bring back Yaakov to Himself, That Yisrael may be restored to Him. ,And I have been honored in the sight of Hashem, My Hashem has been my strength.
הוְעַתָּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה יֹצְרִי מִבֶּטֶן לְעֶבֶד לוֹ לְשׁוֹבֵב יַעֲקֹב אֵלָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לא [לוֹ] יֵאָסֵף וְאֶכָּבֵד בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וֵאלֹהַי הָיָה עֻזִּי׃
6For He has said: “It is too little that you should be My servant In that I raise up the tribes of Yaakov And restore the survivors of Yisrael: I will also make you a light of nations, That My salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”
ווַיֹּאמֶר נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד לְהָקִים אֶת־שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב ונצירי [וּנְצוּרֵי] יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ׃
7Thus said Hashem, The Redeemer of Yisrael, his Holy One, To the despised one, To the abhorred nations, To the slave of rulers: Kings shall see and stand up; Nobles, and they shall prostrate themselves— To the honor of Hashem, who is faithful, To the Holy One of Yisrael who chose you.
זכֹּה אָמַר־יְהֹוָה גֹּאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשׁוֹ לִבְזֹה־נֶפֶשׁ לִמְתָעֵב גּוֹי לְעֶבֶד מֹשְׁלִים מְלָכִים יִרְאוּ וָקָמוּ שָׂרִים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ לְמַעַן יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמָן קְדֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּבְחָרֶךָּ׃
8Thus said Hashem: In an hour of favor I answer you, And on a day of salvation I help you— I created you and appointed you a covenant people— Restoring the land, Allotting anew the desolate holdings,
חכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה בְּעֵת רָצוֹן עֲנִיתִיךָ וּבְיוֹם יְשׁוּעָה עֲזַרְתִּיךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לִבְרִית עָם לְהָקִים אֶרֶץ לְהַנְחִיל נְחָלוֹת שֹׁמֵמוֹת׃
9Saying to the prisoners, “Go free,” To those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.” They shall pasture along the roads, On every bare height shall be their pasture.
טלֵאמֹר לַאֲסוּרִים צֵאוּ לַאֲשֶׁר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ הִגָּלוּ עַל־דְּרָכִים יִרְעוּ וּבְכָל־שְׁפָיִים מַרְעִיתָם׃
10They shall not hunger or thirst, Hot wind and sun shall not strike them; For He who loves them will lead them, He will guide them to springs of water.
ילֹא יִרְעָבוּ וְלֹא יִצְמָאוּ וְלֹא־יַכֵּם שָׁרָב וָשָׁמֶשׁ כִּי־מְרַחֲמָם יְנַהֲגֵם וְעַל־מַבּוּעֵי מַיִם יְנַהֲלֵם׃
11I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways shall be built up.
יאוְשַׂמְתִּי כָל־הָרַי לַדָּרֶךְ וּמְסִלֹּתַי יְרֻמוּן׃
12Look! These are coming from afar, These from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.
יבהִנֵּה־אֵלֶּה מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ וְהִנֵּה־אֵלֶּה מִצָּפוֹן וּמִיָּם וְאֵלֶּה מֵאֶרֶץ סִינִים׃
13Shout, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth! Break into shouting, O hills! For Hashem has comforted His people, And has taken back His afflicted ones in love.
יגרָנּוּ שָׁמַיִם וְגִילִי אָרֶץ יפצחו [וּפִצְחוּ] הָרִים רִנָּה כִּי־נִחַם יְהֹוָה עַמּוֹ וַעֲנִיָּו יְרַחֵם׃
14Tzion says, “Hashem has forsaken me, My Lord has forgotten me.”
ידוַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי יְהֹוָה וַאדֹנָי שְׁכֵחָנִי׃
15Can a woman forget her baby, Or disown the child of her womb? Though she might forget, I never could forget you.
ha-tish-KAKH i-SHAH u-LAH may-ra-KHAYM ben bit-NAH gam AY-leh tish-KAKH-nah v'-a-no-KHEE lo esh-ka-KHAYKH
טוהֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מֵרַחֵם בֶּן־בִּטְנָהּ גַּם־אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ׃
49:15 I never could forget you
The relationship between Hashem and the Children of Israel is often compared to that of a husband and wife. There is, however, an additional element to the relationship; that of a parent and a child. While husbands and wives can fall out of love and the relationship can be formally ended, the mother who carries and gives birth to a child will always be that child’s mother. In verse 14, Israel expresses its feelings of being abandoned and forgotten by Hashem. God responds in this verse by saying that His love for the Children of Israel is even deeper than a mother’s love for her child, and promises that He could never forget His people.
16See, I have engraved you On the palms of My hands, Your walls are ever before Me.
טזהֵן עַל־כַּפַּיִם חַקֹּתִיךְ חוֹמֹתַיִךְ נֶגְדִּי תָּמִיד׃
17Swiftly your children are coming; Those who ravaged and ruined you shall leave you.
יזמִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ׃
18Look up all around you and see: They are all assembled, are come to you! As I live —declares Hashem— You shall don them all like jewels, Deck yourself with them like a bride.
יחשְׂאִי־סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ וּרְאִי כֻּלָּם נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ־לָךְ חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה כִּי כֻלָּם כָּעֲדִי תִלְבָּשִׁי וּתְקַשְּׁרִים כַּכַּלָּה׃
19As for your ruins and desolate places And your land laid waste— You shall soon be crowded with settlers, While destroyers stay far from you.
יטכִּי חָרְבֹתַיִךְ וְשֹׁמְמֹתַיִךְ וְאֶרֶץ הֲרִסֻתֵיךְ כִּי עַתָּה תֵּצְרִי מִיּוֹשֵׁב וְרָחֲקוּ מְבַלְּעָיִךְ׃
20The children you thought you had lost Shall yet say in your hearing, “The place is too crowded for me; Make room for me to settle.”
כעוֹד יֹאמְרוּ בְאָזְנַיִךְ בְּנֵי שִׁכֻּלָיִךְ צַר־לִי הַמָּקוֹם גְּשָׁה־לִּי וְאֵשֵׁבָה׃
21And you will say to yourself, “Who bore these for me When I was bereaved and barren, Exiled and disdained— By whom, then, were these reared? I was left all alone— And where have these been?”
כאוְאָמַרְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵךְ מִי יָלַד־לִי אֶת־אֵלֶּה וַאֲנִי שְׁכוּלָה וְגַלְמוּדָה גֹּלָה וְסוּרָה וְאֵלֶּה מִי גִדֵּל הֵן אֲנִי נִשְׁאַרְתִּי לְבַדִּי אֵלֶּה אֵיפֹה הֵם׃
22Thus said Hashem: I will raise My hand to nations And lift up My ensign to peoples; And they shall bring your sons in their bosoms, And carry your daughters on their backs.
koh a-MAR a-do-NAI e-lo-HEEM hi-NAY e-SA el go-YIM ya-DEE v'-el a-MEEM a-REEM ni-SEE v'-hay-VEE-u va-NA-yikh b'-KHO-tzen uv-no-TA-yikh al ka-TAYF ti-na-SE-na
כבכֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה הִנֵּה אֶשָּׂא אֶל־גּוֹיִם יָדִי וְאֶל־עַמִּים אָרִים נִסִּי וְהֵבִיאוּ בָנַיִךְ בְּחֹצֶן וּבְנֹתַיִךְ עַל־כָּתֵף תִּנָּשֶׂאנָה׃
49:22 And they shall bring your sons in their bosoms
Yeshayahu describes the great contributions that the nations and individual non-Jews will play in the resettlement of Eretz Yisrael. In modern times, this prophecy is being fulfilled by the unprecedented number of non-Jews who visit, support and pray for Israel. Great individual Christian warriors for Tzion have also emerged to fulfill Yeshayahu’s prophecy. For example, Major-General Orde Charles Wingate (1903-1944) was a British officer in Palestine during the Mandate, and trained many of the future leaders of the Israeli army. He drew on his love and knowledge of the Bible, and distilled strategies from the battles of Yehoshua, Gidon and King David. Known throughout Israel as “ha-yedid” (הידיד) or, ‘the friend,’ the Jewish people remember Orde Wingate and all the righteous non-Jews whose love for the Bible drove them to stand with Israel in her moment of need.
Major-General Orde Charles Wingate (1903-1944)
Nations from around the world flock to Jerusalem during The Feast of Tabernacles to worship and affirm their love and support for Israel. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90
23Kings shall tend your children, Their queens shall serve you as nurses. They shall bow to you, face to the ground, And lick the dust of your feet. And you shall know that I am Hashem— Those who trust in Me shall not be shamed.
כגוְהָיוּ מְלָכִים אֹמְנַיִךְ וְשָׂרוֹתֵיהֶם מֵינִיקֹתַיִךְ אַפַּיִם אֶרֶץ יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָךְ וַעֲפַר רַגְלַיִךְ יְלַחֵכוּ וְיָדַעַתְּ כִּי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ קוָֹי׃
24Can spoil be taken from a warrior, Or captives retrieved from a victor?
כדהֲיֻקַּח מִגִּבּוֹר מַלְקוֹחַ וְאִם־שְׁבִי צַדִּיק יִמָּלֵט׃
25Yet thus said Hashem: Captives shall be taken from a warrior And spoil shall be retrieved from a tyrant; For I will contend with your adversaries, And I will deliver your children.
כהכִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה גַּם־שְׁבִי גִבּוֹר יֻקָּח וּמַלְקוֹחַ עָרִיץ יִמָּלֵט וְאֶת־יְרִיבֵךְ אָנֹכִי אָרִיב וְאֶת־בָּנַיִךְ אָנֹכִי אוֹשִׁיעַ׃
26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, They shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. And all mankind shall know That I Hashem am your Savior, The Mighty One of Yaakov, your Redeemer.
כווְהַאֲכַלְתִּי אֶת־מוֹנַיִךְ אֶת־בְּשָׂרָם וְכֶעָסִיס דָּמָם יִשְׁכָּרוּן וְיָדְעוּ כָל־בָּשָׂר כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ וְגֹאֲלֵךְ אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב׃
