הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה וְתִשְׁמַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

The song begins with an introduction: Listen, the heavens, and I will speak, and the earth will hear the sayings of my mouth. Moses asks the heavens and the earth to bear witness to his speech. This is not the first time that he does so, as the heavens and the earth are ever present and may bear eternal witness (see 4:26). Moses’ lofty status affords him the authority to command the heavens and the earth to listen to him.

יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י כִּשְׂעִירִ֣ם עֲלֵי־דֶ֔שֶׁא וְכִרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵֽשֶׂב׃

My lesson will fall as the rain, and in parallel, my saying will flow like dew, like rainstorms on grass, and like raindrops on vegetation. The lesson refers to harsh words containing elements of rebuke, which will bombard the people like torrential rain, while the mild sayings will fall upon them gently, like dew.

כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה אֶקְרָ֑א הָב֥וּ גֹ֖דֶל לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

I am going to call the name of God and speak of Him. When I proclaim the name of the Lord, you must acclaim greatness to our God. My proclamation of His name obligates you, who will hear it, to ascribe honor and praise to God.

הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פָּעֳל֔וֹ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּרָכָ֖יו מִשְׁפָּ֑ט אֵ֤ל אֱמוּנָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עָ֔וֶל צַדִּ֥יק וְיָשָׁ֖ר הֽוּא׃

Moses begins to speak of God: The Rock, a metaphor for God that symbolizes His strength, or perhaps the fact that He is the source of existence, His actions are perfect, as all His ways are justice: He is a faithful God, and there is no injustice with Him; righteous and upright is He. Aside from God’s strength, glory, and perfection, all of His actions are founded on the principles of loyalty and justice, even if it may sometimes seem otherwise to mankind.

שִׁחֵ֥ת ל֛וֹ לֹ֖א בָּנָ֣יו מוּמָ֑ם דּ֥וֹר עִקֵּ֖שׁ וּפְתַלְתֹּֽל׃

It is they who corrupted, for corruption is not from Him; His children, it is their blemish. Atrocities occur in this world not because God performs evil, but because His children are a crooked and twisted generation. They distort reality to justify their crookedness.

הֲ־לַיְהוָה֙ תִּגְמְלוּ־זֹ֔את עַ֥ם נָבָ֖ל וְלֹ֣א חָכָ֑ם הֲלוֹא־הוּא֙ אָבִ֣יךָ קָּנֶ֔ךָ ה֥וּא עָֽשְׂךָ֖ וַֽיְכֹנְנֶֽךָ׃

Will you repay the Lord with this, your evil deeds, crude and unwise people? You are causing harm only to yourselves. The corruption in the world is merely a response to man’s evil ways. Is He not your Father and your Redeemer, who redeemed you from Egypt? He made you, and He established you.