ל֥וּ חָכְמ֖וּ יַשְׂכִּ֣ילוּ זֹ֑את יָבִ֖ינוּ לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃

If they, those enemies, were wise, if they contemplated their situation from the outset, they would comprehend this, they would understand their end. They would understand that their victories are the result of Israel’s behavior. Alternatively, they would understand their own end, that their victories are supernatural, and ultimately, they will be held accountable for their sins just as Israel has been held accountable for its sins.

אֵיכָ֞ה יִרְדֹּ֤ף אֶחָד֙ אֶ֔לֶף וּשְׁנַ֖יִם יָנִ֣יסוּ רְבָבָ֑ה אִם־לֹא֙ כִּי־צוּרָ֣ם מְכָרָ֔ם וַֽיהוָ֖ה הִסְגִּירָֽם׃

The enemy would say: How does one of us pursue one thousand of Israel, and two cause ten thousand to flee? How is it that Israel falls so helplessly when facing our small forces, if not that their Rock, God, sold them and the Lord delivered them into our hands? Our victory is not due to our strength, but because God is punishing His people.

כִּ֛י לֹ֥א כְצוּרֵ֖נוּ צוּרָ֑ם וְאֹיְבֵ֖ינוּ פְּלִילִֽים׃

For our Rock is not like their rock, the rock of our enemies is not as strong as our Rock, and nevertheless, our enemies are our judges and administer punishment to us.

כִּֽי־מִגֶּ֤פֶן סְדֹם֙ גַּפְנָ֔ם וּמִשַּׁדְמֹ֖ת עֲמֹרָ֑ה עֲנָבֵ֙מוֹ֙ עִנְּבֵי־ר֔וֹשׁ אַשְׁכְּלֹ֥ת מְרֹרֹ֖ת לָֽמוֹ׃

For their, our enemy’s, vine is from the vine of Sodom, and from the fields of Gomorrah. The source of their philosophy, their spirituality, and their codes of conduct is the evil and corrupt cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of poison, noxious clusters for them.

חֲמַ֥ת תַּנִּינִ֖ם יֵינָ֑ם וְרֹ֥אשׁ פְּתָנִ֖ים אַכְזָֽר׃

The venom of serpents is their wine, and the cruel poison of vipers. Alternatively, the latter phrase may be rendered: And the head, or skull, of cruel vipers. The intense cruelty and venomous hatred to which the people of Israel will be exposed over the course of their exile cannot be accurately expressed even through the harsh words of this song.

הֲלֹא־ה֖וּא כָּמֻ֣ס עִמָּדִ֑י חָתֻ֖ם בְּאוֹצְרֹתָֽי׃

The nature of this hatred will defy explanation: Is this not concealed with Me, sealed in My treasuries? The nations that will treat Israel with cruelty will not understand it; even besieged Israel will be incapable of grasping it. The matter will remain secret.

לִ֤י נָקָם֙ וְשִׁלֵּ֔ם לְעֵ֖ת תָּמ֣וּט רַגְלָ֑ם כִּ֤י קָרוֹב֙ י֣וֹם אֵידָ֔ם וְחָ֖שׁ עֲתִדֹ֥ת לָֽמוֹ׃

Vengeance and recompense are Mine. I will seek vengeance

כִּֽי־יָדִ֤ין יְהוָה֙ עַמּ֔וֹ וְעַל־עֲבָדָ֖יו יִתְנֶחָ֑ם כִּ֤י יִרְאֶה֙ כִּי־אָ֣זְלַת יָ֔ד וְאֶ֖פֶס עָצ֥וּר וְעָזֽוּב׃

When the Lord judges His people after concealing His face from them, and He regrets, as it were, with regard to that which was done to His servants, as the suffering they will have endured due to their abandonment of God will have reached its full measure, when He sees that their power is gone, and there is none protected by the government, or fortified,

וְאָמַ֖ר אֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ימוֹ צ֖וּר חָסָ֥יוּ בֽוֹ׃

He, God, will say: Where are their gods in whom they placed their faith, the rock in whom they sought refuge? Alternatively, when the people of Israel are redeemed, they will say to the nations: Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?

אֲשֶׁ֨ר חֵ֤לֶב זְבָחֵ֙ימוֹ֙ יֹאכֵ֔לוּ יִשְׁתּ֖וּ יֵ֣ין נְסִיכָ֑ם יָק֙וּמוּ֙ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶ֔ם יְהִ֥י עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם סִתְרָֽה׃

Where are those gods, the fat of whose offerings they would eat, the wine of whose libations they would drink? They will now arise and help you; it, those gods, will be shelter over you.

רְא֣וּ ׀ עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י אֲנִי֙ ה֔וּא וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י אֲנִ֧י אָמִ֣ית וַאֲחַיֶּ֗ה מָחַ֙צְתִּי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶרְפָּ֔א וְאֵ֥ין מִיָּדִ֖י מַצִּֽיל׃

See now, at the time of the Redemption, when it will become clear to all that there is no substance to those gods whose shelter was sought, that I, I am He, and there is no god with Me. I will kill and I will give life, I crushed and I will heal, and there is no rescuer from My hand; everything is under My control.