נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי יֹאמַר אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

Console, console My people, says your God. This is an exhortation to the prophets to comfort the people.

דַּבְּרוּ עַל לֵב יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְקִרְאוּ אֵלֶיהָ כִּי מָלְאָה צְבָאָהּ כִּי נִרְצָה עֲוֹנָהּ כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד ה' כִּפְלַיִם בְּכָל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ

Speak consolation and reassurance to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to it, for its time is completed. Its prescribed period of suffering has ended. For its iniquity is rectified: For it has received double punishment at the hand of the Lord for all its sins. You must notify Jerusalem that the time of her pardon and reconciliation has arrived.

קוֹל קוֹרֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ ה' יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ

After the general call for consolation, further cries heralding the redemption are sounded: A voice proclaims in the wilderness:Clear the way of the Lord, level in the desert a highway for our God, a road along which He will lead those whom He is redeeming from everywhere.

כָּל גֶּיא יִנָּשֵׂא וְכָל הַר וְגִבְעָה יִשְׁפָּלוּ וְהָיָה הֶעָקֹב לְמִישׁוֹר וְהָרְכָסִים – לְבִקְעָה

Every valley will be raised and turned into a flat plain, and every mountain and hill will be lowered. The crooked and winding routes will all become straight and level, and the ridges, the mountains and hills that have narrow gorges running between them, will become a valley, easily traversed. There will be no obstacles or difficulties on the road through the wilderness that will open for those returning to Zion.

וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד ה' וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו כִּי פִּי ה' דִּבֵּר

The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see together that the mouth of the Lord has spoken. God’s glory will be revealed to all nations through the redemption of His people.

קוֹל אֹמֵר קְרָא! וְאָמַר מָה אֶקְרָא כָּל הַבָּשָׂר חָצִיר וְכָל חַסְדּוֹ — כְּצִיץ הַשָּׂדֶה

After the call for a way to be cleared in the wilderness, another voice says: Proclaim, and he, the prophet who hears the voice, says: What shall I proclaim? The voice responds: All flesh, all of mankind, is likened to fresh grass that serves as fodder for animals and does not last, and all its, mankind’s, grace and love is like a flower of the field, which blooms for a mere few weeks at most.

יָבֵשׁ חָצִיר נָבֵל צִיץ כִּי רוּחַ ה' נָשְׁבָה בּוֹ אָכֵן חָצִיר הָעָם

Over time the grass withers, the flower fades, for the breath of the Lord blows upon it. Indeed, the people, the human race on the face of the earth (see 42:5), are grass. Human life is exceedingly transient. The prophet’s intention here is not to denigrate man’s transitory existence but to emphasize the converse:

יָבֵשׁ חָצִיר נָבֵל צִיץ וּדְבַר אֱלֹהֵינוּ יָקוּם לְעוֹלָם

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Generations pass away, together with their acts of kindness. Only the word of God remains constant for all time.

עַל הַר גָּבֹהַ עֲלִי לָךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת צִיּוֹן הָרִימִי בַכֹּחַ קוֹלֵךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָם הָרִימִי אַל תִּירָאִי אִמְרִי לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

Ascend you, herald of Zion, an allegorical figure, the feminine counterpart to the male herald, upon a high mountain. Raise your voice powerfully, herald of Jerusalem, to inform the entire city of this news. Raise it, your voice, as loud as you can, and do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah: Behold, your God has appeared.

הִנֵּה ה' אֳלֹהִים בְּחָזָק יָבוֹא וּזְרֹעוֹ מֹשְׁלָה לוֹ הִנֵּה שְׂכָרוֹ אִתּוֹ וּפְעֻלָּתוֹ לְפָנָיו

Behold, the Lord God will come mightily and His arm will rule for Him; with the power of His arm He can rule as He pleases. Behold, His reward that He grants is with Him, and His wage, the recompense to those who serve Him, is prepared before Him. Although God will reveal Himself with threatening power, He will also bring with Him the reward that is reserved for those who perform good deeds.

כְּרֹעֶה עֶדְרוֹ יִרְעֶה בִּזְרֹעוֹ יְקַבֵּץ טְלָאִים וּבְחֵיקוֹ יִשָּׂא עָלוֹת יְנַהֵל

Like a shepherd, He will shepherd his flock; with His arm, He will gather the young lambs, those that have difficulty keeping up with the rest of the flock and can easily become lost, and carry them in his bosom, guiding the nursing ewes, or those animals that have given birth for the first time. Likewise, will God guide His people in the manner of a good and trustworthy shepherd who cares for his flock.

מִי מָדַד בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ מַיִם וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן וְכָל בַּשָּׁלִשׁ עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁקַל בַּפֶּלֶס הָרִים וגְבָעוֹת בְּמֹאזְנָיִם!

Who has measured the waters of the world with His steps, or: In the hollow of His hand, or foot. And who has determined the heavens with a span, a unit of length spanning from the edge of the thumb until the edge of the pinky in an average-size hand, measuring approximately half a cubit; and gauged, with a flask, a small utensil used for measuring, the volume of the dust of the earth; and weighed mountains with a scale and hills with a balance? The Creator measures all of nature, as it were, using small tools. The creation of the world is described as if God is playing with toys.

מִי תִּכֵּן אֶת רוּחַ ה' ואִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ — יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ !

Who can determine, measure, the spirit of the Lord? The water, the heavens, and the earth mentioned in the previous verse allude to the beginning of Creation described in Genesis (1:1–2). Likewise, the spirit of the Lord is mentioned both here and in the story of Creation. Some understand the spirit of the Lord as referring to His will. And who is the man of His counsel to whom He makes all His actions known?

אֶת מִי נוֹעָץ וַיְבִינֵהוּ וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ בְּאֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ דַעַת וְדֶרֶךְ תְּבוּנוֹת יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ!

The prophet asks rhetorically: With whom did He consult, granting him understanding, teaching him the path of justice and teaching him knowledge, making the way of understanding known to him? The source of God’s spirit, knowledge, and wisdom is God Himself.

הֵן גּוֹיִם כְּמַר מִדְּלִי וּכְשַׁחַק מֹאזְנַיִם נֶחְשָׁבוּ הֵן אִיִּים כּדַּק יִטּוֹל

Behold, nations may be regarded like a drop from a bucket after the rest has been poured out compared to the Creator, or like the powder of scales, residue of substances weighed. Behold, He will take up islands, or distant lands, like dust, which He can pick up or cast away.

וּלְבָנוֹן אֵין דֵּי בָּעֵר וְחַיָּתוֹ אֵין דֵּי עוֹלָה

As for the honor that God deserves in the form of offerings, the wood of the mountains of Lebanon is not sufficient for kindling the fire upon an altar that would serve this purpose, and its beasts, which used to exist in large numbers in the forests of Lebanon, are not sufficient for burnt offerings to God. No amount of offerings would sufficiently honor God.

כָּל הַגּוֹיִם כְּאַיִן נֶגְדּוֹ מֵאֶפֶס ותֹהוּ נֶחְשְׁבוּ לוֹ

All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are considered by Him as nothing and emptiness.

וְאֶל מִי תְּדַמְּיוּן אֵל וּמַה דְּמוּת תַּעַרְכוּ לוֹ!

To whom will you liken God and to what likeness would you compare Him? It is impossible to compare the transcendent God with any living being.

הפֶסֶל נָסַךְ חָרָשׁ וְצֹרֵף בַּזָּהָב יְרַקְּעֶנּוּ וּרְתֻקוֹת כֶּסֶף צוֹרֵף!

Will you compare Him to an idol that is cast by a craftsman? An idol with regard to which a goldsmith will plate it, and it will have silver chains from an artisan to adorn it.

הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה עֵץ לֹא יִרְקַב יִבְחָר חָרָשׁ חָכָם יְבַקֶּשׁ לוֹ לְהָכִין פֶּסֶל לֹא יִמּוֹט

The collector of contributions will choose a tree with which to prepare an idol. He will select hard wood that will not rot, he will seek a wise craftsman to prepare an idol that will not topple. Can one compare God, Who created the entire world, to a sculpted idol, which was formed by humans?

הֲלוֹא תֵדְעוּ הֲלוֹא תִשְׁמָעוּ הֲלוֹא הֻגַּד מֵרֹאשׁ לָכֶם הֲלוֹא הֲבִינֹתֶם מוֹסְדוֹת הָאָרֶץ!

Will you not know? Will you not hear? Were you not told from the beginning? Have you not understood who established the foundations of the earth?

הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל חוּג הָאָרֶץ וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ כַּחֲגָבִים; הַנּוֹטֶה כַדֹּק שָׁמַיִם וַיִּמְתָּחֵם כָּאֹהֶל לָשָׁבֶת

It is He who sits over the circle of the earth. Its inhabitants are like grasshoppers in His eyes; it is He who spreads the heavens like a thin curtain, and stretches them around the earth like a tent, for habitation beneath it;

הַנּוֹתֵן רוֹזְנִים לְאָיִן שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ — כַּתֹּהוּ עָשָׂה

who renders princes into nothing; He makes judges of the land like emptiness.

אַף בַּל נִטָּעוּ אַף בַּל זֹרָעוּ אַף בַּל שֹׁרֵשׁ בָּאָרֶץ גִּזְעָם וְגַם נָשַׁף בָּהֶם — וַיִּבָשׁוּ וּסְעָרָה כַּקַּשׁ תִּשָּׂאֵם

Even powerful individuals who are considered a stabilizing force in society, it is as though they were not planted, as though they were not sown, as though their trunk had not taken root in the earth. Compared to God, they are like vegetation that has not taken root. Moreover, one may blow on them and they will wither, and a storm will carry them off like straw.

וְאֶל מִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי וְאֶשְׁוֶה! יֹאמַר קָדוֹשׁ

To whom would you liken Me that I would be equal? says the Holy One. The expression “the Holy One” is an appellation of God, which is commonly used in Isaiah.

שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָרָא אֵלֶּה הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא מֵרֹב אוֹנִים וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָּר

Raise your eyes on high and see: Who created these stars that are arranged in constellations in the sky? He who brings out their host by number, calling all of them by name. From what you have heard from your ancestors, and based on your own experience, you know that the stars follow a fixed path. Each star is similar to a soldier who is called upon to perform a specific task and fulfills it precisely. All this is accomplished from abundance of might and the exertion of power, with not one star that is missing.

לָמָּה תֹאמַר יַעֲקֹב וּתְדַבֵּר יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְתְּרָה דַרְכִּי מֵה' וּמֵאֱלֹהַי מִשְׁפָּטִי יַעֲבוֹר !

The infiniteness of the Creator includes His knowledge and His providence: Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel: My way is hidden from the Lord, He does not see me, and from my God my just deserts will have passed, He is oblivious to the reward or punishment that I deserve. You say: God does not watch over me, and that is why I suffer so much.

הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּ אִם לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ אֱלֹהֵי עוֹלָם ה' בּוֹרֵא קְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ לֹא יִיעַף וְלֹא יִיגָע אֵין חֵקֶר לִתְבוּנָתוֹ

Did you not know, did you not hear, the Lord is the eternal God, Creator of everything until the ends of the earth; He neither tires nor wearies; there is no scrutinizing His understanding. It is impossible to investigate, understand, or define His wisdom.

נֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ וּלְאֵין אוֹנִים — עָצְמָה יַרְבֶּה

He gives strength to the tired, and to the powerless He increases might.

וְיִעֲפוּ נְעָרִים וְיִגָעוּ וּבַחוּרִים כָּשׁוֹל יִכָּשֵׁלוּ

The prophet now explains in detail: The youths will be tired and weary and the young men, who are in the prime of their strength, will falter. When they rely solely on their own strength, even the young and strong will tire and stumble.

וקוֹיֵ ה'יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ

But in contrast, those who long for the Lord will renew their strength; they will grow new wings like eagles, whose wing feathers regrow after their old feathers have molted. They will run and will not weary, they will walk and will not tire. Those that are connected to the source of strength will have that strength renewed. Therefore, you, the exiled nation, should not despair, as you can replenish your strength from the Creator.