הַחֲרִישׁוּ אֵלַי אִיִּים וּלְאֻמִּים יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יִגְּשׁוּ אָז יְדַבֵּרוּ יַחְדָּו לַמִּשְׁפָּט נִקְרָבָה

The prophet addresses the distant nations in the name of God: Be silent for me and listen, distant lands of the sea, and let nations renew their strength; let them approach and then speak; together, let us approach for judgment, out of closeness rather than from fear. This is not necessarily a judgment against you, but a discussion of reality.

מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ יִתֵּן לְפָנָיו גּוֹיִם וּמְלָכִים יַרְדְּ יִתֵּן כֶּעָפָר חַרְבּוֹ כְּקַשׁ נִדָּף קַשְׁתּוֹ

Who has awakened one from the Eastfor whom justice or victory is declared in his wake? The prophet refers to a specific person from an unknown time who brings salvation. He will subdue nations before him and will subjugate kings; He will set his sword like dust, his bow like windblown straw. Swords and bows are at his disposal like dust and straw. Alternatively, he will transform the enemy into dust and straw with his sword and bow.

יִרְדְּפֵם יַעֲבוֹר שָׁלוֹם אֹרַח בְּרַגְלָיו לֹא יָבוֹא

He will pursue them, the nations and kings, passing safely. Alternatively: He will overtake those he chases; he will not need to go on a path on his feet. He does not require the use of a side path in which to hide; rather, he uses the main road. Some commentaries explain that he will pass safely on new paths. Yet another interpretation is that he will not need to retreat in the direction in which he came, or that he will not be confronted by the enemy on his way.

מִי פָעַל וְעָשָׂה קֹרֵא הַדֹּרוֹת מֵרֹאשׁ אֲנִי ה' רִאשׁוֹן וְאֶת אַחֲרֹנִים — אֲנִי הוּא

Who acted and accomplished it, all this? It is He who proclaimed or fixed the history of the generations from the beginning. I, the Lord, am first of all that exists, and I am here with the last, with you, I am He.

רָאוּ אִיִּים וְיִירָאוּ קְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יֶחֱרָדוּ קָרְבוּ וַיֶּאֱתָיוּן

The lands of the sea, that is, the distant nations, saw all these great events, and feared; the ends of the earth trembled; they, these nations, converged and came together. All of them were attempting to defend themselves against the threat of the great king by relying on their gods.

אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ יַעְזֹרוּ וּלְאָחִיו יֹאמַר חֲזָק

Each would help his neighbor and would say to his brother: Be strong. Everyone worked together to fight the enemy.

וַיְחַזֵּק חָרָשׁ אֶת צֹרֵף מַחֲלִיק פַּטִּישׁ אֶת הוֹלֶם פָּעַם אֹמֵר לַדֶּבֶק טוֹב הוּא וַיְחַזְּקֵהוּ בְמַסְמְרִים לֹא יִמּוֹט

The carpenter would encourage the smith; the one who smooths utensils and straightens them with a hammer would encourage the one who strikes at the anvil. Upon completion, the one who fashions the utensil is saying of the join: It is good, the fusing of the various components of the utensils was performed well; and he then strengthened it with nails, so that it would not fall apart.

וְאַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתִּיךָ זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אֹהֲבִי

The rebuke, fear, and trembling will be the lot of the other nations; but it is you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendants of Abraham who loved Me;

אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱזַקְתִּיךָ מִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ וּמֵאֲצִילֶיהָ קְרָאתִיךָ וָאֹמַר לְךָ עַבְדִּי אַתָּה בְּחַרְתִּיךָ וְלֹא מְאַסְתִּיךָ

whom I have taken for Myself from the ends of the earth, and from its noblemen I called you, to leave the domain of these other nations; I said to you: You are My servant, I chose you and did not spurn you during the long exile;

אַל תִּירָא כִּי עִמְּךָ אָנִי אַל תִּשְׁתָּע כִּי אֲנִי אֱלֹהֶיךָ אִמַּצְתִּיךָ אַף עֲזַרְתִּיךָ אַף תְּמַכְתִּיךָ בִּימִין צִדְקִי

even if the whole world will shake, do not fear, as I am with you; do not waver from your path, as I am your God under all conditions; I have made you firm; indeed, I have helped you, even supported you with My righteous right hand. God promises His nation here that He will protect them from any harm that may befall them.

הֵן יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בָּךְ יִהְיוּ כְאַיִן וְיֹאבְדוּ אַנְשֵׁי רִיבֶךָ

Behold, all who provoke you will be ashamed and humiliated, and the men who quarrel with you will be like nothing and perish.

תְּבַקְשֵׁם וְלֹא תִמְצָאֵם אַנְשֵׁי מַצֻּתֶךָ יִהְיוּ כְאַיִן וּכְאֶפֶס אַנְשֵׁי מִלְחַמְתֶּךָ

You will seek them, the people who contend with you, but you will not find them; the people who make war on you will disappear and be like nothing and naught.

כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מַחֲזִיק יְמִינֶךָ הָאֹמֵר לְךָ אַל תִּירָא אֲנִי עֲזַרְתִּיךָ

For I am the Lord your God, supporting your right hand, who says to you: Do not fear, I help you.

אַל תִּירְאִי תּוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב מְתֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי עֲזַרְתִּיךְ נְאֻם ה' וְגֹאֲלֵךְ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל

Do not fear, worm of Jacob, people of Israel; I am your help – the utterance of the Lord – and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

הִנֵּה שַׂמְתִּיךְ לְמוֹרַג חָרוּץ חָדָשׁ בַעַל פִּיפִיּוֹת תָּדוּשׁ הָרִים וְתָדֹק וּגְבָעוֹת כַּמֹּץ תָּשִׂים

On the contrary; despite your appearance as a fragile worm, behold, I will turn you into a sharp new threshing board with teeth; you, the threshing board, will thresh mountains, and pulverize them into small pieces, and make hills like chaff through your threshing. The nation of Israel will trample over other nations and kingdoms.

תִּזְרֵם וְרוּחַ תִּשָּׂאֵם וּסְעָרָה תָּפִיץ אוֹתָם וְאַתָּה תָּגִיל בַּה' בִּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל תִּתְהַלָּל

You will winnow them, the enemies, and the wind will carry them away, and the storm will scatter them. In contrast to the terror and trembling that will envelop the other nations in light of the global transformations described here, the prophet assures Israel: But you will rejoice in the Lord, you will be glorified in the Holy One of Israel.

הָעֲנִיִּים וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִים מְבַקְשִׁים מַיִם — וָאַיִן לְשׁוֹנָם בַּצָּמָא נָשָׁתָּה אֲנִי ה' אֶעֱנֵם אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אֶעֶזְבֵם

The prophecy continues with words of faith and assurance for the afflicted exiles: The poor and indigent seek water and there is none; their tongue has been forgotten, or has fallen out from thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them; I am the God of Israel, I will not forsake them.

אֶפְתַּח עַל שְׁפָיִים — נְהָרוֹת וּבְתוֹךְ בְּקָעוֹת — מַעְיָנוֹת אָשִׂים מִדְבָּר לַאֲגַם מַיִם וְאֶרֶץ צִיָּה לְמוֹצָאֵי מָיִם

I will open rivers on the bare hills and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pond of water, and an arid land I will turn into sources of water.

אֶתֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶרֶז שִׁטָּה וַהֲדַס וְעֵץ שָׁמֶן אָשִׂים בָּעֲרָבָה בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר וּתְאַשּׁוּר יַחְדָּו

I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and pine trees in the wilderness; I will place juniper, ash, and boxwood together in the desert. These are all types of non-fruit bearing trees, most of which were utilized for construction. The desert will be transformed into a fertile region with many types of vegetation.

לְמַעַן יִרְאוּ וְיֵדְעוּ וְיָשִׂימוּ וְיַשְׂכִּילוּ יַחְדָּו כִּי יַד ה' עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת וּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרָאָהּ

God will do this so that they will see, know, attend, and understand together that the hand of the Lord did this and the Holy One of Israel created it, and it will be clear to all that salvation was not brought about by man.

קָרְבוּ רִיבְכֶם יֹאמַר ה' הַגִּישׁוּ עֲצֻמוֹתֵיכֶם יֹאמַר מֶלֶךְ יַעֲקֹב

The prophet again addresses the other nations and their leaders: Bring forth your quarrel for judgment before Me, says the Lord. Present your demands, says the King of Jacob.

יַגִּישׁוּ וְיַגִּידוּ לָנוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרֶינָה הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת מָה הֵנָּה הַגִּידוּ וְנָשִׂימָה לִבֵּנוּ וְנֵדְעָה אַחֲרִיתָן אוֹ הַבָּאוֹת הַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ

Let them, your gods and sorcerers, present and relate to us what will happen, and the first things, let them tell us what they are. Relate and we will attend and know their outcome, or inform us of future events. If you presume to have control of history, or knowledge or control of the future, then present it.

הַגִּידוּ הָאֹתִיּוֹת לְאָחוֹר וְנֵדְעָה כִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם אַף תֵּיטִיבוּ וְתָרֵעוּ וְנִשְׁתָּעָה וְנִרְאֶ יַחְדָּו

Relate that which is coming (see 21:12, 41:5, 25) in the futureand, if you are capable of doing so, we will know that you are gods; indeed, do good or evil, and we will discuss and see together.

הֵן אַתֶּם מֵאַיִן וּפָעָלְכֶם מֵאָפַע תּוֹעֵבָה יִבְחַר בָּכֶם

Ultimately, behold, you, with all of your claims, are come from nothing, and your actions are for naught; abomination would choose you. Alternatively: Anyone who chooses you is choosing an abomination.

הַעִירוֹתִי מִצָּפוֹן וַיַּאת מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ יִקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְיָבֹא סְגָנִים כְּמוֹ חֹמֶר וּכְמוֹ יוֹצֵר יִרְמָס טִיט

I have roused one, the redeemer, from the north, and he came; from the rising sun I will invite he who will call in My name; he will come and trample upon princes like one steps on clay to soften it in preparation for use, and like a potter treads mud.

מִי הִגִּיד מֵרֹאשׁ — וְנֵדָעָה וּמִלְּפָנִים וְנֹאמַר צַדִּיק אַף אֵין מַגִּיד אַף אֵין מַשְׁמִיעַ אַף אֵין שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵיכֶם

Who of you related in advance that which has occurred or what will occur, so that we may know, and from beforehand, that we will say that he is right? Indeed, there is no one who relates; indeed, there is no one who announces; indeed, there is no one who hears your statements. You do not know anything about the future.

רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן הִנֵּה הִנָּם וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם מְבַשֵּׂר אֶתֵּן

The first to Zion, behold, here it is. News of future events arrives first to Zion, and to Jerusalem I will provide a herald, a prophet who will prophesy the future. Only the Jewish people possess prophecy and reliable communication with God, who knows the future.

וְאֵרֶא וְאֵין אִישׁ וּמֵאֵלֶּה — וְאֵין יוֹעֵץ וְאֶשְׁאָלֵם וְיָשִׁיבוּ דָבָר

I look at all the nations, but there is no one to be a herald; and from these, other religions and philosophies, there is no counselor that I may ask them and they will give some response.

הֵן כֻּלָּם אָוֶן אֶפֶס מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם רוּחַ וָתֹהוּ נִסְכֵּיהֶם

The prophet concludes: Behold, they are all nothingness, their actions naught; their cast images are wind and emptiness.