וְעַתָּה כֹּה אָמַר ה' בֹּרַאֲךָ יַעֲקֹב וְיֹצֶרְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל תִּירָא כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ קָרָאתִי בְשִׁמְךָ לִי אָתָּה

When the time comes, Israel will pay attention to all these matters, and will then be redeemed from exile and saved from all its suffering. And now, when that time comes, so said the Lord, your Creator, Jacob; and your Fashioner, Israel: Do not fear My anger, as I have redeemed you; I have called your name and given you prominence. In the Bible, calling a person by name is a manner of expressing or giving the person a status, an assignment, or a position. You are Mine.

כִּי תַעֲבֹר בַּמַּיִם — אִתְּךָ אָנִי וּבַנְּהָרוֹת — לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּךָ כִּי תֵלֵךְ בְּמוֹ אֵשׁ — לֹא תִכָּוֶה וְלֶהָבָה לֹא תִבְעַר בָּךְ

Therefore, when you pass through the water I am with you, and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep you away; when you walk into fire you will not be burned, and a flame will not blaze upon you. Even oppression and attempts to force you to give up your faith will not succeed in detaching you from Me.

כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעֶךָ נָתַתִּי כָפְרְךָ מִצְרַיִם כּוּשׁ וּסְבָא תַּחְתֶּיךָ

For I am the Lord your God, Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt as your ransom, Kush and Seva in your stead. Other nations will atone for you by receiving punishment in your stead.

מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְעֵינַי נִכְבַּדְתָּ וַאֲנִי אֲהַבְתִּיךָ וְאֶתֵּן אָדָם תַּחְתֶּיךָ וּלְאֻמִּים תַּחַת נַפְשֶׁךָ

Since you were precious in My eyes, you were honored and I loved you; I will give other men in your stead and other peoples instead of, in exchange for, your life.

אַל תִּירָא כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי מִמִּזְרָח אָבִיא זַרְעֶךָ וּמִמַּעֲרָב אֲקַבְּצֶךָּ

Fear not, as I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the East, and from the West I will gather you.

אֹמַר לַצָּפוֹן תֵּנִי וּלְתֵימָן אַל תִּכְלָאִי הָבִיאִי בָנַי מֵרָחוֹק וּבְנוֹתַי מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ

I will say to the North wind: Give, and to the South wind: Do not withhold; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth. In biblical Hebrew, each direction is associated with a wind, to the extent that the word meaning direction, ru’aḥ, literally means wind. In this case the metaphor is reversed and God commands the directions, i.e., the winds, to assist in returning the dispersed people of Israel. This may be understood to indicate the swiftness of the return, or as an actual command, that the winds cause the ships to sail quickly.

כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו יְצַרְתִּיו אַף עֲשִׂיתִיו

Not only will the winds help to return Israel to its land, all of nature shall do so as well. Everything that is called by My name, and for My glory I created it, I fashioned it, truly, I made it. Since everything was created for My glory, the entire world will assist in your redemption. The early commentaries understand this verse as referring to Israel, as a continuation of the previous statement where God instructs the winds to return those who are called by His name and created for His glory.

הוֹצִיא עַם עִוֵּר וְעֵינַיִם יֵשׁ וְחֵרְשִׁים — וְאָזְנַיִם לָמוֹ

To free a people that is blind though it has eyes, referring to Israel, which is the servant of God mentioned above, who despite having eyes does not see, and deaf though they have ears, as they do not hear.

כָּל הַגּוֹיִם נִקְבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו וְיֵאָסְפוּ לְאֻמִּים — מִי בָהֶם יַגִּיד זֹאת ורִאשֹׁנוֹת יַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ ! יִתְּנוּ עֵדֵיהֶם וְיִצְדָּקוּ וְיִשְׁמְעוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ אֱמֶת

If all the nations were to be gathered together and the peoples assembled, who among them will tell this and announce to us the first things? Who is capable of predicting your redemption, as you heard from your prophets? Let them, the nations, provide their witnesses, or proofs, and they will be vindicated; and let them, those who hear the testimony, hear it, and they will say: It is the truth that there is no one among the nations that can bring such proofs or testimony.

אַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם ה' וְעַבְדִּי אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרְתִּי לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ וְתַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְתָבִינוּ כִּי אֲנִי הוּא; לְפָנַי לֹא נוֹצַר אֵל וְאַחֲרַי לֹא יִהְיֶה

In contrast, you are My witnesses, who testify to My existence through the fulfillment of the prophecy of your redemption – the utterance of the Lord – and you are My servant whom I have chosen for Myself; so that you will know and trust in Me and understand that I am He; before Me no god was formed, and after Me there will not be.

אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי ה' וְאֵין מִבַּלְעָדַי מוֹשִׁיעַ

I, I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no savior.

אָנֹכִי הִגַּדְתִּי וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּי וְהִשְׁמַעְתִּי וְאֵין בָּכֶם זָר וְאַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם ה'וַאֲנִי אֵל

I related, I saved, and I announced, and there was no stranger, strange god, among you who did likewise; you are My witnesses, and this is your mission in the world – the utterance of the Lord – and I am God.

גַּם מִיּוֹם אֲנִי הוּא וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל אֶפְעַל וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנָּה

Indeed, from when there was day, since the dawn of time; or alternatively: Since the time that the concept of day existed in the world. This may also refer to a specific, significant day in history, such as the day the Torah was given. I am He and there is no savior from My hand, everything is under My control; I will act and who can reverse it? No one can annul My actions, as My authority is complete and comprehensive. Therefore, as My witnesses you should attest to this, and your redemption will also be comprehensive.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' גֹּאַלְכֶם קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַנְכֶם שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָבֶלָה וְהוֹרַדְתִּי בָרִיחִים כֻּלָּם וְכַשְׂדִּים בָּאֳנִיּוֹת רִנָּתָם

So said the Lord, your Redeemer, Holy One of Israel: For your sake I sent people to Babylon in order to return Israel from there, likely referring to the army of Cyrus of Persia, who conquered Babylon. And I will bring down all their bars; I will open all of their borders, and the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, will be found on the ships [ba’oniyyot] with their song. The Babylonians will be found on the ships of the Jewish exiles, who will be rejoicing while returning from exile, in order to assist them in passing through the rivers of Babylonia. Some interpret this phrase to mean that God will bring the Chaldeans onto the ships of their pleasure cruises, but not for pleasure but rather as captives or fugitives following the conquest of Cyrus; or that their shouting will be heard from the ships. A third interpretation is that their voices will be heard crying [aniyyot]. Rashi, based on Targum Yonatan, interprets this verse as referring to the descent of the Jews into exile in Babylon.

אֲנִי ה' קְדוֹשְׁכֶם בּוֹרֵא יִשְׂרָאֵל מַלְכְּכֶם

I am the Lord, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' הַנּוֹתֵן בַּיָּם דָּרֶךְ וּבְמַיִם עַזִּים נְתִיבָה

The prophet describes how the Jewish people will be redeemed from all over the world: So said the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and prepares a path in mighty waters,

הַמּוֹצִיא רֶכֶב וָסוּס חַיִל וְעִזּוּז יַחְדָּו יִשְׁכְּבוּ בַּל יָקוּמוּ דָּעֲכוּ כַּפִּשְׁתָּה כָבוּ

He who forms a path in the stormy sea is also He who brings out chariots and horse to war, an army and a mighty force; it is also He who causes their downfall. Together they will lie down, not to rise, dimmed, extinguished like a flaxen wick. The mighty army’s downfall will be gradual, compared to a flaming wick that slowly dims until it goes out.

אַל תִּזְכְּרוּ רִאשֹׁנוֹת וְקַדְמֹנִיּוֹת אַל תִּתְבֹּנָנוּ

Do not remember the first things and do not contemplate the ancient. Although you have experienced numerous miracles in the past, you will not remember them.

הִנְנִי עֹשֶׂה חֲדָשָׁה עַתָּה תִצְמָח הֲלוֹא תֵּדָעוּהָ אַף אָשִׂים בַּמִּדְבָּר דֶּרֶךְ בִּישִׁמוֹן נְהָרוֹת

For behold, I will perform something new and greater, in comparison to prior miracles; now it will sprout, surely you will know it. I will even make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

תְּכַבְּדֵנִי חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה תַּנִּים וּבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה כִּי נָתַתִּי בַמִּדְבָּר מַיִם נְהָרוֹת בִּישִׁימֹן לְהַשְׁקוֹת עַמִּי בְחִירִי

The beasts of the field would honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I put water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, in order to give drink to My chosen people.

עַם זוּ יָצַרְתִּי לִי תְּהִלָּתִי יְסַפֵּרוּ

This people, I fashioned for Myself; they will relate My praise.

וְלֹא אֹתִי קָרָאתָ יַעֲקֹב כִּי יָגַעְתָּ בִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Until this point, the prophet has discussed the unique methods that God will use to redeem Israel. Now, he confronts Israel with a different issue: But it was not Me that you called, Jacob, for you wearied of Me, Israel. Your efforts in worshipping Me were inconsistent. Alternatively: If you are making yourself weary, you are not truly calling Me.

לֹא הֵבֵיאתָ לִּי שֵׂה עֹלֹתֶיךָ וּזְבָחֶיךָ לֹא כִבַּדְתָּנִי לֹא הֶעֱבַדְתִּיךָ בְּמִנְחָה וְלֹא הוֹגַעְתִּיךָ בִּלְבוֹנָה

You did not bring Me the sheep of your burnt offerings and you did not honor Me with your offerings. Your bringing of offerings did not honor Me. In general, I have not burdened you with a meal offering and I have not wearied you with frankincense.

לֹא קָנִיתָ לִּי בַכֶּסֶף קָנֶה וחֵלֶב זְבָחֶיךָ לֹא הִרְוִיתָנִי אַךְ הֶעֱבַדְתַּנִי בְּחַטֹּאותֶיךָ הוֹגַעְתַּנִי בַּעֲוֹנֹתֶיךָ

You did not buy a cane for Me with silver. If you purchased a fragrant cane to offer as incense in the Temple, you have not done so on My behalf, as you may have erroneously believed. And with the fat of your offerings you did not satisfy Me. I have no need for it, nor do I derive any satisfaction from it. Rather, in contrast to Me, who has not troubled you excessively, you burdened Me with your sins, you wearied Me with your iniquities. Your sins, for which you have brought a proliferation of offerings, are difficult for Me to bear.

אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי וְחַטֹּאתֶיךָ לֹא אֶזְכֹּר

Despite your disappointing conduct and unwelcome offerings, I, I alone, am He who expunges your transgressions for My sake, as they are difficult for Me to tolerate; and your sins I will not remember. I have the power to erase your sins entirely.

הַזְכִּירֵנִי נִשָּׁפְטָה יָחַד סַפֵּר אַתָּה לְמַעַן תִּצְדָּק

Remind Me, let us come together for judgment, arrange judgment between us; relate, you, your claims first, so that you will appear to be vindicated by offering your version of the facts.

אָבִיךָ הָרִאשׁוֹן חָטָא וּמְלִיצֶיךָ פָּשְׁעוּ בִי

However, you cannot claim that you have not sinned, as you know that your original ancestor, Adam, already sinned; alternatively, “your original ancestor” refers to all of your ancestors. And your advocates, who defend you and atone for you, also transgressed against Me. The leaders of the nation of Israel throughout the generations have often not conducted themselves appropriately.

וַאֲחַלֵּל שָׂרֵי קֹדֶשׁ וְאֶתְּנָה לַחֵרֶם יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל — לְגִדּוּפִים

Therefore, I have destroyed the Temple, and profaned the sacred princes, the priests who serve in the Temple and perform the offerings, and I gave Jacob to destruction and Israel to derisions.