הַצַּדִיק אָבָד וְאֵין אִישׁ שָׂם עַל לֵב ואַנְשֵׁי חֶסֶד נֶאֱסָפִים בְּאֵין מֵבִין כִּי מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה נֶאֱסַף הַצַּדִּיק

In a generation with such leaders, the righteous is lost and no man takes it to heart; no one considers the righteous while he is alive, nor when he perishes, nor the values that he represents. Perhaps the members of the community orchestrate a grand funeral for the righteous, but they continue living their lives in apathy. Because of this, men of kindness are taken, they die with no one understanding the connection between the death of the righteous and the tragedies that befall their generation. They do not understand that it is due to the evil in this world that the righteous is taken to another world, as he cannot bear the evil. Additionally, the righteous die before an impending tragedy so that they will not have to suffer from it.

יָבוֹא שָׁלוֹם יָנוּחוּ עַל מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם הֹלֵךְ נְכֹחוֹ

May he, the righteous individual, depart to his final resting place in peace; alternatively: He will come to the place of peace. May he, the righteous, together with the men of lovingkindness, each one who walks in his uprightness, who acts virtuously in the manner befitting him, or, alternatively, who walks before God, rest in peace on their resting places. Additional interpretations: Each righteous individual passes from the world in the manner appropriate for him, or: Peace comes to greet the righteous individual. In any case, one who is not righteous will suffer tragedy and experience neither peace nor tranquility.

וְאַתֶּם קִרְבוּ הֵנָּה בְּנֵי עֹנְנָה זֶרַע מְנָאֵף וַתִּזְנֶה

The prophet levels harsh accusations against the people of his generation: And you, those who remain, approach here and receive what you deserve; alternatively: Approach here and hear what I think about you. You are children of a soothsayer [onena]; alternatively: You are children of an unstable woman who cannot be trusted, who wanders about as the changing of the seasons [onot]. Even worse, you are the descendant of an adulteress who has strayed. Some interpret the latter clause to mean: You are the descendant of an adulterer, and you also commit adultery.

עַל מִי תִּתְעַנָּגוּ ! עַל מִי תַּרְחִיבוּ פֶה תַּאֲרִיכוּ לָשׁוֹן! הֲלוֹא אַתֶּם יִלְדֵי פֶשַׁע זֶרַע שָׁקֶר

For whom do you delight with your fancy speech? Others explain this to mean: Upon whom do you rely to be the source of your delight, or: Upon whom do you rely that you allow yourselves to indulge? For whom do you widen a mouth, extend a tongue? You speak so eloquently, but you are bereft of truth. Aren’t you children of transgression, descendants of falsehood?

הַנֵּחָמִים בָּאֵלִים תַּחַת כָּל עֵץ רַעֲנָן שֹׁחֲטֵי הַיְלָדִים בַּנְּחָלִים תַּחַת סְעִפֵי הַסְּלָעִים

The prophet continues with a series of descriptions that are difficult to understand: Aren’t you those who inflame yourselves among the terebinths, passionately practicing your idolatrous ways? Many explain this as a reference to adulterous acts that accompanied idolatry. These acts are performed publicly, under every flourishing tree. Aren’t you the slaughterers of the children in the ravines, under the crags of the rocks?

בְּחַלְּקֵי נַחַל חֶלְקֵךְ הֵם הֵם גּוֹרָלֵךְ גַּם לָהֶם שָׁפַכְתְּ נֶסֶךְ הֶעֱלִית מִנְחָה הַעַל אֵלֶּה אֶנָּחֵם!

With the smooth stones of the ravine is your portion; they, they are your lot. It is possible that the stones of the ravine were used to draw lots pertaining to the idolatrous rituals that would be conducted there. Alternatively, they may have worshipped the stones or used the stones in their rituals, which is why the stones are called their lot. Also to them you poured a libation, offered up a meal offering. As with other descriptions of idolatry in the Bible, it seems that these rituals were not initially practiced with genuine idolatrous motivations; rather, they were first adopted from the surrounding cultures, perhaps as superstitious behaviors, and were eventually conducted as part of unadulterated idol worship. Can I relent with regard to these practices? Can I forgive them or behave toward them with apathy?

עַל הַר גָּבֹהַּ וְנִשָּׂא שַׂמְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ גַּם שָׁם עָלִית לִזְבֹּחַ זָבַח

Not only in the valleys, but also on a lofty, high mountain you placed your bed; there too you ascended, neither for the view nor for an excursion, but to slaughter an offering.

וְאַחַר הַדֶּלֶת וְהַמְּזוּזָה שַׂמְתְּ זִכְרוֹנֵךְ כִּי מֵאִתִּי גִּלִּית וַתַּעֲלִי הִרְחַבְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ וַתִּכְרָת לָךְ מֵהֶם אָהַבְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבָם יָד חָזִית

And behind the door and the doorpost you placed your commemoration. In your devotion to your idols you placed them behind your doors so that you would immediately encounter them when entering your home. For you exiled yourself from Me, and you went up and departed from Me; you broadened your bed and created a space between us that has been filled by foreign entities, and you established covenants for yourself with them. Alternatively, the verse means: You have been excised because of them. You loved their bed wherever you saw fit for idolatry. Others explain: You loved the bed of anyone who extended a hand to you. After criticizing Israel’s inclusion of foreign forms of worship, the prophet begins a critique of Israel’s foreign relations. He accuses the people of developing diplomatic and cultural ties with foreign nations to win their favor.

וַתָּשֻׁרִי לַמֶּלֶךְ בַּשֶּׁמֶן וַתַּרְבִּי רִקֻּחָיִךְ וַתְּשַׁלְּחִי צִירַיִךְ עַד מֵרָחֹק וַתַּשְׁפִּילִי עַד שְׁאוֹל

You sent tribute of fine oil to the foreign king, and multiplied your spice blends for him. Alternative interpretations: You appear before the foreign king anointed with oil and perfumes, or: You seek the favor of the foreign king so that he will give you oil and perfumes. You sent your representatives far and you descended even to the netherworld. All your efforts to establish relations with other nations have not yielded any benefit and have in fact degraded you.

בְּרֹב דַּרְכֵּךְ יָגַעַתְּ לֹא אָמַרְתְּ נוֹאָשׁ חַיַּת יָדֵךְ מָצָאת עַל כֵּן לֹא חָלִית

You were wearied in your multitude of ways. Some render the verse: With the multitude of your energies, or: With the multitude of your acts of intercourse you were wearied; but despite this, you did not say: Despair. If you failed to establish relations with another state, or if you failed in a certain diplomatic enterprise, you attempted a different approach. You found your livelihood; alternatively: You found your strength. You experienced some degree of success with which you sufficed, and therefore you did not fall ill in an obvious manner even though you were beset by various hidden ailments. Alternatively, the verse means: You did not become weak through your toils, or: You did not notice or worry about your illness.

וְאֶת מִי דָּאַגְתְּ וַתִּירְאִי כִּי תְכַזֵּבִי וְאוֹתִי לֹא זָכַרְתְּ לֹא שַׂמְתְּ עַל לִבֵּךְ הֲלֹא אֲנִי מַחְשֶׁה וּמֵעֹלָם וְאוֹתִי לֹא תִירָאִי

From whom were you concerned and were afraid, that you were compelled to act in a deceitful manner? It is common to lie to an enemy that is becoming stronger and more intimidating, in an effort to appease him. And Me, you did not remember, and did not take to your heart. Instead of remembering Me, you have employed creative methods in repeated attempts to establish ties with foreign nations. You have developed an entire world of activity, diplomacy, and cultural relations with various nations, but you have forgotten Me. Is it not because I have always been silent that you did not fear Me? Some interpret the verse as follows: From whom do you fear that you deny your evil ways? Has it not always been My way to demonstrate compassion and to accept those who admit their sins? You have no reason to fear admitting the truth.

אֲנִי אַגִּיד צִדְקָתֵךְ וְאֶת מַעֲשַׂיִךְ וְלֹא יוֹעִילוּךְ

I will proclaim your righteousness and your actions, and teach you how to act and how to be righteous, but they will not avail you because you refuse to listen.

בְּזַעֲקֵךְ יַצִּילֻךְ קִבּוּצַיִךְ וְאֶת כֻּלָּם יִשָּׂא רוּחַ יִקַּח הָבֶל וְהַחוֹסֶה בִי יִנְחַל אֶרֶץ וְיִירַשׁ הַר קָדְשִׁי

Your gathering will deliver you in your outcry; you organize large gatherings to cry out, and these gatherings provide help for a short time. According to many commentaries, the prophet is mocking Israel: When you cry, let the idols or the foreign nations that you have associated with deliver you, or: The worldly possessions you have gathered will not deliver you from your troubles. But eventually, the wind will carry off all of them, futility will take; they will be completely erased, while the one who trusts Me will inherit the land and take possession of My holy mountain; only actions performed out of a connection to God will have lasting impact.

וְאָמַר סֹלּוּ סֹלּוּ פַּנּוּ דָרֶךְ הָרִימוּ מִכְשׁוֹל מִדֶּרֶךְ עַמִּי

He who trusts Me, who possesses the land, will say at the time of redemption: Pave, pave, clear the way, remove the obstruction from the way of My people so that they can return to their land.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר רָם וְנִשָּׂא שֹׁכֵן עַד וְקָדוֹשׁ שְׁמוֹ מָרוֹם וְקָדוֹשׁ אֶשְׁכּוֹן וְאֶת דַּכָּא וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ לְהַחֲיוֹת רוּחַ שְׁפָלִים וּלְהַחֲיוֹת לֵב נִדְכָּאִים

The prophet combines words of comfort with words of rebuke: For so said God, the Exalted and Most High, who dwells forever, or: who dwells in the highest heavens, and Holy is His name: Exalted and holy I will dwell, in the greatest heights, and at the same time, I will be with the downtrodden and humble in the lowest depths, in order to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the downtrodden.

כִּי לֹא לְעוֹלָם אָרִיב וְלֹא לָנֶצַח אֶקְצוֹף כִּי רוּחַ מִלְּפָנַי יַעֲטוֹף וּנְשָׁמוֹת אֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי

For I will not contend forever with one who has been punished and continues to suffer, and I will not be eternally angry with him, for the spirit of man will become weak and submit before Me. Others interpret this phrase: The spirit that is enveloped in the body is from Me, or: A spirit of holiness and purity will emerge from Me and envelop the people. And I will not destroy the souls, as it was I who made them.

בַּעֲוֹן בִּצְעוֹ קָצַפְתִּי וְאַכֵּהוּ הַסְתֵּר וְאֶקְצֹף וַיֵּלֶךְ שׁוֹבָב בְּדֶרֶךְ לִבּוֹ

I was angry because of the iniquity of his greed and I smote him, concealing Myself and being angry; anger is the concealment of God’s face; and he, the sinner, went waywardly in the way of his heart, without inhibition.

דְּרָכָיו רָאִיתִי וְאֶרְפָּאֵהוּ וְאַנְחֵהוּ וַאֲשַׁלֵּם נִחֻמִים לוֹ וְלַאֲבֵלָיו

Even though he rebelled against Me and I hid My face from him, I saw his evil ways and I will heal him from his pain; I will guide him on the proper path and pay condolences to him for his pain even though he is undeserving, and I will pay condolences to his mourners, all those who mourn the destruction of Jerusalem. Alternatively, the mourners are the friends of the suffering individual, who mourn over his pain.

בּוֹרֵא נִיב שְׂפָתָיִם שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב אָמַר ה' וּרְפָאתִיו

Creator of the expression of the lips; as the Creator of speech, God decrees that the mourners and those who suffer will yet experience speech of healing and peace: Peace, peace for the far, those who have been distanced and downtrodden, and for the near, said the Lord; according to the Sages, the far and the near refer to righteous individuals and individuals who have repented. And I will heal him through My speech and by granting the power of speech to others.

והָרְשָׁעִים כַּיָּם נִגְרָשׁ כִּי הַשְׁקֵט לֹא יוּכָל וַיִּגְרְשׁוּ מֵימָיו רֶפֶשׁ וָטִיט

But the wicked are stormy like the sea, as it cannot rest; the wicked cannot rest from their constant desire to perform evil. And just as its water constantly expels mire and mud, so too, the tempestuous spirit of the wicked person constantly provokes him to act in a sinful manner.

אֵין שָׁלוֹם אָמַר אֱלֹהַי לָרְשָׁעִים

Therefore, there is no peace, said my God, for the wicked.Unlike the righteous, the wicked are constantly agitated and will never have peace.