לְמַעַן צִיּוֹן לֹא אֶחֱשֶׁה וּלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֹא אֶשְׁקוֹט עַד יֵצֵא כַנֹּגַהּ צִדְקָהּ וִישׁוּעָתָהּ כְּלַפִּיד יִבְעָר

Here the prophet speaks in his own voice: For the sake of Zion I will not be silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still. I will raise my voice and pray on behalf of Jerusalem, until its rightness emerges as a glow. Jerusalem’s strength and the righteousness of her ways will be apparent to all, and its salvation will blaze like a torch.

וְרָאוּ גוֹיִם צִדְקֵךְ וְכָל מְלָכִים כְּבוֹדֵךְ וְקֹרָא לָךְ שֵׁם חָדָשׁ אֲשֶׁר פִּי ה' יִקֳּבֶנּוּ

Nations will see your rightness and all kings will see your glory; and then, after your redemption, you will also be called a new name that the mouth of the Lord will designate.

וְהָיִית עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת בְּיַד ה' וּצְנִיף מְלוּכָה בְּכַף אֱלֹהָיִךְ

You will be a crown of splendor in the hand of the Lord and a royal mitre in the palm of your God. You will be close to God, protected, supported, and embraced by Him, as it were.

לֹא יֵאָמֵר לָךְ עוֹד עֲזוּבָה וּלְאַרְצֵךְ לֹא יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שְׁמָמָה כִּי לָךְ יִקָּרֵא חֶפְצִי בָהּ וּלְאַרְצֵךְ בְּעוּלָה כִּי חָפֵץ ה' בָּךְ וְאַרְצֵךְ תִּבָּעֵל

The city that was forsaken will no longer be said of you and desolate will no longer be said of your land; rather, you will be called the opposite: My desire is for her and your land will be called: Wedded; for the Lord desires you and your land will be wed; it shall have owners, and be inhabited.

כִּי יִבְעַל בָּחוּר בְּתוּלָה יִבְעָלוּךְ בָּנָיִךְ וּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ

Just as a young man weds a maiden, so your sons will wed you, with comparable joy and enthusiasm they will arrive to reinhabit, build, and develop the land; and like the gladness of a groom with a bride, so your God will be glad with you. God will rejoice over you like a bridegroom toward his bride. The image of a husband and wife is commonly used by the prophets to describe the relationship between God and Israel. Here the prophet focuses specifically on the joy at the renewal of this relationship.

עַל חוֹמֹתַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִפְקַדְתִּי שֹׁמְרִים כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה תָּמִיד לֹא יֶחֱשׁוּ הַמַּזְכִּרִים אֶת ה'– אַל דֳּמִי לָכֶם

The prophet speaks in the name of Israel: On your walls, Jerusalem, I appointed guards [shomerim], all day and all night, they will never be silent. These guards are not appointed to protect the city from enemies; rather, they guard in their hearts the city’s former glory, anticipate its return, and do not cease thinking about it. In this context, shomerim bears a meaning similar to a verse regarding Joseph’s dreams: “His brothers envied him; but his father kept the matter in mind [shamar].” Those who remind the Lord, urging Him, as it were: You have promised to redeem Your beloved Zion and we wish to know when this will occur, do not be quiet.

וְאַל תִּתְּנוּ דֳמִי לוֹ עַד יְכוֹנֵן וְעַד יָשִׂים אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם תְּהִלָּה בָּאָרֶץ

The prophet further states to those individuals: And do not afford Him quiet; rather, continue to mention Zion, pray for it, and ceaselessly act on its behalf, until He establishes and until He places Jerusalem to be an accolade in the land, by bringing the ultimate redemption.

נִשְׁבַּע ה' בימִינוֹ וּבִזְרוֹעַ עֻזּוֹ אִם אֶתֵּן אֶת דְּגָנֵךְ עוֹד מַאֲכָל לְאֹיְבַיִךְ וְאִם יִשְׁתּוּ בְנֵי נֵכָר תִּירוֹשֵׁךְ אֲשֶׁר יָגַעַתְּ בּוֹ

The prophet cites a response from God with regard to future times: The Lord took an oath by His right hand and by His mighty arm: I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies, and foreigners will not drink your wine, for which you labored. After you have harvested your grapes and brought them to the winepress, foreigners will not drink your new wine.

כִּי מְאַסְפָיו יֹאכְלֻהוּ וְהִלְלוּ אֶת ה' וּמְקַבְּצָיו יִשְׁתֻּהוּ בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשִׁי

Rather, its harvesters, of the grain, will eat it and will praise the Lord in the appropriate manner, by bringing a portion of the produce to Jerusalem where they will praise God. And likewise, its gatherers, of the wine, will drink it in the courtyards of My Sanctuary. The land will be quiet and tranquil, and the people will bring the grain and wine they have harvested to the Temple with joy. Other commentaries maintain that the entire Land of Israel is included in the phrase “the courtyards of My Sanctuary.”

עִבְרוּ עִבְרוּ בַּשְּׁעָרִים פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָעָם סֹלּוּ סֹלּוּ הַמְסִלָּה סַקְּלוּ מֵאֶבֶן הָרִימוּ נֵס עַל הָעַמִּים

The prophet continues to describe the coming of the redemption: Pass, pass through the gates of the crowded cities, to call upon the people to travel to Zion, clear the way of the people; pave, pave, and straighten the highway on which they will travel to the mountain of God, clear the stones and any other impediments, in order to facilitate easier access to Zion; raise a banner over the peoples, as a signal that the time has arrived for Israel to return to Zion.

הִנֵּה ה' הִשְׁמִיעַ אֶל קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ אִמְרוּ לְבַת צִיּוֹן הִנֵּה יִשְׁעֵךְ בָּא הִנֵּה שְׂכָרוֹ אִתּוֹ וּפְעֻלָּתוֹ לְפָנָיו

Behold, the Lord has announced to the ends of the earth, including all distant locations: Say to the daughter of Zion, who reached even those far places: Behold, your Savior has come to redeem you; behold, His reward that He will give you for serving Him is with Him, and His recompense that He will give is prepared before Him.

וְקָרְאוּ לָהֶם עַם הַקֹּדֶשׁ גְּאוּלֵי ה' וְלָךְ יִקָּרֵא דְרוּשָׁה עִיר לֹא נֶעֱזָבָה

They will call them, the children of Israel: Holy people, and redeemed of the Lord; and you, Jerusalem, will then be called: Sought after, a city not forsaken, as you will rise to your former level of greatness, and again become a prominent city beloved by all.