נִדְרַשְׁתִּי לְלוֹא שָׁאָלוּ נִמְצֵאתִי לְלֹא בִקְשֻׁנִי אָמַרְתִּי הִנֵּנִי הִנֵּנִי אֶל גּוֹי לֹא קֹרָא בִשְׁמִי

The prophet begins with a statement by God: I responded to those who did not ask for Me; I was available to those who did not seek Me. I aided Israel without a request on their part. I said: Here I am, here I am, to a nation that does not proclaim My name. God made Himself available, despite the fact that the people did not demonstrate any interest.

פֵּרַשְׂתִּי יָדַי כָּל הַיּוֹם אֶל עַם סוֹרֵר הַהֹלְכִים הַדֶּרֶךְ לֹא טוֹב אַחַר מַחְשְׁבֹתֵיהֶם

I spread out My hands all day, in request and invitation, to bestow a blessing to a wayward people, who walk on a way that is not good, following their own evil thoughts of idolatry.

הָעָם הַמַּכְעִיסִים אוֹתִי עַל פָּנַי תָּמִיד זֹבְחִים בַּגַּנּוֹת וּמְקַטְּרִים עַל הַלְּבֵנִים;

Israel is the people that continually angers Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens to idols and burning incense to those idols on the bricks,

הַיֹּשְׁבִים בַּקְּבָרִים וּבַנְּצוּרִים יָלִינוּ הָאֹכְלִים בְּשַׂר הַחֲזִיר וּמְרַק פִּגֻּלִים כְּלֵיהֶם;

a nation of people who dwell in graves and sleep in hidden places, alluding to those who communicated with the dead, as they would sleep in cemeteries and caves for that purpose. Besides idolatry, Israel includes those who eat the flesh of swine, and soup of detestable things, forbidden foods, is in their vessels,

הָאֹמְרִים קְרַב אֵלֶיךָ אַל תִּגַּשׁ בִּי כִּי קְדַשְׁתִּיךָ אֵלֶּה עָשָׁן בְּאַפִּי אֵשׁ יֹקֶדֶת כָּל הַיּוֹם

who nevertheless hypocritically say to others: Keep to yourself; do not approach and touch me, as I am holier than you [ki kedashtikha], and your touch will render me impure. Others interpret the phrase ki kedashtikha as I have distanced you or rendered you prohibited. All these acts are the cause of the smoke of My wrath, a fire burning all day, as they constantly arouse My anger against the people.

הִנֵּה כְתוּבָה לְפָנָי לֹא אֶחֱשֶׁה כִּי אִם שִׁלַּמְתִּי וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי עַל חֵיקָם

Behold, it, a complete list of their sins, is written before Me. I will not be silent until I have repaid their punishment, and I will repay what they deserve into their bosom.

עֲוֹנֹתֵיכֶם וַעֲוֹנֹת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם יַחְדָּו אָמַר ה' אֲשֶׁר קִטְּרוּ עַל הֶהָרִים וְעַל הַגְּבָעוֹת חֵרְפוּנִי וּמַדֹּתִי פְעֻלָּתָם רִאשֹׁנָה אֶל חֵיקָם

The recompense will come for your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, said the Lord. For your fathers, who burned incense on the mountains, in accordance with the custom of worshipping in high places, and reviled Me on the hills, I will first, or fully, calculate their recompense and pay it into their, the children’s, bosom, that is, punish them. Alternatively, God will measure their actions from the beginning, and the children will receive punishment for them all.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא הַתִּירוֹשׁ בָּאֶשְׁכּוֹל וְאָמַר אַל תַּשְׁחִיתֵהוּ כִּי בְרָכָה בּוֹ כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה לְמַעַן עֲבָדַי לְבִלְתִּי הַשְׁחִית הַכֹּל

However, not all the nation is disobedient. So said the Lord: As when grape juice is found in the cluster of a vine whose grapes have not grown properly, and one says: Do not destroy it, the fruit, as a blessing is in it, since some of it is valuable, so I will do for the sake of My servants, who live among the many sinners, not to destroy everyone, the entire nation.

וְהוֹצֵאתִי מִיַּעֲקֹב זֶרַע וּמִיהוּדָה יוֹרֵשׁ הָרָי וִירֵשׁוּהָ בְחִירַי וַעֲבָדַי יִשְׁכְּנוּ שָׁמָּה

I will cause a seed worthy of a blessing to emerge from Jacob, and an heir of My mountains, the mountains of the Land of Israel, I will bring forth from Judah; My chosen ones, those whom I have chosen because they have chosen Me, will inherit it, and My servants will dwell there. Despite the severe damage done to the land as punishment to the sinners, there will be sufficient produce left to sustain the servants of God and His chosen ones.

וְהָיָה הַשָּׁרוֹן לִנְוֵה צֹאן וְעֵמֶק עָכוֹר לְרֵבֶץ בָּקָר לְעַמִּי אֲשֶׁר דְּרָשׁוּנִי

The Sharon, where little produce grows, will be a pasture for flocks, and the muddy valley, a swamp or marsh, will be utilized as a place for the lying of cattle, where cattle are raised, for the sustenance of My people who sought Me. In contrast to the individuals mentioned earlier who did not pray or seek God, those who did so will inherit the bountiful land and will dwell there peacefully.

וְאַתֶּם עֹזְבֵי ה' הַשְּׁכֵחִים אֶת הַר קָדְשִׁי הַעֹרְכִים לַגַּד שֻׁלְחָן וְהַמְמַלְאִים לַמְנִי מִמְסָךְ

The prophet now addresses the sinners: But you, forsakers of the Lord, who forget the mountain of My holiness and do not come to serve Me in the Temple, who set a table for the pagan god Gad and fill a libation for Meni, the name of another pagan god, before whom libations were customarily poured,

וּמָנִיתִי אֶתְכֶם לַחֶרֶב וְכֻלְּכֶם לַטֶּבַח תִּכְרָעוּ יַעַן קָרָאתִי וְלֹא עֲנִיתֶם דִּבַּרְתִּי וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם וַתַּעֲשׂוּ הָרַע בְּעֵינַי וּבַאֲשֶׁר לֹא חָפַצְתִּי בְּחַרְתֶּם

I will consign [maniti] you to the sword. This is a play on words, a reference to Meni in the previous verse. And all of you will bow for slaughter, as you will be killed like captives, who are forced to kneel and are then decapitated. You deserve all of these punishments, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not hear, and you did that which is evil in My eyes, and you chose that which I did not desire.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יֹאכֵלוּ וְאַתֶּם תִּרְעָבוּ הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יִשְׁתּוּ וְאַתֶּם תִּצְמָאוּ הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יִשְׂמָחוּ וְאַתֶּם תֵּבֹשׁוּ

Therefore, so said the Lord God: Behold, My servants will eat, and you, who set a table for Gad, will starve; behold, My servants will drink, and you, who pour libations for Meni, will be thirsty; behold, My servants will rejoice, and you, who worship gods of fortune and success, will be shamed;

הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יָרֹנּוּ מִטּוּב לֵב וְאַתֶּם תִּצְעֲקוּ מִכְּאֵב לֵב וּמִשֵּׁבֶר רוּחַ תְּיֵלִילוּ

behold, My servants will sing from heart’s cheer, out of happiness for the blessings they have received, and you will cry out from heartache and wail from a broken spirit, due to your troubles.

וְהִנַּחְתֶּם שִׁמְכֶם לִשְׁבוּעָה לִבְחִירַי וֶהֱמִיתְךָ ה' אֱלוֹהִים וְלַעֲבָדָיו יִקְרָא שֵׁם אַחֵר

You will leave your name as a curse for My chosen. Your name will be mentioned only as an example of a terrible fate. People taking oaths would proclaim that such a fate should befall them if they break their word. See, for example, the verse “And the woman shall become a curse among her people.” They will curse, saying: May the Lord God put you to death, just as He slayed you. But His servants He will call by another name. It is possible that the title “servant of God” had developed a negative connotation. God will therefore call them by another name, without negative connotations.

אֲשֶׁר הַמִּתְבָּרֵךְ בָּאָרֶץ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בּאלֹהֵי אָמֵן וְהַנִּשְׁבָּע בָּאָרֶץ יִשָּׁבַע בֵּאלֹהֵי אָמֵן כִּי נִשְׁכְּחוּ הַצָּרוֹת הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת וְכִי נִסְתְּרוּ מֵעֵינָי

After the destruction of evil, the entire world will consist of good alone, so that one who blesses himself that he remain in the land will bless himself by the name of the God of faithfulness, who keeps His covenant and fulfills His promises, in whom it is appropriate to have faith. And one who takes an oath in the land will take an oath by the God of faithfulness, as all of the prophecies stated in His name will be fulfilled, because the former troubles, the punishments visited upon those who strayed, are ultimately forgotten and because they are concealed from My eyes. God will not look upon those troubles anymore, as in the new reality they will have disappeared completely.

כִּי הִנְנִי בוֹרֵא שָׁמַיִם חֲדָשִׁים וָאָרֶץ חֲדָשָׁה וְלֹא תִזָּכַרְנָה הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת וְלֹא תַעֲלֶינָה עַל לֵב

For behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth. The entire world will undergo a wondrous transformation. And the former, the transgressions and their ensuing punishments, will not be remembered and will not come to mind.

כִּי אִם שִׂישׂוּ וְגִילוּ עֲדֵי עַד אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי בוֹרֵא כִּי הִנְנִי בוֹרֵא אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם גִּילָה וְעַמָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ

Rather, be glad and happy forever in that which I create, for in the new world, behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be happiness, a place where joy alone will exist, and its people will be a nation of gladness.

וְגַלְתִּי בִירוּשָׁלִַם וְשַׂשְׂתִּי בְעַמִּי וְלֹא יִשָּׁמַע בָּהּ עוֹד קוֹל בְּכִי וְקוֹל זְעָקָה

At the same time, I will be happy in Jerusalem and gladdened in My people; the sound of weeping and the sound of outcry will no longer be heard in it. In the new world, only joyful voices will be heard in Israel.

לֹא יִהְיֶה מִשָּׁם עוֹד עוּל יָמִים וְזָקֵן אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְמַלֵּא אֶת יָמָיו כִּי הַנַּעַר בֶּן מֵאָה שָׁנָה יָמוּת וְהַחוֹטֶא בֶּן מֵאָה שָׁנָה יְקֻלָּל

There will no longer be a young child or an old man from there, Jerusalem, who will not complete his days, as everyone will live long lives. As the youth will die when he is one hundred years old. People will say about one who died at the age of one hundred that he died young. Others explain that no one will suffer an untimely demise; rather, everyone will live to the age of one hundred, and the sinner will be cursed when he is one hundred years old. When the human life span will be lengthened, a sinner will be judged for his actions beginning only when he is one hundred years old. This is in contrast to today, when one is judged for sins committed after the age of thirteen or twenty. Others suggest that when someone dies at age one hundred, people will say that he died before his time due to his sins.

וּבָנוּ בָתִּים וְיָשָׁבוּ וְנָטְעוּ כְרָמִים וְאָכְלוּ פִּרְיָם

They will build houses and inhabit them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit, unlike the situation at the time of the prophecy, when those who grew crops did not always enjoy the fruit of their labor.

לֹא יִבְנוּ וְאַחֵר יֵשֵׁב לֹא יִטְּעוּ וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל כִּי כִימֵי הָעֵץ יְמֵי עַמִּי וּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם יְבַלּוּ בְחִירָי

They will not build and have another inhabit their home, and they will not plant and have another eat their food, for like the days of a tree, which can live for over one thousand years, will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will outlive their own handiwork.

לֹא יִיגְעוּ לָרִיק וְלֹא יֵלְדוּ לַבֶּהָלָה כִּי זֶרַע בְּרוּכֵי ה' הֵמָּה וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם אִתָּם

At that time, they will also not exert themselves in vain. All effort they invest will yield productive results. And furthermore, they will not give birth to panic, confusion, and uncertainty, for they are the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. Their children will not be conquered and exiled; rather, they and their offspring will live together.

וְהָיָה טֶרֶם יִקְרָאוּ – וַאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה עוֹד הֵם מְדַבְּרִים – וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁמָע

It shall be before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear. Whereas in the present one must often pray many times without necessarily receiving a response, in those days prayers will be answered before they have even been completed. The entire world will be peaceful and prosperous.

זְאֵב וְטָלֶה יִרְעוּ כְאֶחָד וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל תֶּבֶן וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל הַר קָדְשִׁי אָמַר ה'

Wolf and lamb will graze as one, as both will be herbivores, and a lion like cattle will eat straw, and as for a serpent, dust will be its food. Wild animals will no longer prey on other living creatures. None will harm or destroy on the entire mountain of My holiness, said the Lord.