Beginning

23 The massa (burden) of Tzor. Howl, ye oniyyot (ships) of Tarshish; for it is destroyed, so that there is no bais, no entering in; from the Eretz Kittim [Land of Cyprus] niglah (it is revealed) to them.

² Be still, ye inhabitants of the ee (isle, island); thou whom the sokher (merchant) of Tzidon, that pass over the yam, have enriched.

³ And by mayim rabbim, the zera (grain) of Shikhor [Nile], the katzir (harvest) of the Shikhor [Nile], is her tevuah (produce, income); and she is a Sakhar Goyim (market bazaar of nations).

⁴ Be thou ashamed, O Tzidon; for the yam hath spoken, even the ma’oz (fortress) of the yam, saying, I travail not, nor give birth, neither do I rear bochurim, nor bring up betulot.

⁵ As at the report concerning Mitzrayim, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tzor.

⁶ Cross ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the ee (isle, island).

⁷ Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own raglayim shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

⁸ Who hath devised this against Tzor, the crowning city, whose sokharim (merchants) are sarim (princes), whose traders are the nikhbadei Eretz (honored of the Earth).

⁹ Hashem Tzva’os hath devised it, to demean the ga’on (pride) of every beauty, and to humble all the nikhbadei Eretz.

¹⁰ Pass through thy land like the Nile, O Bat Tarshish; there is no more restraint.

¹¹ He stretched out His Yad over the yam, He shook the mamlakhot (kingdoms); Hashem hath given a commandment against Kena’an, to destroy her ma’a’uzim (fortresses).

¹² And He said, Thou shalt no more exult, O thou oppressed Betulah, Bat Tzidon; arise, pass over to Kittim [Cyprus]; there also shalt thou have no rest.

¹³ Behold, Eretz Kasdim (land of Chaldeans); this people was not, till the Assyrian made it for wild creatures; they raise up the siege towers thereof, they destroyed the palaces thereof; and turned her to ruin.

¹⁴ Howl, ye oniyyot Tarshish; for your stronghold is destroyed.

¹⁵ And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tzor shall be forgotten shiv’im shanah, according to the yamim of melech echad; after the end of shiv’im shanah shall Tzor sing as a zonah.

¹⁶ Take a kinnor, go about the Ir, thou zonah that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many shir, that thou mayest be remembered.

¹⁷ And it shall come to pass at the end of shiv’im shanah, that Hashem will visit Tzor, and she shall return to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the mamlakhot HaAretz upon the face of ha’adamah.

¹⁸ And her gain and her hire shall be kodesh to Hashem; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her [Tzor’s] earnings shall be for them that live before Hashem, to eat sufficiently, and for choice clothing.

24 Hinei, Hashem maketh Ha’Aretz empty, and maketh it waste, and ruineth her face, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

² And it shall be, as with HaAm, so with the kohen; as with the eved, so with his adonim; as with the shifcha (maid), so with her gevirah (mistress); as with the koneh (buyer), so with the mokher (seller); as with the malveh (lender) so with the loveh (borrower); as with the nosheh (creditor), so with the one owing him.

³ HaAretz shall be utterly emptied, and utterly plundered; for Hashem hath spoken this davar (word).

⁴ Ha’aretz mourneth and fadeth away, the tevel (world) languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty Am HaAretz do languish.

⁵ Ha’aretz also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed torot, changed chok (ordinance), broken the Brit Olam.

⁶ Therefore hath the curse devoured Eretz, and they that dwell therein are guilty; therefore, the inhabitants of her [the earth] are diminished, and few enosh (humankind) left.

⁷ The tirosh (new wine) faileth, the gefen languisheth, all the simchei-lev (merryhearted) do sigh.

⁸ The mirth of tambourines ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the kinnor (harp) ceaseth.

⁹ They shall not drink yayin with a shir (song); shekhar (liquor, strong drink) shall be bitter to them that drink it.

¹⁰ The city of tohu is broken; every bais is shut up, that no man may come in.

¹¹ There is a crying for yayin in the streets; all simchah is darkened, the mirth of HaAretz is banished.

¹² In the Ir is left desolation, and the sha’ar is stricken with ruination.

¹³ When thus it shall be in the midst of HaAretz among the nations, there shall be as the shaking of a zayit (olive tree), and as the olelot (gleanings) when the grape harvest is done.

¹⁴ They shall lift up their kol (voice), they shall sing for the Ga’on (Glory) of Hashem, they shall shout from the yam.

¹⁵ Therefore glorify ye Hashem in the Urim (east), even the Shem Hashem Elohei Yisroel in the iyyim (islands) [see Isaiah 42:4] of the yam.

¹⁶ From the uttermost part of Ha’Aretz have we heard zemirot (songs), even glory to the Tzaddik (Righteous One). But I said, My wasting away, my wasting away, Oy li (woe unto me)! The bogedim (traitors) have dealt treacherously; the bogedim have dealt very treacherously.

¹⁷ Pachad (fear), and the pachat (pit), and the pach (pitfall, snare), are upon thee, O inhabitant of Ha’Aretz.

¹⁸ And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the pachad shall fall into the pachat; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pachat shall be caught in the pach; for the arubot (windows [see Gen 7:11]) from on high are opened, and the Mosedei Eretz (foundations of the Earth) do shake.

¹⁹ Ha’aretz is violently broken down, Ha’Aretz is completely split open, Eretz is shaken exceedingly.

²⁰ Ha’aretz shall stagger to and fro like a shikkor (drunkard), and shall shake like a melunah (watchman’s hut); and the peysha (transgression) thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

²¹ And it shall come to pass in yom hahu (that day), that Hashem shall visit [in punishment] the Tzeva HaMarom (Host on High, Pagan deities), and the melachim of ha’adamah (kings of the earth) upon ha’adamah (the earth).

²² And they shall be gathered together, as asir (prisoners) are gathered in the bor (dungeon, pit), and shall be shut up in the masger (prison, dungeon), and after many yamim shall they be visited [in punishment].

²³ Then the levanah (moon) shall be disgraced, and the chammah (sun) ashamed, when Hashem Tzva’os shall reign in Har Tziyon, and in Yerushalayim, and before His Zekenim gloriously.

25 Hashem, Thou art Elohai; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Shimecha; for Thou hast done peleh [See Isaiah 9:5(6)]; Thy etzot (plans) of old are emunah omen (perfect faithfulness).

² For Thou hast made an Ir a heap; a fortified city, a ruin; the stronghold of the zarim (foreigners) to be rebuilt never more.

³ Therefore even the am oz (strong people) shall glorify Thee, the city of the ruthless Goyim shall fear Thee.

⁴ For Thou hast been a ma’oz (refuge) to the poor, a ma’oz to the evyon in his tzoros, a makheseh (shelter, cover) from the zerem (shower, storm, downpour), a tzel (shade) from the chorev (heat), when the ruach of the ruthless ones is like a zerem (shower, storm, downpour) against a wall.

⁵ Thou shalt silence the tumult of zarim, as the chorev (heat) in a dry place; even the chorev by the tzel (shadow) of a cloud; the zemir (battle song) of the ruthless ones shall be brought low.

⁶ And in Har Hazeh [i.e., Mt Tziyon] shall Hashem Tzva’os make unto kol HaAmim a fat mishteh (feast), a mishteh (feast) of finest, aged wines, of finest meats, of the best wines of finest vintage.

⁷ And He will destroy in Har Hazeh the pnei hallot (the face of the covering, the [death] shroud) cast over all people, and the masseikhah (overspreading veil) over Kol HaGoyim.

⁸ He will swallow up HaMavet (death) lanetzach (forever); and Adonoi Hashem will wipe away tears from off kol panim; and the kherpah (shame, disgrace) of His people shall He take away from off kol ha’aretz; for Hashem hath spoken it.

⁹ And it shall be said in Yom HaHu, Hinei, this is Eloheinu; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is Hashem; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and have simcha in His Yeshuah (Salvation).

¹⁰ For in Har Hazeh [i.e., Mt Tziyon] shall the Yad Hashem rest, and Moav shall be trodden down under Him, even as straw is trodden down in dung.

¹¹ And He shall spread forth His hands in the midst of them, just as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim; and He shall bring down their ga’avah (pride) together with the arvot (cleverness) of their hands.

¹² And the fortification of thy high chomot (walls) shall He bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the aphar (dust).

26 In that day shall this shir (song) be sung in Eretz Yehudah; We have an Ir Oz (a city of strength); Yeshuah (salvation) is that which He makes [its] chomot (walls) and outer wall.

² Open ye the She’arim, that the Goy Tzaddik (right-with-G-d people) which is shomer emunim (keeping faith) may enter in.

³ Thou wilt keep him in shalom shalom, whose yetzer (mind-set) is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.

⁴ Trust ye in Hashem forever; for in G-d Hashem is Tzur Olamin;

⁵ For He bringeth down them that dwell on marom (high); the lofty city, He layeth it low; He layeth it low, even ad eretz; He bringeth it even to aphar (dust).

⁶ The regel (foot) shall trample it down, even the feet of the oni (oppressed), and the footsteps of the dalim (poor, downtrodden, needy).

⁷ The Orakh Latzaddik (way of the just) is meiysharim (altogether level, upright, direct ones); Thou, O Yashar (Upright One, Straight One), straighten the ma’agal (circuit) of the tzaddik.

⁸ Indeed, in the orakh of Thy mishpatim, Hashem, have we waited for Thee; our ta’avat nefesh (yearning of soul) is for Thy Shem, and for the zekher (memory, remembrance) of Thee.

⁹ With my nefesh have I desired thee in the lailah; yes, with my ruach within me will I seek Thee; for when Thy mishpatim are upon ha’aretz, the inhabitants of the tevel will learn tzedek.

¹⁰ Let grace be shown to the rasha, yet he will not learn tzedek; in the Eretz Nekhochot (Land of Straightforwardness) he will deal unjustly, and will not regard the ge’ut Hashem (majesty, exaltedness of Hashem).

¹¹ Hashem, when Thy Yad (hand, power) is lifted up, they will not see; but let them see and be ashamed of their kinat Am (envy of [G-d’s] people); indeed, the eish of Thine enemies shall devour them.

¹² Hashem, Thou wilt ordain shalom for us; for Thou also hast wrought all our ma’asim (works, deeds) in us.

¹³ Hashem Eloheinu, other adonim besides Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only do we keep Thy Shem in remembrance.

¹⁴ They are mesim (dead ones), they shall not live; they are refa’im (dead ones) [see Job 26:5], they shall not rise; therefore Thou hast visited and destroyed them, and made all their zekher (memory) to perish.

¹⁵ Thou hast increased the Goy (nation, people), Hashem, Thou hast increased the Goy; Thou hast gained glory; Thou hadst extended all the borders of the Eretz.

¹⁶ Hashem, in tzoros have they visited Thee, they davened a lachash (whisper) when Thy musar (chastening) was upon them.

¹⁷ Like a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, in travail, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in Thy sight, Hashem.

¹⁸ We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth ruach (wind); we have not wrought yeshu’ot (salvation of any kind) in Eretz; neither have inhabitants of the tevel (world) been born.

¹⁹ Thy mesim (dead men, see also Dan 12:2) shall live, together with my nevelah (dead bodies, corpses) shall they arise. Awake and sing for joy, ye that dwell in aphar (dust); for Thy tal (dew) is like the orot tal (morning dew), and Eretz shall give birth to repha’im (dead ones).

²⁰ Come, My people, enter thou into thy chederim, and shut thy delatot behind thee; hide thyself for a little rega (moment, while), until the za’am (wrath, indignation [of G-d]) has passed.

²¹ For, hinei, Hashem goeth forth from His Makom (place, home) to punish the avon (iniquity) of inhabitants of ha’aretz; ha’aretz also shall disclose her dahm, and shall no more cover over her slain.

27 In Yom Hahu Hashem with His cherev hakashah v’hagedolah v’hachazakah (terrible and great and strong sword) shall punish Leviathan the Nachash bari’ach (fleeing serpent), even Leviathan that Nachash akallaton (crooked serpent); and He shall slay the Tanin (serpent, devouring sea monster) that is in the sea.

² In Yom Hahu sing ye about her, A kerem (vineyard) of fruitfulness.

³ I Hashem do watch over it; I will water it continually; lest any harm it, I will guard it lailah va’yom.

⁴ Chemah (wrath, fury) is not in Me; but if there were briers and thorns set against Me in milchamah, I would march through it, I would burn it together.

⁵ Or let him [the enemy of My vineyard, the “brier” or “thorn”] take hold of My ma’oz (stronghold, protection) that he may make shalom with Me; yes, he shall make shalom with Me.

⁶ He shall cause them that come of Ya’akov to take root; Yisroel shall blossom and bud, and fill with fruit the face of the tevel.

⁷ Hath He struck it {Israel], as He struck down those that struck it? Or is it [Israel] slain like the slaying of them that are slain by Him?

⁸ In measure, in the sending [of Yehudah] away [in the Golus], Thou dost contend with her. By His hard wind He removes her in the Yom Kadim (day of the east wind).

⁹ By this therefore shall kapporah be made for the avon Ya’akov; and this is full fruitage to take away [Yehudah’s] chattat; when He maketh all the stones of the [heathen] mizbe’ach like chalk stones crushed to pieces, the Asherim poles and pagan incense altars shall arise no more.

¹⁰ Yet the Ir Betzurah (fortified city) shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a midbar; there shall the egel graze, and there shall it lie down, and strip bare the branches thereof.

¹¹ When the boughs thereof are dry, they shall be broken off; the nashim come, and set them on fire; for it is a people of no understanding; therefore He that made them will not have compassion on them, and He that formed them will show them no favor.

¹² And it shall come to pass in Yom Hahu, that Hashem shall thresh from the flowing Nahar (i.e., [Euphrates] River) unto the Wadi Mitzrayim, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye Bnei Yisroel.

¹³ And it shall come to pass in Yom Hahu, that the shofar gadol shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in Eretz Ashur (Assyria), and those of the Golus of Eretz Mitzrayim, and shall worship Hashem in the Har HaKodesh in Yerushalayim.