Chapter 17

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1The “Damascus” Pronouncement. Behold, Damascus shall cease to be a city; It shall become a heap of ruins.

אמַשָּׂא דַּמָּשֶׂק הִנֵּה דַמֶּשֶׂק מוּסָר מֵעִיר וְהָיְתָה מְעִי מַפָּלָה׃

2The towns of Aroer shall be deserted; They shall be a place for flocks To lie down, with none disturbing.

בעֲזֻבוֹת עָרֵי עֲרֹעֵר לַעֲדָרִים תִּהְיֶינָה וְרָבְצוּ וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד׃

3Fortresses shall cease from Efraim, And sovereignty from Damascus; The remnant of Aram shall become Like the mass of Israelites —declares the lord of Hosts.

גוְנִשְׁבַּת מִבְצָר מֵאֶפְרַיִם וּמַמְלָכָה מִדַּמֶּשֶׂק וּשְׁאָר אֲרָם כִּכְבוֹד בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיוּ נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃

4In that day, The mass of Yaakov shall dwindle, And the fatness of his body become lean:

דוְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִדַּל כְּבוֹד יַעֲקֹב וּמִשְׁמַן בְּשָׂרוֹ יֵרָזֶה׃

5After being like the standing grain Harvested by the reaper— Who reaps ears by the armful— He shall be like the ears that are gleaned In the Valley of Rephaim.

הוְהָיָה כֶּאֱסֹף קָצִיר קָמָה וּזְרֹעוֹ שִׁבֳּלִים יִקְצוֹר וְהָיָה כִּמְלַקֵּט שִׁבֳּלִים בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים׃

6Only gleanings shall be left of him, As when one beats an olive tree: Two berries or three on the topmost branch, Four or five on the boughs of the crown —declares Hashem, the God of Yisrael.

ווְנִשְׁאַר־בּוֹ עוֹלֵלֹת כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת שְׁנַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה גַּרְגְּרִים בְּרֹאשׁ אָמִיר אַרְבָּעָה חֲמִשָּׁה בִּסְעִפֶיהָ פֹּרִיָּה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

7In that day, men shall turn to their Maker, their eyes look to the Holy One of Yisrael;

ba-YOM ha-HU yish-EH ha-a-DAM al o-SAY-hu v'-ay-NAV el k'-DOSH yis-ra-AYL tir-E-nah

זבַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִשְׁעֶה הָאָדָם עַל־עֹשֵׂהוּ וְעֵינָיו אֶל־קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל תִּרְאֶינָה׃

17:7 In that day, men shall turn to their Maker

Yeshayahu prophesies about Damascus, the capital city of Aram. Once Israel’s vicious enemy to the north, Aram had allied itself with Israel in a futile attempt to stave off destruction at the hands of the invading Assyrians. Yeshayahu describes the totality of the destruction of both Aram and Yisrael, but then notes that a few of the Israelites are to be saved, as a remnant made holy, awakened to return to God. This remnant appears in the time of King Yoshiyahu, about whom the Bible recounts that offerings of money were made for the Temple service by men of “Menashe and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Yisrael,” which the Leviim collected and brought to Yerushalayim (II Chronicles 34:9). Similarly, in the times of Mashiach, the entire kingdom of Yisrael, the remnants of all ten of its “lost tribes,” will return to the Lord and their land.

8they shall not turn to the altars that their own hands made, or look to the sacred posts and incense stands that their own fingers wrought.

חוְלֹא יִשְׁעֶה אֶל־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו וַאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֶצְבְּעֹתָיו לֹא יִרְאֶה וְהָאֲשֵׁרִים וְהָחַמָּנִים׃

9In that day, their fortress cities shall be like the deserted sites which the Horesh and the Amir abandoned because of the Israelites; and there shall be desolation.

טבַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיוּ עָרֵי מָעֻזּוֹ כַּעֲזוּבַת הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר אֲשֶׁר עָזְבוּ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיְתָה שְׁמָמָה׃

10Truly, you have forgotten the God who saves you And have not remembered the Rock who shelters you; That is why, though you plant a delightful sapling, What you sow proves a disappointing slip.

יכִּי שָׁכַחַתְּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵךְ וְצוּר מָעֻזֵּךְ לֹא זָכָרְתְּ עַל־כֵּן תִּטְּעִי נִטְעֵי נַעֲמָנִים וּזְמֹרַת זָר תִּזְרָעֶנּוּ׃

11On the day that you plant, you see it grow; On the morning you sow, you see it bud— But the branches wither away On a day of sickness and mortal agony.

יאבְּיוֹם נִטְעֵךְ תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי וּבַבֹּקֶר זַרְעֵךְ תַּפְרִיחִי נֵד קָצִיר בְּיוֹם נַחֲלָה וּכְאֵב אָנוּשׁ׃

12Ah, the roar of many peoples That roar as roars the sea, The rage of nations that rage As rage the mighty waters—

יבהוֹי הֲמוֹן עַמִּים רַבִּים כַּהֲמוֹת יַמִּים יֶהֱמָיוּן וּשְׁאוֹן לְאֻמִּים כִּשְׁאוֹן מַיִם כַּבִּירִים יִשָּׁאוּן׃

13Nations raging like massive waters! But He shouts at them, and they flee far away, Driven like chaff before winds in the hills, And like tumbleweed before a gale.

יגלְאֻמִּים כִּשְׁאוֹן מַיִם רַבִּים יִשָּׁאוּן וְגָעַר בּוֹ וְנָס מִמֶּרְחָק וְרֻדַּף כְּמֹץ הָרִים לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְגַלְגַּל לִפְנֵי סוּפָה׃

14At eventide, lo, terror! By morning, it is no more. Such is the lot of our despoilers,The portion of them that plunder us.

ידלְעֵת עֶרֶב וְהִנֵּה בַלָּהָה בְּטֶרֶם בֹּקֶר אֵינֶנּוּ זֶה חֵלֶק שׁוֹסֵינוּ וְגוֹרָל לְבֹזְזֵינוּ׃