TORAH

FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES

NEVI'IM

PROPHETS

KETUVIM

WRITINGS

Chapter 3

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1For lo! The Sovereign LORD of Hosts Will remove from Yerushalayim and from Yehuda Prop and stay, Every prop of food And every prop of water:

אכִּי הִנֵּה הָאָדוֹן יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת מֵסִיר מִירוּשָׁלַ ִם וּמִיהוּדָה מַשְׁעֵן וּמַשְׁעֵנָה כֹּל מִשְׁעַן־לֶחֶם וְכֹל מִשְׁעַן־מָיִם׃

2Soldier and warrior, Magistrate and Navi, Augur and elder;

בגִּבּוֹר וְאִישׁ מִלְחָמָה שׁוֹפֵט וְנָבִיא וְקֹסֵם וְזָקֵן׃

3Captain of fifty, Magnate and counselor, Skilled artisan and expert enchanter;

גשַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁים וּנְשׂוּא פָנִים וְיוֹעֵץ וַחֲכַם חֲרָשִׁים וּנְבוֹן לָחַשׁ׃

4And He will make boys their rulers, And babes shall govern them.

v'-na-ta-TEE n'-a-REEM sa-ray-HEM v'-ta-a-lu-LEEM yim-sh'-lu VAM

דוְנָתַתִּי נְעָרִים שָׂרֵיהֶם וְתַעֲלוּלִים יִמְשְׁלוּ־בָם׃

3:4 And He will make boys their rulers

After the removal of the competent and qualified leadership of Yehuda (verses 1-3), young and inexperienced leaders will rule in their place. These rulers will lead the people even further astray from Hashem. The chapter describes a collapse of social order under their governance; the people oppress one another, there is a lack of respect between friends and the young behave with arrogance towards their elders, as the nation continues on its path of Sodom-like behavior (verse 9). In verses 10-11, Yeshayahu promises that Hashem will reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Leadership carries with it tremendous responsibility: A leader has the potential to carry his nation to great heights or to lead it to its downfall. Jewish leadership in the Land of Israel is charged with the responsibility to lead the nation in justice and morality. Anything less than that is intolerable in Hashem’s eyes, and will be punished.

5So the people shall oppress one another— Each oppressing his fellow: The young shall bully the old; And the despised [shall bully] the honored.

הוְנִגַּשׂ הָעָם אִישׁ בְּאִישׁ וְאִישׁ בְּרֵעֵהוּ יִרְהֲבוּ הַנַּעַר בַּזָּקֵן וְהַנִּקְלֶה בַּנִּכְבָּד׃

6For should a man seize his brother, In whose father's house there is clothing: “Come, be a chief over us, And let this ruin be under your care,”

וכִּי־יִתְפֹּשׂ אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו בֵּית אָבִיו שִׂמְלָה לְכָה קָצִין תִּהְיֶה־לָּנוּ וְהַמַּכְשֵׁלָה הַזֹּאת תַּחַת יָדֶךָ׃

7The other will thereupon protest, “I will not be a dresser of wounds, With no food or clothing in my own house. You shall not make me chief of a people!”

זיִשָּׂא בַיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר לֹא־אֶהְיֶה חֹבֵשׁ וּבְבֵיתִי אֵין לֶחֶם וְאֵין שִׂמְלָה לֹא תְשִׂימֻנִי קְצִין עָם׃

8Ah, Yerushalayim has stumbled, And Yehuda has fallen, Because by word and deed They insult Hashem, Defying His majestic glance.

חכִּי כָשְׁלָה יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם וִיהוּדָה נָפָל כִּי־לְשׁוֹנָם וּמַעַלְלֵיהֶם אֶל־יְהֹוָה לַמְרוֹת עֵנֵי כְבוֹדוֹ׃

9Their partiality in judgment accuses them; They avow their sins like Sodom, They do not conceal them. Woe to them! For ill Have they served themselves.

טהַכָּרַת פְּנֵיהֶם עָנְתָה בָּם וְחַטָּאתָם כִּסְדֹם הִגִּידוּ לֹא כִחֵדוּ אוֹי לְנַפְשָׁם כִּי־גָמְלוּ לָהֶם רָעָה׃

10(Hail the just man, for he shall fare well; He shall eat the fruit of his works.

יאִמְרוּ צַדִּיק כִּי־טוֹב כִּי־פְרִי מַעַלְלֵיהֶם יֹאכֵלוּ׃

11Woe to the wicked man, for he shall fare ill; As his hands have dealt, so shall it be done to him.)

יאאוֹי לְרָשָׁע רָע כִּי־גְמוּל יָדָיו יֵעָשֶׂה לּוֹ׃

12My people's rulers are babes, It is governed by women. O my people! Your leaders are misleaders; They have confused the course of your paths.

יבעַמִּי נֹגְשָׂיו מְעוֹלֵל וְנָשִׁים מָשְׁלוּ בוֹ עַמִּי מְאַשְּׁרֶיךָ מַתְעִים וְדֶרֶךְ אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ בִּלֵּעוּ׃

13Hashem stands up to plead a cause, He rises to champion peoples.

יגנִצָּב לָרִיב יְהֹוָה וְעֹמֵד לָדִין עַמִּים׃

14Hashem will bring this charge Against the elders and officers of His people: “It is you who have ravaged the vineyard; That which was robbed from the poor is in your houses.

ידיְהֹוָה בְּמִשְׁפָּט יָבוֹא עִם־זִקְנֵי עַמּוֹ וְשָׂרָיו וְאַתֶּם בִּעַרְתֶּם הַכֶּרֶם גְּזֵלַת הֶעָנִי בְּבָתֵּיכֶם׃

15How dare you crush My people And grind the faces of the poor?” —says Hashem my God of Hosts.

טומלכם [מַה־] [לָּכֶם] תְּדַכְּאוּ עַמִּי וּפְנֵי עֲנִיִּים תִּטְחָנוּ נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה צְבָאוֹת׃

16Hashem said: “Because the daughters of Tzion Are so vain And walk with heads thrown back, With roving eyes, And with mincing gait, Making a tinkling with their feet”—

טזוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה יַעַן כִּי גָבְהוּ בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וַתֵּלַכְנָה נטוות [נְטוּיוֹת] גָּרוֹן וּמְשַׂקְּרוֹת עֵינָיִם הָלוֹךְ וְטָפֹף תֵּלַכְנָה וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶם תְּעַכַּסְנָה׃

17My Lord will bare the pates Of the daughters of Tzion, Hashem will uncover their heads.

יזוְשִׂפַּח אֲדֹנָי קָדְקֹד בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וַיהֹוָה פָּתְהֵן יְעָרֶה׃

18In that day, Hashem will strip off the finery of the anklets, the fillets, and the crescents;

יחבַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָסִיר אֲדֹנָי אֵת תִּפְאֶרֶת הָעֲכָסִים וְהַשְּׁבִיסִים וְהַשַּׂהֲרֹנִים׃

19of the eardrops, the bracelets, and the veils;

יטהַנְּטִיפוֹת וְהַשֵּׁירוֹת וְהָרְעָלוֹת׃

20the turbans, the armlets, and the sashes; of the talismans and the amulets;

כהַפְּאֵרִים וְהַצְּעָדוֹת וְהַקִּשֻּׁרִים וּבָתֵּי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהַלְּחָשִׁים׃

21the signet rings and the nose rings;

כאהַטַּבָּעוֹת וְנִזְמֵי הָאָף׃

22of the festive robes, the mantles, and the shawls; the purses,

כבהַמַּחֲלָצוֹת וְהַמַּעֲטָפוֹת וְהַמִּטְפָּחוֹת וְהָחֲרִיטִים׃

23the lace gowns, and the linen vests; and the kerchiefs and the capes.

כגוְהַגִּלְיֹנִים וְהַסְּדִינִים וְהַצְּנִיפוֹת וְהָרְדִידִים׃

24And then— Instead of perfume, there shall be rot; And instead of an apron, a rope; Instead of a diadem of beaten-work, A shorn head; Instead of a rich robe, A girding of sackcloth; A burn instead of beauty.

כדוְהָיָה תַחַת בֹּשֶׂם מַק יִהְיֶה וְתַחַת חֲגוֹרָה נִקְפָּה וְתַחַת מַעֲשֶׂה מִקְשֶׁה קָרְחָה וְתַחַת פְּתִיגִיל מַחֲגֹרֶת שָׂק כִּי־תַחַת יֹפִי׃

25Her men shall fall by the sword, Her fighting manhood in battle;

כהמְתַיִךְ בַּחֶרֶב יִפֹּלוּ וּגְבוּרָתֵךְ בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃

26And her gates shall lament and mourn, And she shall be emptied, Shall sit on the ground.

כווְאָנוּ וְאָבְלוּ פְּתָחֶיהָ וְנִקָּתָה לָאָרֶץ תֵּשֵׁב׃