TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 64
Translation and Transliteration of
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1You— As when fire kindles brushwood, And fire makes water boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries So that nations will tremble at Your Presence,
אכִּקְדֹחַ אֵשׁ הֲמָסִים מַיִם תִּבְעֶה־אֵשׁ לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁמְךָ לְצָרֶיךָ מִפָּנֶיךָ גּוֹיִם יִרְגָּזוּ׃
2When You did wonders we dared not hope for, You came down And mountains quaked before You.
בבַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ נוֹרָאוֹת לֹא נְקַוֶּה יָרַדְתָּ מִפָּנֶיךָ הָרִים נָזֹלּוּ׃
3Such things had never been heard or noted. No eye has seen [them], O Hashem, but You, Who act for those who trust in You.
גוּמֵעוֹלָם לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ לֹא הֶאֱזִינוּ עַיִן לֹא־רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה־לוֹ׃
4Yet you have struck him who would gladly do justice, And remember You in Your ways. It is because You are angry that we have sinned; We have been steeped in them from of old, And can we be saved?
דפָּגַעְתָּ אֶת־שָׂשׂ וְעֹשֵׂה צֶדֶק בִּדְרָכֶיךָ יִזְכְּרוּךָ הֵן־אַתָּה קָצַפְתָּ וַנֶּחֱטָא בָּהֶם עוֹלָם וְנִוָּשֵׁעַ׃
5We have all become like an unclean thing, And all our virtues like a filthy rag. We are all withering like leaves, And our iniquities, like a wind, carry us off.
הוַנְּהִי כַטָּמֵא כֻּלָּנוּ וּכְבֶגֶד עִדִּים כָּל־צִדְקֹתֵינוּ וַנָּבֶל כֶּעָלֶה כֻּלָּנוּ וַעֲוׂנֵנוּ כָּרוּחַ יִשָּׂאֻנוּ׃
6Yet no one invokes Your name, Rouses himself to cling to You. For You have hidden Your face from us, MAnd made us melt because of our iniquities.
ווְאֵין־קוֹרֵא בְשִׁמְךָ מִתְעוֹרֵר לְהַחֲזִיק בָּךְ כִּי־הִסְתַּרְתָּ פָנֶיךָ מִמֶּנּוּ וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ בְּיַד־עֲוׂנֵנוּ׃
7But now, Hashem, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You are the Potter, We are all the work of Your hands.
v'-a-TAH a-do-NAI a-VEE-nu A-tah a-NAKH-nu ha-KHO-mer v'-a-TAH yo-tz'-RAY-nu u-ma-a-SAY ya-d'-KHA ku-LA-nu
זוְעַתָּה יְהֹוָה אָבִינוּ אָתָּה אֲנַחְנוּ הַחֹמֶר וְאַתָּה יֹצְרֵנוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ כֻּלָּנוּ׃
64:7 We are the clay, and You are the Potter
Yeshayahu presents the people’s confession, that they are impure and unworthy of divine assistance, to Hashem. He then prays to God in their name not to be angry forever with them. They humbly acknowledge that they are like clay, and that Hashem is their potter. The people hope that since God formed Israel, He will not forsake the work of His hands (see Psalms 138:8). Rather, they hope for complete forgiveness, a return to their land and the rebuilding of the holy cities and the Beit Hamikdash which had become desolate (verses 9-10). This appeal was echoed throughout the generations, and has begun to be answered in our times.
8Be not implacably angry, Hashem, Do not remember iniquity forever. Oh, look down to Your people, to us all!
חאַל־תִּקְצֹף יְהֹוָה עַד־מְאֹד וְאַל־לָעַד תִּזְכֹּר עָוׂן הֵן הַבֶּט־נָא עַמְּךָ כֻלָּנוּ׃
9Your holy cities have become a desert: Tzion has become a desert, Yerushalayim a desolation.
טעָרֵי קָדְשְׁךָ הָיוּ מִדְבָּר צִיּוֹן מִדְבָּר הָיָתָה יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם שְׁמָמָה׃
10Our holy Temple, our pride, Where our fathers praised You, Has been consumed by fire: And all that was dear to us is ruined.
יבֵּית קָדְשֵׁנוּ וְתִפְאַרְתֵּנוּ אֲשֶׁר הִלְלוּךָ אֲבֹתֵינוּ הָיָה לִשְׂרֵפַת אֵשׁ וְכָל־מַחֲמַדֵּינוּ הָיָה לְחָרְבָּה׃
11At such things will You restrain Yourself, Hashem, Will You stand idly by and let us suffer so heavily?
יאהַעַל־אֵלֶּה תִתְאַפַּק יְהֹוָה תֶּחֱשֶׁה וּתְעַנֵּנוּ עַד־מְאֹד׃
