1“Yet now hear, O Ya’akov My servant, and Yisra’el, whom I have chosen; 2Thus says יהוה that made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you, ‘Fear not, O Ya’akov My servant, and you, Yeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour My Ru’akh upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring; 4and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. 5One shall say, ‘I belong to יהוה ‘; and another shall call himself by the name of Ya’akov; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto יהוה , and surname himself by the name of Yisra’el’.”
6“Thus says יהוה , Melekh Yisra’el, and His Redeemer, יהוה Tzeva’ot, ‘I am the first, and I am the last, and beside Me there are no gods. 7And who, as I, can proclaim, let him declare it, and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them declare. 8Fear not, neither be afraid; have I not announced unto you of old, and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there an Eloah beside Me? Yes, there is no Rock; I know not any. 9They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity, and their delectable things shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. 10Who has fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing? Re’eh(1) 11Behold, all the fellows thereof shall be ashamed; and the craftsmen skilled above men; let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together. 12The smith makes an axe, and works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm; yes, he is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint. 13The carpenter stretches out a line; he marks it out with a pencil; he fits it with planes, and he marks it out with the compasses, and makes it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in the house. 14He hews him down cedars, and takes the ilex and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest; he plants a bay tree, and the rain does nourish it. 15Then a man uses it for fuel; and he takes thereof, and warms himself; yes, he kindles it, and bakes bread; yes, he makes a god, and worships it; he makes it a graven image, and falls down thereto. 16He burns the half thereof in the fire; with the half thereof he eats flesh; he roasts a roast, and is satisfied; yes, he warms himself, and says, ‘Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire’; 17and the residue thereof he makes a god, even his graven image; he falls down unto it and worships, and prays unto it, and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god.’ 18They know not, neither do they understand; for their eyes are bedaubed, that they cannot see, and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19And none considers in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, ‘I have burned the half of it in the fire; yes, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it; and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?’ 20He strives after ashes, a deceived heart has turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?’ 21Remember these things, O Ya’akov, and Yisra’el, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My own servant; O Yisra’el, you should not forget Me. 22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins; return unto Me, for I have redeemed you. 23Sing, O you heavens, for יהוה has done it; shout, you lowest parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree therein; for יהוה has redeemed Ya’akov, and does glorify Himself in Yisra’el. end VaYikra 24Thus says יהוה , your Redeemer, and He that formed you from the womb, ‘I am יהוה , that makes all things; that stretched forth the heavens, alone; that spread abroad the earth by Myself; 25that frustrates the tokens of the imposters, and makes diviners mad; that turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish; 26that confirms the D’var, His Servant, and performs the counsel of His Malakhim; that says of Yerushalayim, ‘She shall be inhabited’; and of the cities of Yehudah, ‘They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof’; 27that says to the deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers’; 28that says of Koresh, ‘He is My shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure’; even saying of Yerushalayim, ‘She shall be built’; and to the Heikhal, ‘My foundation shall be laid’.”
אוְעַתָּה שְׁמַע יַעֲקֹב עַבְדִּי; וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ. בכֹּה אָמַר יהוה עֹשֶׂךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ מִבֶּטֶן יַעְזְרֶךָּ: אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וִישֻׁרוּן בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ. גכִּי אֶצָּק מַיִם עַל צָמֵא וְנֹזְלִים עַל יַבָּשָׁה; אֶצֹּק רוּחִי עַל זַרְעֶךָ וּבִרְכָתִי עַל צֶאֱצָאֶיךָ. דוְצָמְחוּ בְּבֵין חָצִיר כַּעֲרָבִים עַל יִבְלֵי מָיִם. הזֶה יֹאמַר לַיהוה אָנִי וְזֶה יִקְרָא בְשֵׁם יַעֲקֹב; וְזֶה יִכְתֹּב יָדוֹ לַיהוה וּבְשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל יְכַנֶּה.
וכֹּה אָמַר יהוה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגֹאֲלוֹ יהוה צְבָאוֹת: אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים. זוּמִי כָמוֹנִי יִקְרָא וְיַגִּידֶהָ וְיַעְרְכֶהָ לִי מִשּׂוּמִי עַם עוֹלָם; וְאֹתִיּוֹת וַאֲשֶׁר תָּבֹאנָה יַגִּידוּ לָמוֹ. חאַל תִּפְחֲדוּ וְאַל תִּרְהוּ הֲלֹא מֵאָז הִשְׁמַעְתִּיךָ וְהִגַּדְתִּי וְאַתֶּם עֵדָי; הֲיֵשׁ אֱלוֹהַּ מִבַּלְעָדַי וְאֵין צוּר בַּל יָדָעְתִּי. טיֹצְרֵי פֶסֶל כֻּלָּם תֹּהוּ וַחֲמוּדֵיהֶם בַּל יוֹעִילוּ; וְעֵדֵיהֶם הֵמָּה בַּל יִרְאוּ וּבַל יֵדְעוּ לְמַעַן יֵבֹשׁוּ. ימִי יָצַר אֵל וּפֶסֶל נָסָךְ לְבִלְתִּי הוֹעִיל. יאהֵן כָּל חֲבֵרָיו יֵבֹשׁוּ וְחָרָשִׁים הֵמָּה מֵאָדָם; יִתְקַבְּצוּ כֻלָּם יַעֲמֹדוּ יִפְחֲדוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ יָחַד. יבחָרַשׁ בַּרְזֶל מַעֲצָד וּפָעַל בַּפֶּחָם וּבַמַּקָּבוֹת יִצְּרֵהוּ; וַיִּפְעָלֵהוּ בִּזְרוֹעַ כֹּחוֹ גַּם רָעֵב וְאֵין כֹּחַ לֹא שָׁתָה מַיִם וַיִּיעָף. יגחָרַשׁ עֵצִים נָטָה קָו יְתָאֲרֵהוּ בַשֶּׂרֶד יַעֲשֵׂהוּ בַּמַּקְצֻעוֹת וּבַמְּחוּגָה יְתָאֳרֵהוּ; וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ כְּתַבְנִית אִישׁ כְּתִפְאֶרֶת אָדָם לָשֶׁבֶת בָּיִת. ידלִכְרָת לוֹ אֲרָזִים וַיִּקַּח תִּרְזָה וְאַלּוֹן וַיְאַמֶּץ לוֹ בַּעֲצֵי יָעַר; נָטַע אֹרֶן וְגֶשֶׁם יְגַדֵּל. טווְהָיָה לְאָדָם לְבָעֵר וַיִּקַּח מֵהֶם וַיָּחָם אַף יַשִּׂיק וְאָפָה לָחֶם; אַף יִפְעַל אֵל וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ עָשָׂהוּ פֶסֶל וַיִּסְגָּד לָמוֹ. טזחֶצְיוֹ שָׂרַף בְּמוֹ אֵשׁ עַל חֶצְיוֹ בָּשָׂר יֹאכֵל יִצְלֶה צָלִי וְיִשְׂבָּע; אַף יָחֹם וְיֹאמַר הֶאָח חַמּוֹתִי רָאִיתִי אוּר. יזוּשְׁאֵרִיתוֹ לְאֵל עָשָׂה לְפִסְלוֹ; יסגוד (יִסְגָּד) לוֹ וְיִשְׁתַּחוּ וְיִתְפַּלֵּל אֵלָיו וְיֹאמַר הַצִּילֵנִי כִּי אֵלִי אָתָּה. יחלֹא יָדְעוּ וְלֹא יָבִינוּ: כִּי טַח מֵרְאוֹת עֵינֵיהֶם מֵהַשְׂכִּיל לִבֹּתָם. יטוְלֹא יָשִׁיב אֶל לִבּוֹ וְלֹא דַעַת וְלֹא תְבוּנָה לֵאמֹר חֶצְיוֹ שָׂרַפְתִּי בְמוֹ אֵשׁ וְאַף אָפִיתִי עַל גֶּחָלָיו לֶחֶם אֶצְלֶה בָשָׂר וְאֹכֵל; וְיִתְרוֹ לְתוֹעֵבָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לְבוּל עֵץ אֶסְגּוֹד. כרֹעֶה אֵפֶר לֵב הוּתַל הִטָּהוּ; וְלֹא יַצִּיל אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ וְלֹא יֹאמַר הֲלוֹא שֶׁקֶר בִּימִינִי. כאזְכָר אֵלֶּה יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי עַבְדִּי אָתָּה; יְצַרְתִּיךָ עֶבֶד לִי אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא תִנָּשֵׁנִי. כבמָחִיתִי כָעָב פְּשָׁעֶיךָ וְכֶעָנָן חַטֹּאותֶיךָ; שׁוּבָה אֵלַי כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ. כגרָנּוּ שָׁמַיִם כִּי עָשָׂה יהוה הָרִיעוּ תַּחְתִּיּוֹת אָרֶץ פִּצְחוּ הָרִים רִנָּה יַעַר וְכָל עֵץ בּוֹ: כִּי גָאַל יהוה יַעֲקֹב וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְפָּאָר. כדכֹּה אָמַר יהוה גֹּאֲלֶךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ מִבָּטֶן: אָנֹכִי יהוה עֹשֶׂה כֹּל נֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם לְבַדִּי רֹקַע הָאָרֶץ מי אתי (מֵאִתִּי). כהמֵפֵר אֹתוֹת בַּדִּים וְקֹסְמִים יְהוֹלֵל; מֵשִׁיב חֲכָמִים אָחוֹר וְדַעְתָּם יְסַכֵּל. כומֵקִים דְּבַר עַבְדּוֹ וַעֲצַת מַלְאָכָיו יַשְׁלִים; הָאֹמֵר לִירוּשָׁלִַם תּוּשָׁב וּלְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה תִּבָּנֶינָה וְחָרְבוֹתֶיהָ אֲקוֹמֵם. כזהָאֹמֵר לַצּוּלָה חֳרָבִי; וְנַהֲרֹתַיִךְ אוֹבִישׁ. כחהָאֹמֵר לְכוֹרֶשׁ רֹעִי וְכָל חֶפְצִי יַשְׁלִם; וְלֵאמֹר לִירוּשָׁלִַם תִּבָּנֶה וְהֵיכָל תִּוָּסֵד.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 