1“Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write iniquity; 2to turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! 3And what will you do in the day of visitation, and in the ruin which shall come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4They can do nought except crouch under the captives, and fall under the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.”
5“O Ashur, the rod of My anger, in whose hand as a staff is My indignation! 6I do send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath do I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7However, he means not so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations, not a few. 8For he says, ‘Are not my princes, all of them, kings? 9Is not Kalno as Karkemish? Is not Khamat as Arpad? Is not Shomron as Damesek? 10As my hand has reached the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did exceed them of Yerushalayim and of Shomron; 11shall I not, as I have done unto Shomron and her idols, so do to Yerushalayim and her idols?’ ”
12“Therefore, it shall come to pass, that when Adonai has performed His whole work upon Har Tzion and on Yerushalayim, I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Ashur, and the glory of his haughty looks. 13For he has said, ‘By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; in that I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and have brought down as one mighty the inhabitants; 14and my hand has found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped’. 15Should the axe boast itself against him that hews therewith? Should the saw magnify itself against him that moves it, as if a rod should move them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood?”
16“Therefore will HaAdon, יהוה Tzeva’ot, send among his fat ones leanness; and under His glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire. 17And the light of Yisra’el shall be for a fire, and his Kadosh One for a flame; and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. 18And the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, he will consume both soul and body; and it shall be as when a sick man wastes away. 19And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them down. 20And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Yisra’el, and they that are escaped of Beit Ya’akov, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon יהוה , the Kadosh One of Yisra’el, in truth. 21A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Ya’akov, unto El Gibor. 22For though your people, O Yisra’el, are as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return; an extermination is determined, overflowing with tzedaka. 23For an extermination wholly determined shall Adonai יהוה Tzeva’ot make in the midst of all the earth.”
24“Therefore thus says Adonai יהוה Tzeva’ot, ‘O My people that dwells in Tzion, be not afraid of Ashur, though he smites you with the rod, and lifts up his staff against you, after the manner of Mitzrayim. 25For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall be accomplished, and My anger shall be to their destruction. 26And יהוה Tzeva’ot shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midyan at the Rock of Orev; and as His rod was over the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Mitzrayim. 27And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness. 28He is come to Ayit, he is passed through Migron; at Mikhmas he lays up his baggage; 29they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Gevah; Ramah trembles; Givat Sha’ul is fled. 30Cry with a shrill voice, O Bat Galim! Hearken, O LaYesha! O you poor Anatot! 31Madmenah is in mad flight; the inhabitants of HaGevim flee to cover. 32This very day shall he halt at Nov, shaking his hand at the mount of the daughter of Tzion, the hill of Yerushalayim’.”
33“Behold, HaAdon, יהוה Tzeva’ot, shall lop the boughs with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be laid low. 34And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Levanon shall fall by a mighty one.”
אהוֹי הַחֹקְקִים חִקְקֵי אָוֶן; וּמְכַתְּבִים עָמָל כִּתֵּבוּ. בלְהַטּוֹת מִדִּין דַּלִּים וְלִגְזֹל מִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי לִהְיוֹת אַלְמָנוֹת שְׁלָלָם וְאֶת יְתוֹמִים יָבֹזּוּ. גוּמַה תַּעֲשׂוּ לְיוֹם פְּקֻדָּה וּלְשׁוֹאָה מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבוֹא: עַל מִי תָּנוּסוּ לְעֶזְרָה וְאָנָה תַעַזְבוּ כְּבוֹדְכֶם. דבִּלְתִּי כָרַע תַּחַת אַסִּיר וְתַחַת הֲרוּגִים יִפֹּלוּ; בְּכָל זֹאת לֹא שָׁב אַפּוֹ וְעוֹד יָדוֹ נְטוּיָה.
ההוֹי אַשּׁוּר שֵׁבֶט אַפִּי; וּמַטֶּה הוּא בְיָדָם זַעְמִי. ובְּגוֹי חָנֵף אֲשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ וְעַל עַם עֶבְרָתִי אֲצַוֶּנּוּ לִשְׁלֹל שָׁלָל וְלָבֹז בַּז ולשימו (וּלְשׂוּמוֹ) מִרְמָס כְּחֹמֶר חוּצוֹת. זוְהוּא לֹא כֵן יְדַמֶּה וּלְבָבוֹ לֹא כֵן יַחְשֹׁב: כִּי לְהַשְׁמִיד בִּלְבָבוֹ וּלְהַכְרִית גּוֹיִם לֹא מְעָט. חכִּי יֹאמַר: הֲלֹא שָׂרַי יַחְדָּו מְלָכִים. טהֲלֹא כְּכַרְכְּמִישׁ כַּלְנוֹ: אִם לֹא כְאַרְפַּד חֲמָת אִם לֹא כְדַמֶּשֶׂק שֹׁמְרוֹן. יכַּאֲשֶׁר מָצְאָה יָדִי לְמַמְלְכֹת הָאֱלִיל; וּפְסִילֵיהֶם מִירוּשָׁלִַם וּמִשֹּׁמְרוֹן. יאהֲלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְשֹׁמְרוֹן וְלֶאֱלִילֶיהָ: כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה לִירוּשָׁלִַם וְלַעֲצַבֶּיהָ.
יבוְהָיָה כִּי יְבַצַּע אֲדֹנָי אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלִָם אֶפְקֹד עַל פְּרִי גֹדֶל לְבַב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וְעַל תִּפְאֶרֶת רוּם עֵינָיו. יגכִּי אָמַר בְּכֹחַ יָדִי עָשִׂיתִי וּבְחָכְמָתִי כִּי נְבֻנוֹתִי; וְאָסִיר גְּבוּלֹת עַמִּים ועתידתיהם (וַעֲתוּדֹתֵיהֶם) שׁוֹשֵׂתִי וְאוֹרִיד כַּאבִּיר יוֹשְׁבִים. ידוַתִּמְצָא כַקֵּן יָדִי לְחֵיל הָעַמִּים וְכֶאֱסֹף בֵּיצִים עֲזֻבוֹת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי אָסָפְתִּי; וְלֹא הָיָה נֹדֵד כָּנָף וּפֹצֶה פֶה וּמְצַפְצֵף. טוהֲיִתְפָּאֵר הַגַּרְזֶן עַל הַחֹצֵב בּוֹ: אִם יִתְגַּדֵּל הַמַּשּׂוֹר עַל מְנִיפוֹ כְּהָנִיף שֵׁבֶט וְאֶת מְרִימָיו כְּהָרִים מַטֶּה לֹא עֵץ.
טזלָכֵן יְשַׁלַּח הָאָדוֹן יהוה צְבָאוֹת בְּמִשְׁמַנָּיו רָזוֹן; וְתַחַת כְּבֹדוֹ יֵקַד יְקֹד כִּיקוֹד אֵשׁ. יזוְהָיָה אוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֵשׁ וּקְדוֹשׁוֹ לְלֶהָבָה; וּבָעֲרָה וְאָכְלָה שִׁיתוֹ וּשְׁמִירוֹ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד. יחוּכְבוֹד יַעְרוֹ וְכַרְמִלּוֹ מִנֶּפֶשׁ וְעַד בָּשָׂר יְכַלֶּה; וְהָיָה כִּמְסֹס נֹסֵס. יטוּשְׁאָר עֵץ יַעְרוֹ מִסְפָּר יִהְיוּ; וְנַעַר יִכְתְּבֵם. כוְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֹא יוֹסִיף עוֹד שְׁאָר יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפְלֵיטַת בֵּית יַעֲקֹב לְהִשָּׁעֵן עַל מַכֵּהוּ; וְנִשְׁעַן עַל יהוה קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּאֱמֶת. כאשְׁאָר יָשׁוּב שְׁאָר יַעֲקֹב אֶל אֵל גִּבּוֹר. כבכִּי אִם יִהְיֶה עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּחוֹל הַיָּם שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב בּוֹ; כִּלָּיוֹן חָרוּץ שׁוֹטֵף צְדָקָה. כגכִּי כָלָה וְנֶחֱרָצָה אֲדֹנָי יהוה צְבָאוֹת עֹשֶׂה בְּקֶרֶב כָּל הָאָרֶץ.
כדלָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יהוה צְבָאוֹת אַל תִּירָא עַמִּי יֹשֵׁב צִיּוֹן מֵאַשּׁוּר; בַּשֵּׁבֶט יַכֶּכָּה וּמַטֵּהוּ יִשָּׂא עָלֶיךָ בְּדֶרֶךְ מִצְרָיִם. כהכִּי עוֹד מְעַט מִזְעָר וְכָלָה זַעַם וְאַפִּי עַל תַּבְלִיתָם. כווְעוֹרֵר עָלָיו יהוה צְבָאוֹת שׁוֹט כְּמַכַּת מִדְיָן בְּצוּר עוֹרֵב; וּמַטֵּהוּ עַל הַיָּם וּנְשָׂאוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ מִצְרָיִם. כזוְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָסוּר סֻבֳּלוֹ מֵעַל שִׁכְמֶךָ וְעֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ; וְחֻבַּל עֹל מִפְּנֵי שָׁמֶן. כחבָּא עַל עַיַּת עָבַר בְּמִגְרוֹן; לְמִכְמָשׂ יַפְקִיד כֵּלָיו. כטעָבְרוּ מַעְבָּרָה גֶּבַע מָלוֹן לָנוּ; חָרְדָה הָרָמָה גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל נָסָה. לצַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךְ בַּת גַּלִּים; הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה עֲנִיָּה עֲנָתוֹת. לאנָדְדָה מַדְמֵנָה; יֹשְׁבֵי הַגֵּבִים הֵעִיזוּ. לבעוֹד הַיּוֹם בְּנֹב לַעֲמֹד; יְנֹפֵף יָדוֹ הַר בית (בַּת) צִיּוֹן גִּבְעַת יְרוּשָׁלִָם.
לגהִנֵּה הָאָדוֹן יהוה צְבָאוֹת מְסָעֵף פֻּארָה בְּמַעֲרָצָה; וְרָמֵי הַקּוֹמָה גְּדוּעִים וְהַגְּבֹהִים יִשְׁפָּלוּ. לדוְנִקַּף סִבְכֵי הַיַּעַר בַּבַּרְזֶל; וְהַלְּבָנוֹן בְּאַדִּיר יִפּוֹל.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 