Isaiah 63:1-2

פּוּרָ֣ה ׀ דָּרַ֣כְתִּי לְבַדִּ֗י וּמֵֽעַמִּים֙ אֵֽין־אִ֣ישׁ אִתִּ֔י וְאֶדְרְכֵ֣ם בְּאַפִּ֔י וְאֶרְמְסֵ֖ם בַּחֲמָתִ֑י וְיֵ֤ז נִצְחָם֙ עַל־בְּגָדַ֔י וְכׇל־מַלְבּוּשַׁ֖י אֶגְאָֽלְתִּי׃ “I trod out a vintage alone;
Of the peoples^dOf the peoples Emendation yields “Peoples, and…” nobody was with Me.^enobody was with Me Cf. the first note at 59.16.
I trod them down in My anger,
Trampled them in My rage;
Their life-blood^flife-blood Meaning of Heb. uncertain. bespattered My garments,
And all My clothing was stained.

כִּ֛י י֥וֹם נָקָ֖ם בְּלִבִּ֑י וּשְׁנַ֥ת גְּאוּלַ֖י בָּֽאָה׃ For I had planned a day of vengeance,
And My year of redemption arrived.

וְאַבִּיט֙ וְאֵ֣ין עֹזֵ֔ר וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖ם וְאֵ֣ין סוֹמֵ֑ךְ וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁע־לִי֙ זְרֹעִ֔י וַחֲמָתִ֖י הִ֥יא סְמָכָֽתְנִי׃ Then I looked, but there was none to help;
I stared, but there was none to aid—
So My own arm wrought the triumph,
And My own rage^gMy own rage Many mss. read we-ṣidqathi “My victorious [right hand]”; cf. 59.16. was My aid.

וְאָב֤וּס עַמִּים֙ בְּאַפִּ֔י וַאֲשַׁכְּרֵ֖ם בַּחֲמָתִ֑י וְאוֹרִ֥יד לָאָ֖רֶץ נִצְחָֽם׃ {ס}         I trampled peoples in My anger,
I made them drunk with^hI made them drunk with Many mss. and Targum read “I shattered them in”; cf. 14.25. My rage,
And I hurled their glory to the ground.”

חַֽסְדֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אַזְכִּיר֙ תְּהִלֹּ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה כְּעַ֕ל כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־גְּמָלָ֖נוּ יְהֹוָ֑ה וְרַב־טוּב֙ לְבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־גְּמָלָ֥ם כְּֽרַחֲמָ֖יו וּכְרֹ֥ב חֲסָדָֽיו׃ I will recount GOD’s kind acts,
GOD’s praises—
For all that GOD has wrought for us,
The vast bounty to the House of Israel
That was bestowed upon them
According to God’s mercy and great kindness.

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַךְ־עַמִּ֣י הֵ֔מָּה בָּנִ֖ים לֹ֣א יְשַׁקֵּ֑רוּ וַיְהִ֥י לָהֶ֖ם לְמוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ [God] thought: Surely they are My people,
Children who will not play false.
So [God] was their Deliverer.

בְּֽכׇל־צָרָתָ֣ם ׀ (לא) [ל֣וֹ] צָ֗ר וּמַלְאַ֤ךְ פָּנָיו֙ הוֹשִׁיעָ֔ם בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹ וּבְחֶמְלָת֖וֹ ה֣וּא גְאָלָ֑ם וַֽיְנַטְּלֵ֥ם וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֖ם כׇּל־יְמֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ In all their troubles [God] was troubled,
And the angel of the divine Presence delivered them.ⁱSo [God] was … delivered them Ancient versions read “So [God] was their Deliverer / 9In all their troubles. / No [so kethib] angel or messenger, / God’s own Presence delivered them.” Cf. Deut. 4.37 and note.
In love and pity
It was [God] who redeemed them,
Raised them, and exalted them
All the days of old.

וְהֵ֛מָּה מָר֥וּ וְעִצְּב֖וּ אֶת־ר֣וּחַ קׇדְשׁ֑וֹ וַיֵּהָפֵ֥ךְ לָהֶ֛ם לְאוֹיֵ֖ב ה֥וּא נִלְחַם־בָּֽם׃ But they rebelled, and grieved
God’s holy spirit;
Then it was [God] who became their enemy,
And made war against them.

וַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר יְמֵֽי־עוֹלָ֖ם מֹשֶׁ֣ה עַמּ֑וֹ אַיֵּ֣ה ׀ הַֽמַּעֲלֵ֣ם מִיָּ֗ם אֵ֚ת רֹעֵ֣י צֹאנ֔וֹ אַיֵּ֛ה הַשָּׂ֥ם בְּקִרְבּ֖וֹ אֶת־ר֥וּחַ קׇדְשֽׁוֹ׃ Then they^jthey Heb. “he.” remembered the ancient days,
The One who pulled^kThe One who pulled Heb. moshe, a play on the name Moshe (Moses). a precious^la precious Lit. “His.” people out [of the water]:
“Where is the One who brought them up from the Sea
Along with the shepherd^mshepherd So many mss. and ancient versions; other texts “shepherds.” of this flock?
Where is the One whose holy spirit
Was placed in their midst,

מוֹלִיךְ֙ לִימִ֣ין מֹשֶׁ֔ה זְר֖וֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּ֑וֹ בּ֤וֹקֵֽעַ מַ֙יִם֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת ל֖וֹ שֵׁ֥ם עוֹלָֽם׃ Whose glorious arm was made
To march at the right hand of Moses,
Who divided the waters before them
To make a reputation for all time,

מוֹלִיכָ֖ם בַּתְּהֹמ֑וֹת כַּסּ֥וּס בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר לֹ֥א יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ Who led them through the deeps
So that they did not stumble—
As a horse in a desert,

כַּבְּהֵמָה֙ בַּבִּקְעָ֣ה תֵרֵ֔ד ר֥וּחַ יְהֹוָ֖ה תְּנִיחֶ֑נּוּ כֵּ֚ן נִהַ֣גְתָּ עַמְּךָ֔ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לְךָ֖ שֵׁ֥ם תִּפְאָֽרֶת׃ Like a beast descending to the plain?”
’Twas the spirit of GOD gave them rest;ⁿgave them rest Emendation yields “guided them.”
Thus did You shepherd Your people
To win for Yourself a glorious name.

הַבֵּ֤ט מִשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מִזְּבֻ֥ל קׇדְשְׁךָ֖ וְתִפְאַרְתֶּ֑ךָ אַיֵּ֤ה קִנְאָֽתְךָ֙ וּגְב֣וּרֹתֶ֔ךָ הֲמ֥וֹן מֵעֶ֛יךָ וְֽרַחֲמֶ֖יךָ אֵלַ֥י הִתְאַפָּֽקוּ׃ Look down from heaven and see,
From Your holy and glorious height!
Where is Your zeal, Your power?
^oEmendation yields “[Where are] Your yearning and Your love? / Let them not be restrained!” Your yearning and Your love
Are being withheld from us!^pus Heb. “me.”

כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה אָבִ֔ינוּ כִּ֤י אַבְרָהָם֙ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֔נוּ וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֣א יַכִּירָ֑נוּ אַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אָבִ֔ינוּ גֹּאֲלֵ֥נוּ מֵעוֹלָ֖ם שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ Surely You are our Father:^qFather See note at Deut. 32.6.
Though Abraham regard us not,
And Israel recognize us not,
You, O ETERNAL One, are our Father;
From of old, Your name is “Our Redeemer.”

לָ֣מָּה תַתְעֵ֤נוּ יְהֹוָה֙ מִדְּרָכֶ֔יךָ תַּקְשִׁ֥יחַ לִבֵּ֖נוּ מִיִּרְאָתֶ֑ךָ שׁ֚וּב לְמַ֣עַן עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ שִׁבְטֵ֖י נַחֲלָתֶֽךָ׃ Why, ETERNAL One, do You make us stray from Your ways,
And turn our hearts away from revering You?
Relent for the sake of Your servants,
The tribes that are Your very own!

לַמִּצְעָ֕ר יָרְשׁ֖וּ עַם־קׇדְשֶׁ֑ךָ צָרֵ֕ינוּ בּוֹסְס֖וּ מִקְדָּשֶֽׁךָ׃ Our foes have trampled Your Sanctuary,
Which Your holy people possessed but a little while.^rpossessed but a little while Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

הָיִ֗ינוּ מֵֽעוֹלָם֙ לֹא־מָשַׁ֣לְתָּ בָּ֔ם לֹֽא־נִקְרָ֥א שִׁמְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם לֽוּא־קָרַ֤עְתָּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ יָרַ֔דְתָּ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ הָרִ֥ים נָזֹֽלּוּ׃ We have become as a people You never ruled,
To which Your name was never attached.
If You would but tear open the heavens and come down,
So that mountains would quake before You—