ה֚וֹי הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּ֣ים בְּצִיּ֔וֹן וְהַבֹּטְחִ֖ים בְּהַ֣ר שֹׁמְר֑וֹן נְקֻבֵי֙ רֵאשִׁ֣ית הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וּבָ֥אוּ לָהֶ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Ah, you who are at ease in ZionaZion Emendation yields “Joseph,” cf. v. 6, and 5.6, 15, where “Joseph” denotes the northern kingdom.
And confident on the hill of Samaria,
You notables of the leading nation
On whom the House of Israel pin their hopes:bpin their hopes Taking baʼ l- as synonymous with baʼ ʻad; see Isa. 45.24 and second note there.
עִבְר֤וּ כַֽלְנֵה֙ וּרְא֔וּ וּלְכ֥וּ מִשָּׁ֖ם חֲמַ֣ת רַבָּ֑ה וּרְד֣וּ גַת־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים הֲטוֹבִים֙ מִן־הַמַּמְלָכ֣וֹת הָאֵ֔לֶּה אִם־רַ֥ב גְּבוּלָ֖ם מִגְּבֻלְכֶֽם׃ Cross over to Calneh and see,
Go from there to Great Hamath,
And go down to Gath of the Philistines:
Are [you] better than those kingdoms,
Or is their territory larger than yours?cOr is their territory larger than yours? Emendation yields “Or is your territory larger than theirs?”
הַֽמְנַדִּ֖ים לְי֣וֹם רָ֑ע וַתַּגִּשׁ֖וּן שֶׁ֥בֶת חָמָֽס׃ dMeaning of verse uncertain. Yet you ward off [the thought of] a day of woe
And convene a session of lawlessness.
הַשֹּֽׁכְבִים֙ עַל־מִטּ֣וֹת שֵׁ֔ן וּסְרֻחִ֖ים עַל־עַרְשׂוֹתָ֑ם וְאֹכְלִ֤ים כָּרִים֙ מִצֹּ֔אן וַעֲגָלִ֖ים מִתּ֥וֹךְ מַרְבֵּֽק׃ They lie on ivory beds,
Lolling on their couches,
Feasting on lambs from the flock
And on calves from the stalls.
הַפֹּרְטִ֖ים עַל־פִּ֣י הַנָּ֑בֶל כְּדָוִ֕יד חָשְׁב֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם כְּלֵי־שִֽׁיר׃ They hum snatches of song
To the tune of the lute—
They account themselves musicianseThey hum snatches … account themselves musicians Meaning of Heb. uncertain. like David.
הַשֹּׁתִ֤ים בְּמִזְרְקֵי֙ יַ֔יִן וְרֵאשִׁ֥ית שְׁמָנִ֖ים יִמְשָׁ֑חוּ וְלֹ֥א נֶחְל֖וּ עַל־שֵׁ֥בֶר יוֹסֵֽף׃ They drink [straight] from the wine bowls
And anoint themselves with the choicest oils—
But they are not concerned about the ruin of Joseph.
לָכֵ֛ן עַתָּ֥ה יִגְל֖וּ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ גֹּלִ֑ים וְסָ֖ר מִרְזַ֥ח סְרוּחִֽים׃ Assuredly, right soon
They shall head the column of exiles;
They shall loll no more at festive meals.
נִשְׁבַּע֩ אֲדֹנָ֨י יֱהֹוִ֜ה בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָא֔וֹת מְתָאֵ֤ב אָנֹכִי֙ אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְאַרְמְנֹתָ֖יו שָׂנֵ֑אתִי וְהִסְגַּרְתִּ֖י עִ֥יר וּמְלֹאָֽהּ׃ The Sovereign GOD wholeheartedly swears:
I loathe the Pride of Jacob,fPride of Jacob A poetic designation of the northern kingdom.
And I detest his fortresses.
I will declare forfeit city and inhabitants alike
—declares the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts.
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־יִוָּ֨תְר֜וּ עֲשָׂרָ֧ה אֲנָשִׁ֛ים בְּבַ֥יִת אֶחָ֖ד וָמֵֽתוּ׃ If ten people are left in one house, they shall die.
וּנְשָׂא֞וֹ דּוֹד֣וֹ וּמְסָֽרְפ֗וֹ לְהוֹצִ֣יא עֲצָמִים֮ מִן־הַבַּיִת֒ וְאָמַ֞ר לַאֲשֶׁ֨ר בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת הַע֥וֹד עִמָּ֖ךְ וְאָמַ֣ר אָ֑פֶס וְאָמַ֣ר הָ֔ס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א לְהַזְכִּ֖יר בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} And if someone’s kinsman—who is to burn incense for one of the deceasedgwho is to burn incense for one of the deceased Or “along with an embalmer.”—comes to carry the remains out of the house,hAnd if someone’s kinsman … out of a house Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and he calls to the one at the rear of the house, “Are there any alive besides you?” the answer will be, “No, none.” And he will say, “Hush!”—so that no one may utter GOD’s name.
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ מְצַוֶּ֔ה וְהִכָּ֛ה הַבַּ֥יִת הַגָּד֖וֹל רְסִיסִ֑ים וְהַבַּ֥יִת הַקָּטֹ֖ן בְּקִעִֽים׃ For GOD will command,
And the great house shall be smashed to bits,
And the little house to splinters.
הַיְרֻצ֤וּן בַּסֶּ֙לַע֙ סוּסִ֔ים אִֽם־יַחֲר֖וֹשׁ בַּבְּקָרִ֑ים כִּֽי־הֲפַכְתֶּ֤ם לְרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּפְרִ֥י צְדָקָ֖ה לְלַעֲנָֽה׃ Can horses gallop on a rock?
Can it be plowed with oxen?iCan it be plowed with oxen? Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “Can one plow the sea with oxen?”
Yet you have turned justice into poison weed
And the fruit of righteousness to wormwood.
הַשְּׂמֵחִ֖ים לְלֹ֣א דָבָ֑ר הָאֹ֣מְרִ֔ים הֲל֣וֹא בְחׇזְקֵ֔נוּ לָקַ֥חְנוּ לָ֖נוּ קַרְנָֽיִם׃ [Ah,] those who are so happy about Lo-dabar,
Who exult, “By our might
We have captured Karnaim”!jLo-dabar…Karnaim Two towns east of the Jordan recovered for Israel by Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14.25). For Lo-dabar, cf. 2 Sam. 9.4, 5; 17.27; for Karnaim, cf. Gen. 14.5.
כִּ֡י הִנְנִי֩ מֵקִ֨ים עֲלֵיכֶ֜ם בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַצְּבָא֖וֹת גּ֑וֹי וְלָחֲצ֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִלְּב֥וֹא חֲמָ֖ת עַד־נַ֥חַל הָעֲרָבָֽה׃ {פ}
But I, O House of Israel,
Will raise up a nation against you
—declares the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts—
Who will harass you from Lebo-hamath
To the Wadi Arabah.