ה֥וֹי אֶ֖רֶץ צִלְצַ֣ל כְּנָפָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעֵ֖בֶר לְנַהֲרֵי־כֽוּשׁ׃ Ah,
land in the deep shadow of wings,aland in the deep shadow of wings Or “Most sheltered land”; cf., e.g., 30.2, 3; Ps. 36.8; 57.2; 61.5.
Beyond the rivers of Cush!
הַשֹּׁלֵ֨חַ בַּיָּ֜ם צִירִ֗ים וּבִכְלֵי־גֹ֘מֶא֮ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֒יִם֒ לְכ֣וּ ׀ מַלְאָכִ֣ים קַלִּ֗ים אֶל־גּוֹי֙ מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמוֹרָ֔ט אֶל־עַ֥ם נוֹרָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גּ֚וֹי קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּזְא֥וּ נְהָרִ֖ים אַרְצֽוֹ׃ Go, swift messengers,
To a nation far and remote,
To a people thrust forth and awaybfar and remote, / To a people thrust forth and away Meaning of Heb. uncertain.—
A nation of gibber and chattercchatter Meaning of Heb. uncertain; cf. 28.10. Biblical writers often characterize distant nations by their unintelligible speech; cf. 33.19; Deut. 28.49; Jer. 5.15.—
Whose land is cut off by streams;
Which sends out envoys by sea,
In papyrus vessels upon the water!dWhich sends out envoys by sea, / In papyrus vessels upon the water Moved down from beginning of verse for clarity. The Heb. verb for “sends” agrees in gender with “nation,” not with “land.”
כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵ֖ל וְשֹׁ֣כְנֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּנְשֹׂא־נֵ֤ס הָרִים֙ תִּרְא֔וּ וְכִתְקֹ֥עַ שׁוֹפָ֖ר תִּשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ {ס} [Say this:]
“All you who live in the world
And inhabit the earth,
When a flag is raised in the hills, take note!
When a ram’s horn is blown, give heed!”
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י (אשקוטה) [אֶשְׁקֳטָ֖ה] וְאַבִּ֣יטָה בִמְכוֹנִ֑י כְּחֹ֥ם צַח֙ עֲלֵי־א֔וֹר כְּעָ֥ב טַ֖ל בְּחֹ֥ם קָצִֽיר׃ For thus GOD said to me:
“I rest calm and confidenteconfident Cf. hibbiṭ “to rely” (Job 6.19). The related noun mabbaṭ occurs with similar meaning in Isa. 20.5, 6. in My habitation—
Like a scorching heat upon sprouts,
Like a rain-cloud in the heat of reaping time.”fLike a rain-cloud in the heat of reaping time I.e., like a threat of disaster; cf. Eccl. 11.4.
כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֤י קָצִיר֙ כְּתׇם־פֶּ֔רַח וּבֹ֥סֶר גֹּמֵ֖ל יִֽהְיֶ֣ה נִצָּ֑הֿ וְכָרַ֤ת הַזַּלְזַלִּים֙ בַּמַּזְמֵר֔וֹת וְאֶת־הַנְּטִישׁ֖וֹת הֵסִ֥יר הֵתַֽז׃ For before the harvest,gharvest Emendation yields “vintage.” yet after the budding,
When the blossom has hardened into berries,
[God] will trim away the twigs with pruning hooks,
And lop off the trailing branches.htrailing branches A figure of speech for the defeated enemy.
יֵעָזְב֤וּ יַחְדָּו֙ לְעֵ֣יט הָרִ֔ים וּֽלְבֶהֱמַ֖ת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְקָ֤ץ עָלָיו֙ הָעַ֔יִט וְכׇל־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ עָלָ֥יו תֶּחֱרָֽף׃ {ס} They shall all be left
To the kites of the hills
And to the beasts of the earth;
The kites shall summer on them
And all the beasts of the earth shall winter on them.
בָּעֵת֩ הַהִ֨יא יוּבַל־שַׁ֜י לַיהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת עַ֚ם מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמוֹרָ֔ט וּמֵעַ֥ם נוֹרָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גּ֣וֹי ׀ קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּזְא֤וּ נְהָרִים֙ אַרְצ֔וֹ אֶל־מְק֛וֹם שֵׁם־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת הַר־צִיּֽוֹן׃ {פ}
In that time,
Tribute shall be brought to GOD of Hosts
[From] a people far and remote,
From a people thrust forth and away—
A nation of gibber and chatter,
Whose land is cut off by streams—
At the place where the name of GOD of Hosts abides,
At Mount Zion.