כִּקְדֹ֧חַ אֵ֣שׁ הֲמָסִ֗ים מַ֚יִם תִּבְעֶה־אֵ֔שׁ לְהוֹדִ֥יעַ שִׁמְךָ֖ לְצָרֶ֑יךָ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ גּוֹיִ֥ם יִרְגָּֽזוּ׃ aMeaning of vv. 1–4 uncertain. As when fire kindles brushwood,
And fire makes water boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries
So that nations will tremble at Your Presence,
בַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ֥ נוֹרָא֖וֹת לֹ֣א נְקַוֶּ֑ה יָרַ֕דְתָּ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ הָרִ֥ים נָזֹֽלּוּ׃ {ס} When You did wonders we dared not hope for,
You came down
And mountains quaked before You.
וּמֵעוֹלָ֥ם לֹא־שָׁמְע֖וּ לֹ֣א הֶאֱזִ֑ינוּ עַ֣יִן לֹֽא־רָאָ֗תָה אֱלֹהִים֙ זוּלָ֣תְךָ֔ יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִמְחַכֵּה־לֽוֹ׃ Such things had never been heard or noted.
No eye has seen [them], O God, but You,
Who act for those who trust in You.bYou Heb. “Him.”
פָּגַ֤עְתָּ אֶת־שָׂשׂ֙ וְעֹ֣שֵׂה צֶ֔דֶק בִּדְרָכֶ֖יךָ יִזְכְּר֑וּךָ הֵן־אַתָּ֤ה קָצַ֙פְתָּ֙ וַֽנֶּחֱטָ֔א בָּהֶ֥ם עוֹלָ֖ם וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעַ׃ Yet You have struck those who would gladly do justice,
And remember You in Your ways.
It is because You are angry that we have sinned;
We have been steeped in them from of old,
And can we be saved?cWe have been steeped in them from of old, / And can we be saved? Emendation yields “Because You have hidden Yourself we have offended.” For the thought cf. 63.17.
וַנְּהִ֤י כַטָּמֵא֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וּכְבֶ֥גֶד עִדִּ֖ים כׇּל־צִדְקֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַנָּ֤בֶל כֶּֽעָלֶה֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וַעֲוֺנֵ֖נוּ כָּר֥וּחַ יִשָּׂאֻֽנוּ׃ We have all become like an impure thing,
And all our virtues like a filthy rag.
We are all withering like leaves,
And our iniquities, like a wind, carry us off.
וְאֵין־קוֹרֵ֣א בְשִׁמְךָ֔ מִתְעוֹרֵ֖ר לְהַחֲזִ֣יק בָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־הִסְתַּ֤רְתָּ פָנֶ֙יךָ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וַתְּמוּגֵ֖נוּ בְּיַד־עֲוֺנֵֽנוּ׃ Yet no one invokes Your name,
Rouses themselves to cling to You.
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And made us melt because ofdmade us melt because of Emendation yields “delivered us into the hands of…” our iniquities.
וְעַתָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אָבִ֣ינוּ אָ֑תָּה אֲנַ֤חְנוּ הַחֹ֙מֶר֙ וְאַתָּ֣ה יֹצְרֵ֔נוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדְךָ֖ כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃ But now, O ETERNAL One, You are our Father;eFather I.e., the One who generated this nation, and upon whom we are utterly dependent.
We are the clay, and You are the Potter,
We are all the work of Your hands.
אַל־תִּקְצֹ֤ף יְהֹוָה֙ עַד־מְאֹ֔ד וְאַל־לָעַ֖ד תִּזְכֹּ֣ר עָוֺ֑ן הֵ֥ן הַבֶּט־נָ֖א עַמְּךָ֥ כֻלָּֽנוּ׃ Be not implacably angry, O ETERNAL One,
Do not remember iniquity forever.
Oh, look down to Your people, to us all!
עָרֵ֥י קׇדְשְׁךָ֖ הָי֣וּ מִדְבָּ֑ר צִיּוֹן֙ מִדְבָּ֣ר הָיָ֔תָה יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם שְׁמָמָֽה׃ Your holy cities have become a desert:
Zion has become a desert,
Jerusalem a desolation.
בֵּ֧ית קׇדְשֵׁ֣נוּ וְתִפְאַרְתֵּ֗נוּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִֽלְל֙וּךָ֙ אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ הָיָ֖ה לִשְׂרֵ֣פַת אֵ֑שׁ וְכׇל־מַחֲמַדֵּ֖ינוּ הָיָ֥ה לְחׇרְבָּֽה׃ Our holy temple, our pride,
Where our ancestors praised You,
Has been consumed by fire:
And all that was dear to us is ruined.
הַעַל־אֵ֥לֶּה תִתְאַפַּ֖ק יְהֹוָ֑ה תֶּחֱשֶׁ֥ה וּתְעַנֵּ֖נוּ עַד־מְאֹֽד׃ {פ}
At such things will You restrain Yourself, O ETERNAL One,
Will You stand idly by and let us suffer so heavily?