Photographic reproduction of
the Great Isaiah Scroll, the best preserved of the
biblical scrolls found at Qumran.
It contains the entire Book
of Isaiah in Hebrew, apart from some small damaged parts.
This manuscript was probably written by a scribe of the Jewish sect of
the Essenes around the second century BC. It
is therefore over a 1000 years older than the oldest Masoretic manuscripts.
|
ה כֹּה-אָמַר הָאֵל יְהוָה, בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם וְנוֹטֵיהֶם, רֹקַע
הָאָרֶץ, וְצֶאֱצָאֶיהָ; נֹתֵן נְשָׁמָה לָעָם עָלֶיהָ, וְרוּחַ לַהֹלְכִים
בָּהּ.
|
5 Thus saith God the LORD,
Who that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, Who that spread
forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, Who gave breath unto the
people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
|
Just
in case you forgot who is in charge here, take a look around.
See
this sky? You didn't make that.
See
this earth and all the living things that prance and pounce on it? The
sustenance that grows out of the soil?
You didn't make that.
The
life that surrounds you and lives within you.
You didn't make that.
I
made this. This is my house. I pay the bills and keep the lights on and set
the universe in motion.
You.
You just reside here for a time.
|
ו אֲנִי יְהוָה קְרָאתִיךָ בְצֶדֶק,
וְאַחְזֵק בְּיָדֶךָ; וְאֶצָּרְךָ, וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לִבְרִית עָם--לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם.
|
6 I the LORD have called
thee in righteousness, and have taken hold of thy hand, and kept thee, and
set thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;
|
We
are intimate, you and I. I and thou.
You
reach up and grasp my hand like a toddler learning to walk.
Or
a lover with a tender touch.
Or
an aging parent who stumbles.
My
hand holding yours is a sacred agreement.
We are always connected,
and
I will never let you go.
|
ז לִפְקֹחַ, עֵינַיִם עִוְרוֹת;
לְהוֹצִיא מִמַּסְגֵּר אַסִּיר, מִבֵּית כֶּלֶא יֹשְׁבֵי חֹשֶׁךְ.
|
7 To open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness
out of the prison-house.
|
Darkness
is terrifying, and to escape the vastness of it you close your eyes,
not
realizing that while you refused to look, the light came.
Open
your eyes. The darkness isn't permanent, and
I
will hold up the lamp that leads you out.
|
ח אֲנִי יְהוָה, הוּא שְׁמִי;
וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא-אֶתֵּן, וּתְהִלָּתִי לַפְּסִילִים.
|
8 I am the LORD, that is My
name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven
images.
|
If
you do not forget me, I will not forget you.
But
please, remember the real me, not the images of me that
others have created, the lies and slander.
Remember
my name.
|
ט הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת, הִנֵּה-בָאוּ;
וַחֲדָשׁוֹת אֲנִי מַגִּיד, בְּטֶרֶם תִּצְמַחְנָה אַשְׁמִיעַ אֶתְכֶם.
{פ}
|
9 Behold, the former things
are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I
tell you of them.
|
I
am no fortune teller, but I know things.
I
can step back from your life a few paces, a thousand yards
and
see things you cannot.
Your
view is limited. Open your eyes and see what others see.
What
I see.
|
י שִׁירוּ לַיהוָה שִׁיר חָדָשׁ,
תְּהִלָּתוֹ מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ; יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם וּמְלֹאוֹ, אִיִּים
וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶם.
|
10 Sing unto the LORD a new
song, and His praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea,
and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
|
People
sing to Me all the time.
I
want to hear a new song. Sing me your song.
Not
his song, Not her song, Not David's song.
Your
song.
Even if you have sung it before.
Even
if you use their words and their tunes.
Make
it new. Make it yours.
|
יא יִשְׂאוּ מִדְבָּר וְעָרָיו,
חֲצֵרִים תֵּשֵׁב קֵדָר; יָרֹנּוּ יֹשְׁבֵי סֶלַע, מֵרֹאשׁ הָרִים יִצְוָחוּ.
|
11 Let the wilderness and
the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth
inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela exult, let them shout from the top of
the mountains.
|
|
יב יָשִׂימוּ לַיהוָה, כָּבוֹד; וּתְהִלָּתוֹ, בָּאִיִּים
יַגִּידוּ.
|
12 Let them give glory unto
the LORD, and declare His praise in the islands.
|
The
entire earth sings songs to me.
Trees
and deserts.
Sidewalks
and skyscrapers.
The
sea roars timeless lyrics and the mountaintops scream out
to me.
What
do they know that you do not?
What
secrets do they hold -- those of simple mind and simple existence --
that
lets them sing without shame?
Are
you thinking too hard about where you came from to let go and feel the truth?
|
|
|
יג יְהוָה כַּגִּבּוֹר יֵצֵא, כְּאִישׁ
מִלְחָמוֹת יָעִיר קִנְאָה; יָרִיעַ, אַף-יַצְרִיחַ--עַל-אֹיְבָיו,
יִתְגַּבָּר. {ס}
|
13 The LORD will go forth
like a warrior, He whips up his rage. He will cry, yea, He will shout
aloud, He will prove Himself mighty against His enemies.
|
Code-switch. Mood-switch.
The
same hand that reached out from above to guide you and keep you steady
can
rear back and smack you if you stop the song.
If
you stop singing, if you become an enemy
Stay you and stay safe
יד הֶחֱשֵׁיתִי, מֵעוֹלָם--אַחֲרִישׁ,
אֶתְאַפָּק; כַּיּוֹלֵדָה אֶפְעֶה, אֶשֹּׁם וְאֶשְׁאַף יָחַד.
|
14 I have long time held My
peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself; now will I cry like a
laboring woman, gasping and panting at once.
|
Destruction,
too, is a birthing process.
Anger
gestates.
|
טו אַחֲרִיב הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת,
וְכָל-עֶשְׂבָּם אוֹבִישׁ; וְשַׂמְתִּי נְהָרוֹת לָאִיִּים, וַאֲגַמִּים
אוֹבִישׁ.
|
15 I will make waste
mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers
islands, and will dry up the pools.
|
Soon
after Anger is born, it is immature,
a
destructive toddler,
knocking
down the beautiful things the mother/father created for it:
Mountains
and hills to romp and climb.
herbs
to reap and eat,
rivers
and pools for feeling the magic of floating.
|
טז וְהוֹלַכְתִּי עִוְרִים, בְּדֶרֶךְ
לֹא יָדָעוּ--בִּנְתִיבוֹת לֹא-יָדְעוּ, אַדְרִיכֵם; אָשִׂים מַחְשָׁךְ
לִפְנֵיהֶם לָאוֹר, וּמַעֲקַשִּׁים לְמִישׁוֹר--אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים, עֲשִׂיתִם
וְלֹא עֲזַבְתִּים.
|
16 And I will bring the
blind by a way that they knew not, in paths that they knew not will I lead
them; I will make darkness light before them, and rugged places plain.
These things will I do, and I will not leave them undone.
|
But
even amid the destruction
I
will reach out a hand again
and
let you grasp on so I can lead you
toddler
lover
parent
to
a brighter place with smoother paths
I
promise.
|
יז נָסֹגוּ אָחוֹר יֵבֹשׁוּ בֹשֶׁת,
הַבֹּטְחִים בַּפָּסֶל; הָאֹמְרִים לְמַסֵּכָה, אַתֶּם אֱלֹהֵינוּ. {פ}
|
17 They shall be turned
back, greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten
images: 'Ye are our gods.' {P}
|
|
יח הַחֵרְשִׁים, שְׁמָעוּ;
וְהַעִוְרִים, הַבִּיטוּ לִרְאוֹת.
|
18 Listen, you who are
deaf; You blind ones, look up and see!
|
It
is good to know that God, even God, rages at the children
who
have turned their backs on his teachings,
no
matter how beautifully packaged and presented.
They
push the lessons aside and
refuse
to see
refuse
to listen
refuse
to heed
כא יְהוָה
חָפֵץ, לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ; יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה, וְיַאְדִּיר.
|
21 The
LORD was pleased, for His righteousness' sake, to make the teaching great
and glorious.
|
|
כב וְהוּא,
עַם-בָּזוּז וְשָׁסוּי, הָפֵחַ בַּחוּרִים כֻּלָּם, וּבְבָתֵּי כְלָאִים
הָחְבָּאוּ; הָיוּ לָבַז וְאֵין מַצִּיל, מְשִׁסָּה וְאֵין-אֹמֵר הָשַׁב.
|
22 But
this is a people robbed and spoiled, they are all of them snared in
holes, and they are hid in prison-houses; they are for a prey, and none
delivereth, for a spoil, and none saith: 'Restore.'
|
|
We
try to make the teaching palatable, even delicious
And
still our children choke on it and spit it out.
And
yet, and yet
How
easy it is to be sanctimonious about
Their
deafness, their blindness, their rebellion.
|
כג מִי בָכֶם,
יַאֲזִין זֹאת; יַקְשִׁב וְיִשְׁמַע, לְאָחוֹר.
|
23 Who among you will
give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
|
|
Can we see their distress?
We
were blind teenagers
and
we rage at our children for what they do not see.
As
if they choose the blindness and want to live in the darkness
We
say, “Open your eyes! Look!”
So
they close their eyes tighter, squeezing us out of their sight
and
stay in the darkness.
|
כה וַיִּשְׁפֹּךְ
עָלָיו חֵמָה אַפּוֹ, וֶעֱזוּז מִלְחָמָה; וַתְּלַהֲטֵהוּ מִסָּבִיב וְלֹא
יָדָע, וַתִּבְעַר-בּוֹ וְלֹא-יָשִׂים עַל-לֵב.
|
25 Therefore He poured
upon him the fury of His anger, and the strength of battle; and it set
him on fire round about, yet he knew not, and it burned him, yet he laid
it not to heart.
|
|
They
are blind and we are pointing, “Look here!”
They
are deaf and we are screaming, “Listen to me!”
So
they do not see the light, and they do not hear our rage
But they cannot hear our reassurances:
|
|
א וְעַתָּה
כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה, בֹּרַאֲךָ יַעֲקֹב, וְיֹצֶרְךָ, יִשְׂרָאֵל:
אַל-תִּירָא כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ, קָרָאתִי בְשִׁמְךָ לִי-אָתָּה.
|
1 But now thus saith the
LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel: Fear
not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art
Mine.
|
|
I’m
still here. I want to save you.
My
child, the one I named.
You
are still mine.
Can
you see me?
|
ב כִּי-תַעֲבֹר
בַּמַּיִם אִתְּךָ-אָנִי, וּבַנְּהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּךָ:
כִּי-תֵלֵךְ בְּמוֹ-אֵשׁ לֹא תִכָּוֶה, וְלֶהָבָה לֹא תִבְעַר-בָּךְ.
|
2 When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt
not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
|
|
Reach
for me when you feel like you’re drowning.
Call
me to guide you through the burning pain of adolescence.
I’ll
lead you out.
Are
you listening?
|
ג כִּי,
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מוֹשִׁיעֶךָ; נָתַתִּי
כָפְרְךָ מִצְרַיִם, כּוּשׁ וּסְבָא תַּחְתֶּיךָ.
|
3 For I am the LORD thy
God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Savior; I have given Egypt as thy
ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
|
|
I
am desperate now.
Here!
Remember all I’ve done for you in the past.
I
birthed you, fed you, clothed you, tended your wounds.
I have sacrificed myself and others
For
you.
|
ד מֵאֲשֶׁר
יָקַרְתָּ בְעֵינַי נִכְבַּדְתָּ, וַאֲנִי אֲהַבְתִּיךָ; וְאֶתֵּן אָדָם
תַּחְתֶּיךָ, וּלְאֻמִּים תַּחַת נַפְשֶׁךָ.
|
4 Since thou art precious
in My sight, and honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give
men for thee, and peoples for thy life.
|
|
I
love you.
|
|
ח הוֹצִיא
עַם-עִוֵּר, וְעֵינַיִם יֵשׁ; וְחֵרְשִׁים, וְאָזְנַיִם לָמוֹ.
|
8 The blind people that
have eyes shall be brought forth, and the deaf that have ears.
|
|
ט כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם
נִקְבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו, וְיֵאָסְפוּ לְאֻמִּים--מִי בָהֶם יַגִּיד זֹאת,
וְרִאשֹׁנוֹת יַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ; יִתְּנוּ עֵדֵיהֶם וְיִצְדָּקוּ, וְיִשְׁמְעוּ
וְיֹאמְרוּ אֱמֶת.
|
9 All the nations are
gathered together, and the peoples are assembled; who among them can
declare this, and announce to us former things? Let them bring their
witnesses, that they may be justified; and let them hear, and say: 'It is
truth.'
|
|
Eventually,
you will be here
And
you will realize that I am right.
What
I have promised has come to pass.
When
you fell, I helped you up.
When
you reached out your hand, I grasped it tight and held
on
But
by then it will be too late
Your
own rebellious children will be deaf and blind to you.
I will still love you.
|
.
|
|
|
