Isaiah 20
6 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside
בִּשְׁנַ֨ת בֹּ֤א תַרְתָּן֙ אַשְׁדּ֔וֹדָה בִּשְׁלֹ֣חַ אֹת֔וֹ סַֽרְג֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם בְּאַשְׁדּ֖וֹד וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃
It was the year that the Tartan came to Ashdod—being sent by King Sargon of Assyria—and attacked Ashdod and took it.
בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהֹוָה֮ בְּיַ֣ד יְשַֽׁעְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ לֵ֗ךְ וּפִתַּחְתָּ֤ הַשַּׂק֙ מֵעַ֣ל מׇתְנֶ֔יךָ וְנַעַלְךָ֥ תַחֲלֹ֖ץ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ כֵּ֔ן הָלֹ֖ךְ עָר֥וֹם וְיָחֵֽף׃ {ס}
Previously, GOD had spoken to Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, untie the sackcloth from your loins and take your sandals off your feet,” which he had done, going naked and barefoot.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלַ֛ךְ עַבְדִּ֥י יְשַֽׁעְיָ֖הוּ עָר֣וֹם וְיָחֵ֑ף שָׁלֹ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ א֣וֹת וּמוֹפֵ֔ת עַל־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְעַל־כּֽוּשׁ׃
And now GOD said, “It is a sign and a portent for Egypt and Cush. Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years,
כֵּ֣ן יִנְהַ֣ג מֶֽלֶךְ־אַ֠שּׁ֠וּר אֶת־שְׁבִ֨י מִצְרַ֜יִם וְאֶת־גָּל֥וּת כּ֛וּשׁ נְעָרִ֥ים וּזְקֵנִ֖ים עָר֣וֹם וְיָחֵ֑ף וַחֲשׂוּפַ֥י שֵׁ֖ת עֶרְוַ֥ת מִצְרָֽיִם׃
so shall the king of Assyria drive off the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot and with bared buttocks—to the shame of Egypt!
וְחַתּ֖וּ וָבֹ֑שׁוּ מִכּוּשׁ֙ מַבָּטָ֔ם וּמִן־מִצְרַ֖יִם תִּפְאַרְתָּֽם׃
And they shall be dismayed and chagrined because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast.
וְ֠אָמַ֠ר יֹשֵׁ֨ב הָאִ֣י הַזֶּה֮ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֒ הִנֵּה־כֹ֣ה מַבָּטֵ֗נוּ אֲשֶׁר־נַ֤סְנוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֶזְרָ֔ה לְהִ֨נָּצֵ֔ל מִפְּנֵ֖י מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וְאֵ֖יךְ נִמָּלֵ֥ט אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ {פ}
In that day, the dwellers of this coastland shall say, ‘If this could happen to those we looked to, to whom we fled for help and rescue from the king of Assyria, how can we ourselves escape?’”
Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.
These are written by Yaacov, a native Jerusalemite who teaches Hebrew, Yiddish, Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic one-to-one.