< Jeremias 18 >

1 The word that came from the Lord to
הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
2 Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there thou shalt hear my words.
ק֥וּם וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בֵּ֣ית הַיֹּוצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֖מָּה אַשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃
3 So I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.
וָאֵרֵ֖ד בֵּ֣ית הַיֹּוצֵ֑ר וְהִנֵּהוּ (וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּא) עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְלָאכָ֖ה עַל־הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃
4 And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make [it].
וְנִשְׁחַ֣ת הַכְּלִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֛ה בַּחֹ֖מֶר בְּיַ֣ד הַיֹּוצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֗ב וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ כְּלִ֣י אַחֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֛ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י הַיֹּוצֵ֖ר לַעֲשֹֽׂות׃ פ
5 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽור׃
6 Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are ye in my hands.
הֲכַיֹּוצֵ֨ר הַזֶּ֜ה לֹא־אוּכַ֨ל לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות לָכֶ֛ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה כַחֹ֙מֶר֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַיֹּוצֵ֔ר כֵּן־אַתֶּ֥ם בְּיָדִ֖י בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
7 [If] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation, or upon a kingdom, to cut them off, and to destroy [them];
רֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גֹּ֖וי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִנְתֹ֥ושׁ וְלִנְתֹ֖וץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃
8 and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.
וְשָׁב֙ הַגֹּ֣וי הַה֔וּא מֵרָ֣עָתֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלָ֑יו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות לֹֽו׃ ס
9 And [if] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant [it];
וְרֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גֹּ֖וי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִבְנֹ֖ת וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃
10 and they do evil before me, so as not to hearken to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.
וְעָשָׂ֤ה הָרָעָה (הָרַע֙) בְּעֵינַ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקֹולִ֑י וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הַטֹּובָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֖רְתִּי לְהֵיטִ֥יב אֹותֹֽו׃ ס
11 And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.
וְעַתָּ֡ה אֱמָר־נָ֣א אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה֩ וְעַל־יֹושְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יֹוצֵ֤ר עֲלֵיכֶם֙ רָעָ֔ה וְחֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מַֽחֲשָׁבָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכֹּ֣ו הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃
12 And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.
וְאָמְר֖וּ נֹואָ֑שׁ כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵ֤י מַחְשְׁבֹותֵ֙ינוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ וְאִ֛ישׁ שְׁרִר֥וּת לִבֹּֽו־הָרָ֖ע נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ ס
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Enquire now among the nations, who has heard such very horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done?
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא֙ בַּגֹּויִ֔ם מִ֥י שָׁמַ֖ע כָּאֵ֑לֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ עָשְׂתָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
14 Will fertilising streams fail [to flow] from a rock, or snow [fail] from Libanus? will water violently impelled by the wind turn aside?
הֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב מִצּ֛וּר שָׂדַ֖י שֶׁ֣לֶג לְבָנֹ֑ון אִם־יִנָּתְשׁ֗וּ מַ֛יִם זָרִ֥ים קָרִ֖ים נֹוזְלִֽים׃
15 For my people have forgotten me, they have offered incense in vain, and they fail in their ways, [leaving] the ancient tracks, to enter upon impassable paths;
כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי עַמִּ֖י לַשָּׁ֣וְא יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙ שְׁבִילֵ֣י עֹולָ֔ם לָלֶ֣כֶת נְתִיבֹ֔ות דֶּ֖רֶךְ לֹ֥א סְלוּלָֽה׃
16 to make their land a desolation, and a perpetual hissing; all that go through it shall be amazed, and shall shake their heads.
לָשׂ֥וּם אַרְצָ֛ם לְשַׁמָּ֖ה שְׁרוּקַת (שְׁרִיקֹ֣ות) עֹולָ֑ם כֹּ֚ל עֹובֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשֹּׁ֖ם וְיָנִ֥יד בְּרֹאשֹֽׁו׃
17 I will scatter them before their enemies like an east wind; I will shew them the day of their destruction.
כְּרֽוּחַ־קָדִ֥ים אֲפִיצֵ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אֹויֵ֑ב עֹ֧רֶף וְלֹֽא־פָנִ֛ים אֶרְאֵ֖ם בְּיֹ֥ום אֵידָֽם׃ ס
18 Then they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לְכ֨וּ וְנַחְשְׁבָ֣ה עַֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ מַחֲשָׁבֹות֒ כִּי֩ לֹא־תֹאבַ֨ד תֹּורָ֜ה מִכֹּהֵ֗ן וְעֵצָה֙ מֵֽחָכָ֔ם וְדָבָ֖ר מִנָּבִ֑יא לְכוּ֙ וְנַכֵּ֣הוּ בַלָּשֹׁ֔ון וְאַל־נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה אֶל־כָּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃
19 Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.
הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וּשְׁמַ֖ע לְקֹ֥ול יְרִיבָֽי׃
20 Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they [meant] for me; remember that I stood before thy face, to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.
הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם תַּֽחַת־טֹובָה֙ רָעָ֔ה כִּֽי־כָר֥וּ שׁוּחָ֖ה לְנַפְשִׁ֑י זְכֹ֣ר ׀ עָמְדִ֣י לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְדַבֵּ֤ר עֲלֵיהֶם֙ טֹובָ֔ה לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ מֵהֶֽם׃
21 Therefore do thou deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.
לָכֵן֩ תֵּ֨ן אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֜ם לָרָעָ֗ב וְהַגִּרֵם֮ עַל־יְדֵי־חֶרֶב֒ וְתִֽהְיֶ֨נָה נְשֵׁיהֶ֤ם שַׁכֻּלֹות֙ וְאַלְמָנֹ֔ות וְאַ֨נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם יִֽהְי֖וּ הֲרֻ֣גֵי מָ֑וֶת בַּח֣וּרֵיהֶ֔ם מֻכֵּי־חֶ֖רֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃
22 Let there be a cry in their houses: thou shalt bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.
תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבִ֧יא עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם גְּד֖וּד פִּתְאֹ֑ם כִּֽי־כָר֤וּ שִׁיחָה (שׁוּחָה֙) לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי וּפַחִ֖ים טָמְנ֥וּ לְרַגְלָֽי׃
23 And thou, Lord, knowest all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before thee: let their weakness come before thee; deal with them in the time of thy wrath.
וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֠הוָה יָדַ֜עְתָּ אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲצָתָ֤ם עָלַי֙ לַמָּ֔וֶת אַל־תְּכַפֵּר֙ עַל־עֲוֹנָ֔ם וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ אַל־תֶּ֑מְחִי וְהָיוּ (וְיִהְי֤וּ) מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ בְּעֵ֥ת אַפְּךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃ ס

< Jeremias 18 >