וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אִם־יַעֲמֹ֨ד מֹשֶׁ֤ה וּשְׁמוּאֵל֙ לְפָנַ֔י אֵ֥ין נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה שַׁלַּ֥ח מֵעַל־פָּנַ֖י וְיֵצֵֽאוּ׃ GOD said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to intercede with Me,aintercede with Me Lit. “stand before Me,” as Jeremiah is doing now; cf. 18.20. I would not be won over to that people. Dismiss them from My presence, and let them go forth!
וְהָיָ֛ה כִּי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ אָ֣נָה נֵצֵ֑א וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לַמָּ֤וֶת לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לַחֶ֙רֶב֙ לַחֶ֔רֶב וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לָרָעָב֙ לָרָעָ֔ב וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לַשְּׁבִ֖י לַשֶּֽׁבִי׃ And if they ask you, ‘To what shall we go forth?’ answer them, ‘Thus said GOD:
Those destined for the plague, to the plague;
Those destined for the sword, to the sword;
Those destined for famine, to famine;
Those destined for captivity, to captivity.
וּפָקַדְתִּ֨י עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אַרְבַּ֤ע מִשְׁפָּחוֹת֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶת־הַחֶ֣רֶב לַהֲרֹ֔ג וְאֶת־הַכְּלָבִ֖ים לִסְחֹ֑ב וְאֶת־ע֧וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְאֶת־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וּלְהַשְׁחִֽית׃ And I will appoint over them four kindsbkinds Meaning of Heb. uncertain. [of punishment]—declares GOD—the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the sky, and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.
וּנְתַתִּ֣ים (לזועה) [לְזַעֲוָ֔ה] לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ בִּ֠גְלַ֠ל מְנַשֶּׁ֤ה בֶן־יְחִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, on account of King Manasseh son of Hezekiah of Judah, and of what he did in Jerusalem.’”
כִּ֠י מִֽי־יַחְמֹ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וּמִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑ךְ וּמִ֣י יָס֔וּר לִשְׁאֹ֥ל לְשָׁלֹ֖ם לָֽךְ׃ But who will pity you, O Jerusalem,
Who will console you?
Who will turn aside to inquire
About your welfare?
אַ֣תְּ נָטַ֥שְׁתְּ אֹתִ֛י נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֖ה אָח֣וֹר תֵּלֵ֑כִי וָאַ֨ט אֶת־יָדִ֤י עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ וָֽאַשְׁחִיתֵ֔ךְ נִלְאֵ֖יתִי הִנָּחֵֽם׃ You cast Me off
—declares GOD—
You go ever backward.
So I have stretched out My hand to destroy you;
I cannot relent.
וָאֶזְרֵ֥ם בְּמִזְרֶ֖ה בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי אִבַּ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י מִדַּרְכֵיהֶ֖ם לוֹא־שָֽׁבוּ׃ I will scatter them as with a winnowing fork
Through the settlements of the earth.
I will bereave, I will destroy My people,
For they would not turn back from their ways.
עָֽצְמוּ־לִ֤י אַלְמְנוֹתָו֙ מֵח֣וֹל יַמִּ֔ים הֵבֵ֨אתִי לָהֶ֥ם עַל־אֵ֛ם בָּח֖וּר שֹׁדֵ֣ד בַּֽצׇּהֳרָ֑יִם הִפַּ֤לְתִּי עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ פִּתְאֹ֔ם עִ֖יר וּבֶהָלֽוֹת׃ Their widows shall be more numerous
Than the sands of the seas.
I will bring against them—
Young men and mothers togethercYoung men and mothers together Meaning of Heb. uncertain.—
A destroyer at noonday.
I will bring down suddenly upon them
AlarmdAlarm Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and terror.
אֻמְלְלָ֞ה יֹלֶ֣דֶת הַשִּׁבְעָ֗ה נָפְחָ֥ה נַפְשָׁ֛הּ (באה) [בָּ֥א] שִׁמְשָׁ֛הּ בְּעֹ֥ד יוֹמָ֖ם בּ֣וֹשָׁה וְחָפֵ֑רָה וּשְׁאֵרִיתָ֗ם לַחֶ֧רֶב אֶתֵּ֛ן לִפְנֵ֥י אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} She who bore seven is forlorn,
Utterly disconsolate;
Her sun has set while it is still day,
She is shamed and humiliated.
The remnant of them I will deliver to the sword,
To the power of their enemies
—declares GOD.
אֽוֹי־לִ֣י אִמִּ֔י כִּ֣י יְלִדְתִּ֗נִי אִ֥ישׁ רִ֛יב וְאִ֥ישׁ מָד֖וֹן לְכׇל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־נָשִׁ֥יתִי וְלֹא־נָֽשׁוּ־בִ֖י כֻּלֹּ֥ה מְקַֽלְלַֽוְנִי׃ {ס} Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me—
A man of conflict and strife with all the land!
I have not lent,
And I have not borrowed;
Yet everyone curses me.
אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אִם־לֹ֥א (שרותך) [שֵׁרִיתִ֖יךָ] לְט֑וֹב אִם־ל֣וֹא ׀ הִפְגַּ֣עְתִּֽי בְךָ֗ בְּעֵ֥ת רָעָ֛ה וּבְעֵ֥ת צָרָ֖ה אֶת־הָאֹיֵֽב׃
GOD
said:
Surely, a mere remnant of you
Will I spare for a better fate!eSurely … better fate Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
By the enemy from the northffrom the north Moved up from v. 12 for clarity.
In a time of distress and a time of disaster,
Surely, I will have you struck down!
הֲיָרֹ֨עַ בַּרְזֶ֧ל ׀ בַּרְזֶ֛ל מִצָּפ֖וֹן וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ Can iron break iron and bronze?gCan iron break iron and bronze? Emendation yields “[God] shall shatter iron—iron and bronze!”
חֵילְךָ֧ וְאוֹצְרוֹתֶ֛יךָ לָבַ֥ז אֶתֵּ֖ן לֹ֣א בִמְחִ֑יר וּבְכׇל־חַטֹּאותֶ֖יךָ וּבְכׇל־גְּבוּלֶֽיךָ׃ I will hand over your wealth and your treasures
As a spoil, free of charge,
Because of all your sins throughout your territory.
וְהַֽעֲבַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֣א יָדָ֑עְתָּ כִּי־אֵ֛שׁ קָדְחָ֥ה בְאַפִּ֖י עֲלֵיכֶ֥ם תּוּקָֽד׃ {ס} And I will bring your enemies
By way of a land you have not known.hI will hand over … you have not known Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
For a fire has flared in My wrath,
It blazes against you.
אַתָּ֧ה יָדַ֣עְתָּ יְהֹוָ֗ה זׇכְרֵ֤נִי וּפׇקְדֵ֙נִי֙ וְהִנָּ֤קֶם לִי֙ מֵרֹ֣דְפַ֔י אַל־לְאֶ֥רֶךְ אַפְּךָ֖ תִּקָּחֵ֑נִי דַּ֕ע שְׂאֵתִ֥י עָלֶ֖יךָ חֶרְפָּֽה׃ O ETERNAL One, you know—
Remember me and take thought of me,
Avenge me on those who persecute me;
Do not yield to Your patience,
Do not let me perish!iDo not let me perish Lit. “Do not take me away.”
Consider how I have borne insult
On Your account.
נִמְצְא֤וּ דְבָרֶ֙יךָ֙ וָאֹ֣כְלֵ֔ם וַיְהִ֤י (דבריך) [דְבָֽרְךָ֙] לִ֔י לְשָׂשׂ֖וֹן וּלְשִׂמְחַ֣ת לְבָבִ֑י כִּֽי־נִקְרָ֤א שִׁמְךָ֙ עָלַ֔י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י צְבָאֽוֹת׃ {ס} When Your words were offered, I devoured them;
Your word brought me the delight and joy
Of knowing that Your name is attached to me,
O ETERNAL One, God of Hosts.
לֹא־יָשַׁ֥בְתִּי בְסוֹד־מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים וָאֶעְלֹ֑ז מִפְּנֵ֤י יָֽדְךָ֙ בָּדָ֣ד יָשַׁ֔בְתִּי כִּי־זַ֖עַם מִלֵּאתָֽנִי׃ I have not sat in the company of revelers
And made merry!
I have sat lonely because of Your hand upon me,
For You have filled me with gloom.
לָ֣מָּה הָיָ֤ה כְאֵבִי֙ נֶ֔צַח וּמַכָּתִ֖י אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה מֵֽאֲנָה֙ הֵרָפֵ֔א הָי֨וֹ תִהְיֶ֥ה לִי֙ כְּמ֣וֹ אַכְזָ֔ב מַ֖יִם לֹ֥א נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ {ס} Why must my pain be endless,
My wound incurable,
Resistant to healing?
You have been to me like a spring that fails,
Like waters that cannot be relied on.
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה אִם־תָּשׁ֤וּב וַאֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֙ לְפָנַ֣י תַּעֲמֹ֔ד וְאִם־תּוֹצִ֥יא יָקָ֛ר מִזּוֹלֵ֖ל כְּפִ֣י תִֽהְיֶ֑ה יָשֻׁ֤בוּ הֵ֙מָּה֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹא־תָשׁ֥וּב אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ Assuredly, thus said GOD:
If you turn back, I shall take you back
And you shall stand before Me;
If you produce what is noble
Out of the worthless,
You shall be My spokesman.
They shall come back to you,
Not you to them.
וּנְתַתִּ֜יךָ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה לְחוֹמַ֤ת נְחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ בְּצוּרָ֔ה וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהוֹשִׁיעֲךָ֥ וּלְהַצִּילֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ Against this people I will make you
As a fortified wall of bronze:
They will attack you,
But they shall not overcome you,
For I am with you to deliver and save you
—declares GOD.
וְהִצַּלְתִּ֖יךָ מִיַּ֣ד רָעִ֑ים וּפְדִתִ֖יךָ מִכַּ֥ף עָרִצִֽים׃ {ס} I will save you from the hands of the wicked
And rescue you from the clutches of the violent.