כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ אֵידָא הִיא אִגְרַת פִּטוּרִין דִיהָבֵית לִכְנִשְׁתְּכוֹן אֲרֵי אִתְרַחֲקַת אוֹ מִן גְבַר דְלֵהּ חוֹבָא קֳדָמַי דְזַבְּנֵית יַתְכוֹן לֵהּ הָא בְחוֹבֵיכוֹן אִזְדַבַּנְתּוּן וּבְמָרְדֵיכוֹן אִתְרַחֲקַת כְּנִשַׁתְכוֹן: Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of divorcement, which I gave to your congregation, that she is cast off? Or who is the man who has debt against me, unto whom I sold you? Behold, for your sins ye were sold, and for your congregation was put away.
מָא דֵין שְׁלִיחַת נְבִיֵי וְלָא תָבוּ אִתְנַבִּיאוּ וְלָא קַבִּילוּ הַאִתְקְפָדָא אִתְקְפָדַת גְבוּרְתִּי מִלְמִפְרַק וְאִם לֵית קֳדָמַי חֵיל לְשֵׁיזָבָא הָא בִמְזוֹפִיתִי אַחֲרִיב יַמָא אֱשַׁוֵי נַהֲרִין מַדְבְּרָא יִסְרוֹן נוּנֵיהוֹן מִבְּלִי מַיָא וִימוּתוּן בְּצַחוּתָא: Wherefore have I sent my prophets, and they have not repented? They prophesied, but they obeyed not. Is my power altogether deficient, that I cannot save ? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
אֲכַסֵי שְׁמַיָא כִּדְבְּקַבְלָא וּבְסַקָא אֲשַׁוֵי כְּסוּתְהוֹן: I cover the heavens as with blackness, and as with sackcloth I make their covering.
יְיָ אֱלֹהִים יְהַב לִי לְשַׁן דְמַלְפִין לְהוֹדָעָא אַלְפָא לְצַדִיקַיָא דִמְשַׁלְהָן לְפִתְגָמֵי אוֹרַיְתָא חוּכְמָא בְכֵן בִּצְפַר בִּצְפַר מַקְדִים לְשַׁלָחָא נְבִיאוֹהִי מָאִים יִתְפַּתְחַן אוּדְנֵי חַיָבַיָא וִיקַבְּלוּן אוּלְפַן: The Lord God hath given me a tongue to teach, to give knowledge, and to instruct the righteous with wisdom, who weary themselves with the words of the law; each morning rising up early to send His prophets, that perhaps the ears of the sinners might be opened, and they might receive instruction.
יְיָ אֱלֹהִים שָׁלָחַנִי לְאִתְנַבָּאָה וַאֲנָא לָא סְרֵיבֵית לַאֲחוֹרָא לָא אִסְתַּחֲרֵית: The Lord God hath sent me to prophesy, and I did not refuse, neither turned away back.
גַבֵּי יְהָבֵית לְמָחָן וְלִיסְתֵּי לְמָרְטָן אַפִּי לָא טַמְרֵית מֵאִתְכְּנָעוּ וָרוֹק: I gave my back to the smiters, and I my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair : I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
וַיָי אֱלֹהִים סָעִיד לִי עַל כֵּן לָא אִתְכְּנָעִית עַל כֵּן שַׁוֵיתִי אַפִּי תַקִיפִין כְּטִינָרָא וְיָדַעֲנָא אֲרֵי לָא אִתְבְּהֵית: The Lord God is my helper, therefore shall I not be confounded : therefore have I set my face strong as a rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded.
קְרִיבָא זְכוּתִי מַן יְדִין עִמִי נְקּוּם כַּחֲדָא מִן בְּעֵיל דִינִי יִתְקְרֵיב לְוָתִי: My righteousness is near; who is he that will contend with me? Let us stand forth together: who is my adversary? let him come near me.
הָא יְיָ אֱלֹהִים סָעִיד לִי מַן הוּא דִי יְחַיְבִינַנִי הָא כוּלְהוֹן כִּלְבוּשָׁא דִבְלִי וּכְעָשָׁא אָכִיל לֵהּ: Behold, the Lord God is my helper; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall be as a garment that waxeth old, yea, as when the moth eateth it.
(אֲמַר נְבִיָא עֲתִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶהֱוֵי אֲמַר לְעַמְמַיָא) מַן בְּכוֹן מִדַחֲלַיָא דַייָ דִי שְׁמַע בְּקַל עַבְדֵהּ נְבִיָא דַעֲבַד אוֹרַיְתָא בְעָקָא כְּגִבַּר דִמְהַלֵךְ בְּקָבְלָא וְלֵית זְהוֹר לֵהּ מִתְרְחִיץ בִּשְׁמָא דַייָ וּמִסְתְּמִיךְ עַל פּוּרְקָנָא דֶאֱלָהֵהּ: The prophet said: The Holy One, blessed be He, shall say to all the nations: Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant the prophet, who keepeth the law, being in distress, as a man that walketh in darkness and has no light, he trusting in the name of the Lord, will stay upon the salvation of his God?
(מְתִיבִין עַמְמַיָא וְאָמְרִין קֳדָמוֹהִי רִבּוֹנָנָא לָא אֶפְשַׁר לָנָא לְמֶעְסַק בְּאוֹרַיְתָא אֲרֵי כָּל יוֹמָנָא אִתְגְרֵינָא דֵין עִם דֵין בִּקְרָבָא וְכַד נְצַחְנָא דֵין לְדֵין אוֹקֵידְנָא בָתֵּיהוֹן וּשְׁבִינָא טַפְלְהוֹן וְנִכְסֵיהוֹן וּבַהֲדָא גַוְנָא שְׁלִימוּ יוֹמָנָא וְלָא אֶפְשַׁר לָנָא לְמֶעְסַק בְּאוֹרַיְתָא מְתִיב קוּדְשָׁא בְרִיךְ הוּא וַאֲמַר לְהוֹן) הָא כּוּלְכוֹן מְגָרֵן בְּאֶשְׁתָּא מַתְקְפֵי חֶרֶב אֱזִילוּ פִּילוּ בְּאֶשְׁתָּא דִגְרֵיתוּן וּבְחַרְבָּא דִתְקֵיפְתּוּן מִמֵימְרִי הֲוַת דָא לְכוֹן לְתַקְלוּתְכוֹן תְּחוּבוּן: The nations answered and said to him: O our Lord! it is not possible for us to occupy ourselves with the law; because we continually wage war against each other, and when we gain the victory one over the other, we burn their houses with fire, and bring their children and their treasures into captivity, and in this manner our days are spent; thus it is impossible for us to occupy ourselves with the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered and said unto them: Behold, all of you who stir up a fire, and lay hold on the sword; go ye, fall into the fire which ye have stirred up, and by the sword, which ye have laid hold on. This shall be unto you from my WORD, ye shall turn to your destruction.