إِرْمِيَا 18

١ 1 ٱلْكَلَامُ ٱلَّذِي صَارَ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا مِنْ قِبَلِ ٱلرَّبِّ قَائِلًا:

The word that came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying:

٢ 2 «قُمِ ٱنْزِلْ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ وَهُنَاكَ أُسْمِعُكَ كَلَامِي».

Arise and go down to the house of the potter, —and, there, will I cause thee to hear my words.

٣ 3 فَنَزَلْتُ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ، وَإِذَا هُوَ يَصْنَعُ عَمَلًا عَلَى ٱلدُّولَابِ.

So I went down, to the house of the potter, —and there he was! making a piece of work on the wheels,

٤ 4 فَفَسَدَ ٱلْوِعَاءُ ٱلَّذِي كَانَ يَصْنَعُهُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ بِيَدِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ، فَعَادَ وَعَمِلَهُ وِعَاءً آخَرَ كَمَا حَسُنَ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ أَنْ يَصْنَعَهُ.

Then was marred, the vessel that he was making, while yet it was clay in the hand of the potter, —so he turned and made of it another vessel, as seemed right in the eyes of the potter to make it.

٥ 5 فَصَارَ إِلَيَّ كَلَامُ ٱلرَّبِّ قَائِلًا:

Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying:

٦ 6 «أَمَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ بِكُمْ كَهَذَا ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ يَا بَيْتَ إِسْرَائِيلَ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ؟ هُوَذَا كَٱلطِّينِ بِيَدِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ أَنْتُمْ هَكَذَا بِيَدِي يَا بَيْتَ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

Like this potter, can I not deal with you O house of Israel? Demandeth Yahweh: Lo! as clay in the hand of the potter, So, are, ye, in my hand O house of Israel.

٧ 7 تَارَةً أَتَكَلَّمُ عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَعَلَى مَمْلَكَةٍ بِٱلْقَلْعِ وَٱلْهَدْمِ وَٱلْإِهْلَاكِ،

The moment I speak, concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, —to pull up and to break down, and to destroy;

٨ 8 فَتَرْجِعُ تِلْكَ ٱلْأُمَّةُ ٱلَّتِي تَكَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهَا عَنْ شَرِّهَا، فَأَنْدَمُ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ ٱلَّذِي قَصَدْتُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَهُ بِهَا.

and that nation return from its wickedness against whom I have spoken, then will I repent concerning the calamity which I had devised to bring upon it.

٩ 9 وَتَارَةً أَتَكَلَّمُ عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَعَلَى مَمْلَكَةٍ بِٱلْبِنَاءِ وَٱلْغَرْسِ،

And, the moment I speak, concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, —to build and to plant;

١٠ 10 فَتَفْعَلُ ٱلشَّرَّ فِي عَيْنَيَّ، فَلَا تَسْمَعُ لِصَوْتِي، فَأَنْدَمُ عَنِ ٱلْخَيْرِ ٱلَّذِي قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُحْسِنُ إِلَيْهَا بِهِ.

and it commit wickedness in mine eyes, in not hearkening unto my voice, then will I repent concerning the good wherewith I had said I would do it good.

١١ 11 «فَٱلْآنَ كَلِّمْ رِجَالَ يَهُوذَا وَسُكَّانَ أُورُشَلِيمَ قَائِلًا: هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: هَأَنَذَا مُصْدِرٌ عَلَيْكُمْ شَرًّا، وَقَاصِدٌ عَلَيْكُمْ قَصْدًا. فَٱرْجِعُوا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِ ٱلرَّدِيءِ، وَأَصْلِحُوا طُرُقَكُمْ وَأَعْمَالَكُمْ».

Now, therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the men of Judah and concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, —Lo! I am fashioning against you calamity, and devising against you, a device, —Return I pray you every man from his wicked way, And amend your ways and your doings.

١٢ 12 فَقَالُوا: «بَاطِلٌ! لِأَنَّنَا نَسْعَى وَرَاءَ أَفْكَارِنَا، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ يَعْمَلُ حَسَبَ عِنَادِ قَلْبِهِ ٱلرَّدِيءِ».

And, since they will say, Hopeless! For after our own devices, will we walk, And, every one, the stubbornness of his own wicked heart, will we do!

١٣ 13 لِذَلِكَ هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: «ٱسْأَلُوا بَيْنَ ٱلْأُمَمِ. مَنْ سَمِعَ كَهَذِهِ؟ مَا يُقْشَعَرُّ مِنْهُ جِدًّا عَمِلَتْ عَذْرَاءُ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

Therefore, Thus saith Yahweh, Ask I pray you among the nations, —Who hath heard such things as these? A very horrible thing, hath, the virgin, Israel done!

١٤ 14 هَلْ يَخْلُو صَخْرُ حَقْلِي مِنْ ثَلْجِ لُبْنَانَ؟ أَوْ هَلْ تَنْشَفُ ٱلْمِيَاهُ ٱلْمُنْفَجِرَةُ ٱلْبَارِدَةُ ٱلْجَارِيَةُ؟

Shall the snow of Lebanon, fail from the rock of the field? Or shall waters from afar, deep, overflowing, be dried up?

١٥ 15 لِأَنَّ شَعْبِي قَدْ نَسِيَني! بَخَّرُوا لِلْبَاطِلِ، وَقَدْ أَعْثَرُوهُمْ فِي طُرُقِهِمْ، فِي ٱلسُّبُلِ ٱلْقَدِيمَةِ لِيَسْلُكُوا فِي شُعَبٍ، فِي طَرِيقٍ غَيْرِ مُسَهَّلٍ،

Yet my people have forgotten me, Unto vanity, have they been burning incense; And it hath caused them to stumble In their ways The roads of age-past times, To walk in by-paths—A way not cast up.

١٦ 16 لِتُجْعَلْ أَرْضُهُمْ خَرَابًا وَصَفِيرًا أَبَدِيًّا. كُلُّ مَارٍّ فِيهَا يَدْهَشُ وَيَنْغِضُ رَأْسَهُ.

To make their land a desolation The hissings of age-abiding times, —Every one that passeth by her, shall be astonished and wag his head.

١٧ 17 كَرِيحٍ شَرْقِيَّةٍ أُبَدِّدُهُمْ أَمَامَ ٱلْعَدُوِّ. أُرِيهِمِ ٱلْقَفَا لَا ٱلْوَجْهَ فِي يَوْمِ مُصِيبَتِهِمْ».

Like an east wind, will I scatter them before the enemy, —The back and not the face, will I let them see in the day of their distress.

١٨ 18 فَقَالُوا: «هَلُمَّ فَنُفَكِّرُ عَلَى إِرْمِيَا أَفْكَارًا، لِأَنَّ ٱلشَّرِيعَةَ لَا تَبِيدُ عَنِ ٱلْكَاهِنِ، وَلَا ٱلْمَشُورَةَ عَنِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ، وَلَا ٱلْكَلِمَةَ عَنِ ٱلنَّبِيِّ. هَلُمَّ فَنَضْرِبُهُ بِٱللِّسَانِ وَلِكُلِّ كَلَامِهِ لَا نُصْغِي».

Then said they, —Come ye and let us devise against Jeremiah devices, For the law shall not perish from the priest, Nor, counsel, from the wise, Nor, the word from the prophet: Come and let as smite him with the tongue, And let us not give ear to any of his words!

١٩ 19 أَصْغِ لِي يَارَبُّ، وَٱسْمَعْ صَوْتَ أَخْصَامِي.

Give thou ear O Yahweh unto me, —And hearken unto the voice of mine accusers.

٢٠ 20 هَلْ يُجَازَى عَنْ خَيْرٍ بِشَرٍّ؟ لِأَنَّهُمْ حَفَرُوا حُفْرَةً لِنَفْسِي. ٱذْكُرْ وُقُوفِي أَمَامَكَ لِأَتَكَلَّمَ عَنْهُمْ بِٱلْخَيْرِ لِأَرُدَّ غَضَبَكَ عَنْهُمْ.

Shall, evil, be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my life, —Remember how I stood before thee To speak in their behalf what was good! To turn back thine indignation from them.

٢١ 21 لِذَلِكَ سَلِّمْ بَنِيهِمْ لِلْجُوعِ، وَٱدْفَعْهُمْ لِيَدِ ٱلسَّيْفِ، فَتَصِيرَ نِسَاؤُهُمْ ثَكَالَى وَأَرَامِلَ، وَتَصِيرَ رِجَالُهُمْ قَتْلَى ٱلْمَوْتِ، وَشُبَّانُهُمْ مَضْرُوبِي ٱلسَّيْفِ فِي ٱلْحَرْبِ.

Therefore, give thou up their sons to the famine And deliver them into the hands of the sword, And let their, wives, become, childless and widows, And let, their men, be slain by death, Their young men be smitten by the sword in battle.

٢٢ 22 لِيُسْمَعْ صِيَاحٌ مِنْ بُيُوتِهِمْ إِذْ تَجْلِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ جَيْشًا بَغْتَةً. لِأَنَّهُمْ حَفَرُوا حُفْرَةً لِيُمْسِكُونِي، وَطَمَرُوا فِخَاخًا لِرِجْلَيَّ.

Let there be heard a cry out of their houses, When thou shalt bring in upon them a troop, suddenly, —Because they digged a pit to capture me, And snares, did they hide for my feet.

٢٣ 23 وَأَنْتَ يَارَبُّ عَرَفْتَ كُلَّ مَشُورَتِهِمْ عَلَيَّ لِلْمَوْتِ. لَا تَصْفَحْ عَنْ إِثْمِهِمْ، وَلَا تَمْحُ خَطِيَّتَهُمْ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ، بَلْ لِيَكُونُوا مُتَعَثِّرِينَ أَمَامَكَ. فِي وَقْتِ غَضَبِكَ عَامِلْهُمْ.

But, thou, O Yahweh, knowest all their counsels against me to put me to death, Put thou no propitiatory-covering over their iniquity, And their sin from before thee, do not thou blot out, —But let them be overthrown before thee, In the time of thine anger, deal thou effectively with them.