< Jeremiah 13 >

1 This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.”
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י הָל֞וֹךְ וְקָנִ֤יתָ לְּךָ֙ אֵז֣וֹר פִּשְׁתִּ֔ים וְשַׂמְתּ֖וֹ עַל־מָתְנֶ֑יךָ וּבַמַּ֖יִם לֹ֥א תְבִאֵֽהוּ׃
2 So I bought a loincloth as the LORD had instructed me, and I put it around my waist.
וָאֶקְנֶ֥ה אֶת־הָאֵז֖וֹר כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה וָאָשִׂ֖ם עַל־מָתְנָֽי׃ ס
3 Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:
וַיְהִ֧י דְבַר־יְהוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י שֵׁנִ֥ית לֵאמֹֽר׃
4 “Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”
קַ֧ח אֶת־הָאֵז֛וֹר אֲשֶׁ֥ר קָנִ֖יתָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־מָתְנֶ֑יךָ וְקוּם֙ לֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וְטָמְנֵ֥הוּ שָׁ֖ם בִּנְקִ֥יק הַסָּֽלַע׃
5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD had commanded me.
וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ וָאֶטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בִּפְרָ֑ת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אוֹתִֽי׃
6 Many days later the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.”
וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י ק֚וּם לֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וְקַ֤ח מִשָּׁם֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵז֔וֹר אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִ֖יךָ לְטָמְנוֹ־שָֽׁם׃
7 So I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined—of no use at all.
וָאֵלֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וָאֶחְפֹּ֗ר וָֽאֶקַּח֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵז֔וֹר מִן־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־טְמַנְתִּ֣יו שָׁ֑מָּה וְהִנֵּה֙ נִשְׁחַ֣ת הָאֵז֔וֹר לֹ֥א יִצְלַ֖ח לַכֹּֽל׃ פ
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
9 “This is what the LORD says: In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה כָּ֠כָה אַשְׁחִ֞ית אֶת־גְּא֧וֹן יְהוּדָ֛ה וְאֶת־גְּא֥וֹן יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם הָרָֽב׃
10 These evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who go after other gods to serve and worship them, they will be like this loincloth—of no use at all.
הָעָם֩ הַזֶּ֨ה הָרָ֜ע הַֽמֵּאֲנִ֣ים ׀ לִשְׁמ֣וֹעַ אֶת־דְּבָרַ֗י הַהֹֽלְכִים֙ בִּשְׁרִר֣וּת לִבָּ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים לְעָבְדָ֖ם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם וִיהִי֙ כָּאֵז֣וֹר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יִצְלַ֖ח לַכֹּֽל׃
11 For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I have made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to Me, declares the LORD, so that they might be My people for My renown and praise and glory. But they did not listen.
כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יִדְבַּ֨ק הָאֵז֜וֹר אֶל־מָתְנֵי־אִ֗ישׁ כֵּ֣ן הִדְבַּ֣קְתִּי אֵ֠לַי אֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל וְאֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה לִֽהְי֥וֹת לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וּלְשֵׁ֥ם וְלִתְהִלָּ֖ה וּלְתִפְאָ֑רֶת וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵֽעוּ׃
12 Therefore you are to tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Every wineskin shall be filled with wine.’ And when they reply, ‘Don’t we surely know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’
וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה ס כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כָּל־נֵ֖בֶל יִמָּ֣לֵא יָ֑יִן וְאָמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ הֲיָדֹ֙עַ֙ לֹ֣א נֵדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כָל־נֵ֖בֶל יִמָּ֥לֵא יָֽיִן׃
13 then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנְנִ֣י מְמַלֵּ֣א אֶת־כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֪רֶץ הַזֹּ֟את וְאֶת־הַמְּלָכִ֣ים הַיֹּשְׁבִים֩ לְדָוִ֨ד עַל־כִּסְא֜וֹ וְאֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְאֶת־הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י יְרוּשָׁלִָ֖ם שִׁכָּרֽוֹן׃
14 I will smash them against one another, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no mercy or pity or compassion to keep Me from destroying them.’”
וְנִפַּצְתִּים֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֜יו וְהָאָב֧וֹת וְהַבָּנִ֛ים יַחְדָּ֖ו נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה לֹֽא־אֶחְמ֧וֹל וְלֹֽא־אָח֛וּס וְלֹ֥א אֲרַחֵ֖ם מֵהַשְׁחִיתָֽם׃ ס
15 Listen and give heed. Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken.
שִׁמְע֥וּ וְהַאֲזִ֖ינוּ אַל־תִּגְבָּ֑הוּ כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃
16 Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.
תְּנוּ֩ לַיהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֤ם כָּבוֹד֙ בְּטֶ֣רֶם יַחְשִׁ֔ךְ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם יִֽתְנַגְּפ֥וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם עַל־הָ֣רֵי נָ֑שֶׁף וְקִוִּיתֶ֤ם לְאוֹר֙ וְשָׂמָ֣הּ לְצַלְמָ֔וֶת וְשִׁ֖ית לַעֲרָפֶֽל׃
17 But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.
וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תִשְׁמָע֔וּהָ בְּמִסְתָּרִ֥ים תִּבְכֶּֽה־נַפְשִׁ֖י מִפְּנֵ֣י גֵוָ֑ה וְדָמֹ֨עַ תִּדְמַ֜ע וְתֵרַ֤ד עֵינִי֙ דִּמְעָ֔ה כִּ֥י נִשְׁבָּ֖ה עֵ֥דֶר יְהוָֽה׃ ס
18 Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.”
אֱמֹ֥ר לַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וְלַגְּבִירָ֖ה הַשְׁפִּ֣ילוּ שֵׁ֑בוּ כִּ֤י יָרַד֙ מַרְאֲשׁ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּֽפְאַרְתְּכֶֽם׃
19 The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.
עָרֵ֥י הַנֶּ֛גֶב סֻגְּר֖וּ וְאֵ֣ין פֹּתֵ֑חַ הָגְלָ֧ת יְהוּדָ֛ה כֻּלָּ֖הּ הָגְלָ֥ת שְׁלוֹמִֽים׃ ס
20 Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock entrusted to you, the sheep that were your pride?
שְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ וּרְא֔וּ הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצָּפ֑וֹן אַיֵּ֗ה הָעֵ֙דֶר֙ נִתַּן־לָ֔ךְ צֹ֖אן תִּפְאַרְתֵּֽךְ׃
21 What will you say when He sets over you close allies whom you yourself trained? Will not pangs of anguish grip you, as they do a woman in labor?
מַה־תֹּֽאמְרִי֙ כִּֽי־יִפְקֹ֣ד עָלַ֔יִךְ וְ֠אַתְּ לִמַּ֨דְתְּ אֹתָ֥ם עָלַ֛יִךְ אַלֻּפִ֖ים לְרֹ֑אשׁ הֲל֤וֹא חֲבָלִים֙ יֹאחֱז֔וּךְ כְּמ֖וֹ אֵ֥שֶׁת לֵדָֽה׃
22 And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.
וְכִ֤י תֹאמְרִי֙ בִּלְבָבֵ֔ךְ מַדּ֖וּעַ קְרָאֻ֣נִי אֵ֑לֶּה בְּרֹ֧ב עֲוֹנֵ֛ךְ נִגְל֥וּ שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ נֶחְמְס֥וּ עֲקֵבָֽיִךְ׃
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good— you who are accustomed to doing evil.
הֲיַהֲפֹ֤ךְ כּוּשִׁי֙ עוֹר֔וֹ וְנָמֵ֖ר חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָ֑יו גַּם־אַתֶּם֙ תּוּכְל֣וּ לְהֵיטִ֔יב לִמֻּדֵ֖י הָרֵֽעַ׃
24 “I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.
וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם כְּקַשׁ־עוֹבֵ֑ר לְר֖וּחַ מִדְבָּֽר׃
25 This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.
זֶ֣ה גוֹרָלֵ֧ךְ מְנָת־מִדַּ֛יִךְ מֵֽאִתִּ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ שָׁכַ֣חַתְּ אוֹתִ֔י וַֽתִּבְטְחִ֖י בַּשָּֽׁקֶר׃
26 So I will pull your skirts up over your face, that your shame may be seen.
וְגַם־אֲנִ֛י חָשַׂ֥פְתִּי שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ עַל־פָּנָ֑יִךְ וְנִרְאָ֖ה קְלוֹנֵֽךְ׃
27 Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields— I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”
נִֽאֻפַ֤יִךְ וּמִצְהֲלוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ זִמַּ֣ת זְנוּתֵ֔ךְ עַל־גְּבָעוֹת֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי שִׁקּוּצָ֑יִךְ א֥וֹי לָךְ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לֹ֣א תִטְהֲרִ֔י אַחֲרֵ֥י מָתַ֖י עֹֽד׃ פ

< Jeremiah 13 >