< Jeremiah 16 >

1 A message from the Lord that came to me, saying,
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
2 Don't marry or have children here.
לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח לְךָ֖ אִשָּׁ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יִהְי֤וּ לְךָ֙ בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנֹ֔ות בַּמָּקֹ֖ום הַזֶּֽה׃
3 This is what the Lord says about children born here, and about their mothers and fathers—their parents here in this country:
כִּי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה עַל־הַבָּנִים֙ וְעַל־הַבָּנֹ֔ות הַיִּלֹּודִ֖ים בַּמָּקֹ֣ום הַזֶּ֑ה וְעַֽל־אִמֹּתָ֞ם הַיֹּלְדֹ֣ות אֹותָ֗ם וְעַל־אֲבֹותָ֛ם הַמֹּולִדִ֥ים אֹותָ֖ם בָּאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּֽאת׃
4 They will die from fatal diseases. No one will mourn for them. Their bodies won't be buried, but will lie on the ground like manure. They will be destroyed by war and famine, and their bodies will be food for birds of prey and wild animals.
מְמֹותֵ֨י תַחֲלֻאִ֜ים יָמֻ֗תוּ לֹ֤א יִסָּֽפְדוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ לְדֹ֛מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה יִֽהְי֑וּ וּבַחֶ֤רֶב וּבָֽרָעָב֙ יִכְל֔וּ וְהָיְתָ֤ה נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַאֲכָ֔ל לְעֹ֥וף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ס
5 This is what the Lord says: Don't enter a home where people are having a funeral meal. Don't visit them to mourn or to offer condolences, for I have taken away my peace, my trustworthy love, and my mercy from these people, declares the Lord.
כִּֽי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אַל־תָּבֹוא֙ בֵּ֣ית מַרְזֵ֔חַ וְאַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ לִסְפֹּ֔וד וְאַל־תָּנֹ֖ד לָהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אָסַ֨פְתִּי אֶת־שְׁלֹומִ֜י מֵאֵ֨ת הָעָ֤ם־הַזֶּה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־הַחֶ֖סֶד וְאֶת־הָֽרַחֲמִֽים׃
6 Everyone, from the most important to the least, will die in this country. They will not be buried or mourned; there will be no rites for the dead such as cutting oneself or shaving of heads.
וּמֵ֨תוּ גְדֹלִ֧ים וּקְטַנִּ֛ים בָּאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את לֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֑רוּ וְלֹֽא־יִסְפְּד֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א יִתְגֹּדַ֔ד וְלֹ֥א יִקָּרֵ֖חַ לָהֶֽם׃
7 No funeral receptions will be held to comfort those who mourn—not even a comforting drink is to be offered at the loss of a father or mother.
וְלֹֽא־יִפְרְס֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם עַל־אֵ֖בֶל לְנַחֲמֹ֣ו עַל־מֵ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁק֤וּ אֹותָם֙ כֹּ֣וס תַּנְחוּמִ֔ים עַל־אָבִ֖יו וְעַל־אִמֹּֽו׃
8 Don't go into a house where people are celebrating and sit down with them to eat and drink.
וּבֵית־מִשְׁתֶּ֥ה לֹא־תָבֹ֖וא לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֹותָ֑ם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וְלִשְׁתֹּֽות׃ ס
9 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am going to put a stop right here, while you watch, to any sounds of celebration and joy, the happy voices of the groom and bride.
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֨י מַשְׁבִּ֜ית מִן־הַמָּקֹ֥ום הַזֶּ֛ה לְעֵינֵיכֶ֖ם וּבִֽימֵיכֶ֑ם קֹ֤ול שָׂשֹׂון֙ וְקֹ֣ול שִׂמְחָ֔ה קֹ֥ול חָתָ֖ן וְקֹ֥ול כַּלָּֽה׃
10 When you explain all this to them they'll ask you, “Why has the Lord ordered that such a terrible disaster should happen to us? What did we do wrong? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?”
וְהָיָ֗ה כִּ֤י תַגִּיד֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וְאָמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ עַל־מֶה֩ דִבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ אֵ֣ת כָּל־הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדֹולָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וּמֶ֤ה עֲוֹנֵ֙נוּ֙ וּמֶ֣ה חַטָּאתֵ֔נוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָ֖אנוּ לַֽיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
11 Answer them: It's because your forefathers deserted me, declares the Lord. They went and followed other gods, serving them and worshiping them. They abandoned me and didn't keep my laws.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם עַל֩ אֲשֶׁר־עָזְב֨וּ אֲבֹותֵיכֶ֤ם אֹותִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיַּעַבְד֖וּם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וְאֹתִ֣י עָזָ֔בוּ וְאֶת־תֹּורָתִ֖י לֹ֥א שָׁמָֽרוּ׃
12 You however have done even more evil than your forefathers. Look at how all of you followed your own stubborn evil thinking instead of obeying me.
וְאַתֶּ֛ם הֲרֵעֹתֶ֥ם לַעֲשֹׂ֖ות מֵאֲבֹֽותֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִנְּכֶ֣ם הֹלְכִ֗ים אִ֚ישׁ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ שְׁרִר֣וּת לִבֹּֽו־הָרָ֔ע לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֥עַ אֵלָֽי׃
13 So I'm going to throw you out of this country and exile you in a country unfamiliar to you and your forefathers. There you'll serve other gods day and night, because I won't help you at all.
וְהֵטַלְתִּ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מֵעַל֙ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את עַל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם אַתֶּ֖ם וַאֲבֹֽותֵיכֶ֑ם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֞ם אֶת־אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ יֹומָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֥ן לָכֶ֖ם חֲנִינָֽה׃ ס
14 But listen! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when people won't any longer make vows, saying. “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites out of Egypt.”
לָכֵ֛ן הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יֵאָמֵ֥ר עֹוד֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלָ֛ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
15 Instead they'll say, “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites back from the northern country and all the other countries where he had exiled them.” I'm going to bring them back to the country I gave their forefathers.
כִּ֣י אִם־חַי־יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱלָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפֹ֔ון וּמִכֹּל֙ הָֽאֲרָצֹ֔ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִדִּיחָ֖ם שָׁ֑מָּה וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִים֙ עַל־אַדְמָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לַאֲבֹותָֽם׃ ס
16 But for the moment I'm going to send for many fishermen and they'll catch them, declares the Lord. Then I'm going to send for many hunters, and they'll hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from their hiding places in the rocks.
הִנְנִ֨י שֹׁלֵ֜חַ לְדַוָּגִים (לְדַיָּגִ֥ים) רַבִּ֛ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה וְדִיג֑וּם וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֶשְׁלַח֙ לְרַבִּ֣ים צַיָּדִ֔ים וְצָד֞וּם מֵעַ֤ל כָּל־הַר֙ וּמֵעַ֣ל כָּל־גִּבְעָ֔ה וּמִנְּקִיקֵ֖י הַסְּלָעִֽים׃
17 I see everything they're doing. They can't hide from me, and their sins aren't hidden from me either.
כִּ֤י עֵינַי֙ עַל־כָּל־דַּרְכֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א נִסְתְּר֖וּ מִלְּפָנָ֑י וְלֹֽא־נִצְפַּ֥ן עֲוֹנָ֖ם מִנֶּ֥גֶד עֵינָֽי׃
18 First I'm going to pay them back double for their wickedness and sin, because they have made my land unclean with the lifeless bodies of their disgusting idols, filling my special country with their offensive pagan images.
וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֣י רִֽאשֹׁונָ֗ה מִשְׁנֵ֤ה עֲוֹנָם֙ וְחַטָּאתָ֔ם עַ֖ל חַלְּלָ֣ם אֶת־אַרְצִ֑י בְּנִבְלַ֤ת שִׁקּֽוּצֵיהֶם֙ וְתֹועֲבֹ֣ותֵיהֶ֔ם מָלְא֖וּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתִֽי׃ ס
19 Lord, you are my strength and my fortress, my safe place in the time of trouble. Nations will come to you from all over the earth, and they will say, “The religion of our forefathers was a total lie! The idols they worshiped were useless—no good at all.
יְהוָ֞ה עֻזִּ֧י וּמָעֻזִּ֛י וּמְנוּסִ֖י בְּיֹ֣ום צָרָ֑ה אֵלֶ֗יךָ גֹּויִ֤ם יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ מֵֽאַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ וְיֹאמְר֗וּ אַךְ־שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ נָחֲל֣וּ אֲבֹותֵ֔ינוּ הֶ֖בֶל וְאֵֽין־בָּ֥ם מֹועִֽיל׃
20 How can people make gods for themselves? These aren't gods!”
הֲיַעֲשֶׂה־לֹּ֥ו אָדָ֖ם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְהֵ֖מָּה לֹ֥א אֱלֹהִֽים׃
21 Now they'll see! I'll show them, and then they'll recognize my power and strength. Then they'll know that I am the Lord!
לָכֵן֙ הִנְנִ֣י מֹֽודִיעָ֔ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֔את אֹודִיעֵ֥ם אֶת־יָדִ֖י וְאֶת־גְּבֽוּרָתִ֑י וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־שְׁמִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס

< Jeremiah 16 >