Jeremiah 18

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹֽר׃

2 "Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear my words."

קוּם וְיָרַדְתָּ בֵּית הַיּוֹצֵר וְשָׁמָּה אַשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃

3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and look, he was making a work on the wheels.

וָאֵרֵד בֵּית הַיּוֹצֵר והנהו וְהִנֵּה־הוּא עֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה עַל־הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃

4 When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

וְנִשְׁחַת הַכְּלִי אֲשֶׁר הוּא עֹשֶׂה בַּחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר וְשָׁב וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ כְּלִי אַחֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינֵי הַיּוֹצֵר לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

5 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֽוֹר׃

6 "'House of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter?' says Jehovah. 'Look, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.'

הֲכַיּוֹצֵר הַזֶּה לֹא־אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת לָכֶם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־יְהוָה הִנֵּה כַחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר כֵּן־אַתֶּם בְּיָדִי בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

רֶגַע אֲדַבֵּר עַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָה לִנְתוֹשׁ וְלִנְתוֹץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃

8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I thought to do to them.

וְשָׁב הַגּוֹי הַהוּא מֵרָעָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי עָלָיו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי עַל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁבְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לֽוֹ׃

9 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

וְרֶגַע אֲדַבֵּר עַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָה לִבְנֹת וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃

10 if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit them.

וְעָשָׂה הרעה הָרַע בְּעֵינַי לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹלִי וְנִֽחַמְתִּי עַל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי לְהֵיטִיב אוֹתֽוֹ׃

11 Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says Jehovah: Look, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.'

וְעַתָּה אֱמָר־נָא אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יוֹצֵר עֲלֵיכֶם רָעָה וְחֹשֵׁב עֲלֵיכֶם מַֽחֲשָׁבָה שׁוּבוּ נָא אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָֽרָעָה וְהֵיטִיבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃

12 But they say, 'It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do everyone after the stubbornness of his evil heart.'"

וְאָמְרוּ נוֹאָשׁ כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵינוּ נֵלֵךְ וְאִישׁ שְׁרִרוּת לִבּֽוֹ־הָרָע נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃

13 Therefore thus says Jehovah: "Ask now among the nations, who has heard such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא בַּגּוֹיִם מִי שָׁמַע כָּאֵלֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת עָשְׂתָה מְאֹד בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

14 Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

הֲיַעֲזֹב מִצּוּר שָׂדַי שֶׁלֶג לְבָנוֹן אִם־יִנָּתְשׁוּ מַיִם זָרִים קָרִים נוֹזְלִֽים׃

15 For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false gods; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up;

כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻנִי עַמִּי לַשָּׁוְא יְקַטֵּרוּ וַיַּכְשִׁלוּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם שְׁבִילֵי עוֹלָם לָלֶכֶת נְתִיבוֹת דֶּרֶךְ לֹא סְלוּלָֽה׃

16 to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

לָשׂוּם אַרְצָם לְשַׁמָּה שרוקת שְׁרִיקוֹת עוֹלָם כֹּל עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ יִשֹּׁם וְיָנִיד בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity."

כְּרֽוּחַ־קָדִים אֲפִיצֵם לִפְנֵי אוֹיֵב עֹרֶף וְלֹֽא־פָנִים אֶרְאֵם בְּיוֹם אֵידָֽם׃

18 Then they said, "Come, and let us make plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words."

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַחְשְׁבָה עַֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת כִּי לֹא־תֹאבַד תּוֹרָה מִכֹּהֵן וְעֵצָה מֵֽחָכָם וְדָבָר מִנָּבִיא לְכוּ וְנַכֵּהוּ בַלָּשׁוֹן וְאַל־נַקְשִׁיבָה אֶל־כָּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃

19 "Give heed to me, Jehovah, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.

הַקְשִׁיבָה יְהוָה אֵלָי וּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל יְרִיבָֽי׃

20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.

הַיְשֻׁלַּם תַּֽחַת־טוֹבָה רָעָה כִּֽי־כָרוּ שׁוּחָה לְנַפְשִׁי זְכֹר ׀ עָמְדִי לְפָנֶיךָ לְדַבֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם טוֹבָה לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ מֵהֶֽם׃

21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men struck of the sword in battle.

לָכֵן תֵּן אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם לָרָעָב וְהַגִּרֵם עַל־יְדֵי־חֶרֶב וְתִֽהְיֶנָה נְשֵׁיהֶם שַׁכֻּלוֹת וְאַלְמָנוֹת וְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם יִֽהְיוּ הֲרֻגֵי מָוֶת בַּחוּרֵיהֶם מֻכֵּי־חֶרֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

תִּשָּׁמַע זְעָקָה מִבָּתֵּיהֶם כִּֽי־תָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם גְּדוּד פִּתְאֹם כִּֽי־כָרוּ שיחה שׁוּחָה לְלָכְדֵנִי וּפַחִים טָמְנוּ לְרַגְלָֽי׃

23 Yet, Jehovah, you know all their counsel against me to kill me; do not forgive their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from your sight; but let them be overthrown before you; deal you with them in the time of your anger."

וְאַתָּה יְהוָה יָדַעְתָּ אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲצָתָם עָלַי לַמָּוֶת אַל־תְּכַפֵּר עַל־עֲוֺנָם וְחַטָּאתָם מִלְּפָנֶיךָ אַל־תֶּמְחִי והיו וְיִהְיוּ מֻכְשָׁלִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּעֵת אַפְּךָ עֲשֵׂה בָהֶֽם׃