< Jeremiah 21 >

1 The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, in the king Zedekiah's sending unto him Pashhur son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה בִּשְׁלֹ֨חַ אֵלָ֜יו הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֗הוּ אֶת־פַּשְׁחוּר֙ בֶּן־מַלְכִּיָּ֔ה וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֧ה בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָ֛ה הַכֹּהֵ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃
2 'Inquire, we pray thee, for us at Jehovah, for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath fought against us; perhaps Jehovah doth deal with us according to all His wonders, and doth cause him to go up from off us.'
דְּרָשׁ־נָ֤א בַעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל נִלְחָ֣ם עָלֵ֑ינוּ אוּלַי֩ יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה יְהוָ֤ה אוֹתָ֙נוּ֙ כְּכָל־נִפְלְאֹתָ֔יו וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה מֵעָלֵֽינוּ׃ ס
3 And Jeremiah saith unto them, 'Thus do ye say unto Zedekiah,
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה תֹאמְרֻ֖ן אֶל־צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃
4 Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel: Lo, I am turning round the weapons of battle That [are] in your hand, With which ye do fight the king of Babylon, And the Chaldeans, who are laying siege against you, At the outside of the wall, And I have gathered them into the midst of this city,
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֣י מֵסֵב֮ אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָה֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיֶדְכֶם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם נִלְחָמִ֣ים בָּ֗ם אֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ בָּבֶל֙ וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים הַצָּרִ֣ים עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם מִח֖וּץ לַֽחוֹמָ֑ה וְאָסַפְתִּ֣י אוֹתָ֔ם אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּֽאת׃
5 And I — I have fought against you, With a stretched-out hand, and with a strong arm, And in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath,
וְנִלְחַמְתִּ֤י אֲנִי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם בְּיָ֥ד נְטוּיָ֖ה וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ חֲזָקָ֑ה וּבְאַ֥ף וּבְחֵמָ֖ה וּבְקֶ֥צֶף גָּדֽוֹל׃
6 And I have smitten the inhabitants of this city, Both man and beast, By a great pestilence do they die.
וְהִכֵּיתִ֗י אֶת־יֽוֹשְׁבֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה בְּדֶ֥בֶר גָּד֖וֹל יָמֻֽתוּ׃
7 And after this — an affirmation of Jehovah, I give Zedekiah king of Judah, And his servants, and the people, And those left in this city, From the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, Into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of their enemies, And into the hand of those seeking their life, And he hath smitten them by the mouth of the sword, He hath no pity on them, Nor doth he spare, nor hath he mercy.
וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֣ן נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־עֲבָדָ֣יו ׀ וְאֶת־הָעָ֡ם וְאֶת־הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֩ בָּעִ֨יר הַזֹּ֜את מִן־הַדֶּ֣בֶר ׀ מִן־הַחֶ֣רֶב וּמִן־הָרָעָ֗ב בְּיַד֙ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וּבְיַד֙ אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְהִכָּ֣ם לְפִי־חֶ֔רֶב לֹֽא־יָח֣וּס עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א יַחְמֹ֖ל וְלֹ֥א יְרַחֵֽם׃
8 And unto this people thou dost say, Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am setting before you the way of life, And the way of death!
וְאֶל־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ תֹּאמַ֔ר כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנְנִ֤י נֹתֵן֙ לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם אֶת־דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַחַיִּ֖ים וְאֶת־דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַמָּֽוֶת׃
9 Whoso is abiding in this city — dieth, By sword, and by famine, and by pestilence, And whoso is going forth, And hath fallen unto the Chaldeans, Who are laying siege against you — liveth, And his life hath been to him for a spoil.
הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ בָּעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את יָמ֕וּת בַּחֶ֖רֶב וּבָרָעָ֣ב וּבַדָּ֑בֶר וְהַיּוֹצֵא֩ וְנָפַ֨ל עַל־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֜ים הַצָּרִ֤ים עֲלֵיכֶם֙ יחיה וְהָֽיְתָה־לּ֥וֹ נַפְשׁ֖וֹ לְשָׁלָֽל׃
10 For I have set My face against this city for evil, And not for good — an affirmation of Jehovah. Into the hand of the king of Babylon it is given, And he hath burned it with fire.
כִּ֣י שַׂ֣מְתִּי פָ֠נַי בָּעִ֨יר הַזֹּ֧את לְרָעָ֛ה וְלֹ֥א לְטוֹבָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה בְּיַד־מֶ֤לֶךְ בָּבֶל֙ תִּנָּתֵ֔ן וּשְׂרָפָ֖הּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ ס
11 And as to the house of the king of Judah, Hear ye a word of Jehovah;
וּלְבֵית֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה שִׁמְע֖וּ דְּבַר־יְהוָֽה׃
12 O house of David, thus said Jehovah: Decide ye judgment at morning, And deliver the plundered from the hand of the oppressor, Lest My fury go forth as fire, And hath burned, and none is quenching, Because of the evil of your doings.
בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֗ד כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה דִּ֤ינוּ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וְהַצִּ֥ילוּ גָז֖וּל מִיַּ֣ד עוֹשֵׁ֑ק פֶּן־תֵּצֵ֨א כָאֵ֜שׁ חֲמָתִ֗י וּבָעֲרָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין מְכַבֶּ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י רֹ֥עַ מעלליהם׃
13 Lo, I [am] against thee — an affirmation of Jehovah, O inhabitant of the valley, rock of the plain, Who are saying, Who cometh down against us? And who cometh into our habitations?
הִנְנִ֨י אֵלַ֜יִךְ יֹשֶׁ֧בֶת הָעֵ֛מֶק צ֥וּר הַמִּישֹׁ֖ר נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ מִֽי־יֵחַ֣ת עָלֵ֔ינוּ וּמִ֥י יָב֖וֹא בִּמְעוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
14 And I have laid a charge against you, According to the fruit of your doings, An affirmation of Jehovah, And I have kindled a fire in its forest, And it hath consumed — all its suburbs!
וּפָקַדְתִּ֧י עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם כִּפְרִ֥י מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְהִצַּ֤תִּי אֵשׁ֙ בְּיַעְרָ֔הּ וְאָכְלָ֖ה כָּל־סְבִיבֶֽיהָ׃ ס

< Jeremiah 21 >