ירמיה 4

1 אִם־תָּשׁוּב יִשְׂרָאֵל ׀ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אֵלַי תָּשׁוּב וְאִם־תָּסִיר שִׁקּוּצֶיךָ מִפָּנַי וְלֹא תָנֽוּד׃

“O Israel, if you would return, says the Lord, then be converted to me. If you remove your offense from before my face, then you will not be shaken.

2 וְנִשְׁבַּעְתָּ חַי־יְהֹוָה בֶּאֱמֶת בְּמִשְׁפָּט וּבִצְדָקָה וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בוֹ גּוֹיִם וּבוֹ יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃

And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth and in judgment and in justice.” And the Gentiles will bless him, and they will praise him.

3 כִּי־כֹה ׀ אָמַר יְהֹוָה לְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְלִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם נִירוּ לָכֶם נִיר וְאַֽל־תִּזְרְעוּ אֶל־קֹצִֽים׃

For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and of Jerusalem: “Break new ground, and do not choose to sow upon thorns.

4 הִמֹּלוּ לַיהֹוָה וְהָסִרוּ עׇרְלוֹת לְבַבְכֶם אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם פֶּן־תֵּצֵא כָאֵשׁ חֲמָתִי וּבָֽעֲרָה וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה מִפְּנֵי רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃

Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins from your hearts, O men of Judah, O inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise my indignation may burst forth and flare up like a fire. And then there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the wickedness of your thoughts.

5 הַגִּידוּ בִֽיהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם הַשְׁמִיעוּ וְאִמְרוּ (ותקעו) [תִּקְעוּ] שׁוֹפָר בָּאָרֶץ קִרְאוּ מַלְאוּ וְאִמְרוּ הֵאָסְפוּ וְנָבוֹאָה אֶל־עָרֵי הַמִּבְצָֽר׃

Declare it in Judah, and make it known in Jerusalem! Speak out and sound the trumpet in the land! Cry out strongly and say: ‘Gather yourselves! And let us go forth to fortified cities!’

6 שְׂאוּ־נֵס צִיּוֹנָה הָעִיזוּ אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹדוּ כִּי רָעָה אָנֹכִי מֵבִיא מִצָּפוֹן וְשֶׁבֶר גָּדֽוֹל׃

Lift up a standard in Zion. Be strengthened! Do not choose to stand still. For I am bringing an evil from the north, with great destruction.

7 עָלָה אַרְיֵה מִֽסֻּבְּכוֹ וּמַשְׁחִית גּוֹיִם נָסַע יָצָא מִמְּקֹמוֹ לָשׂוּם אַרְצֵךְ לְשַׁמָּה עָרַיִךְ תִּצֶּינָה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃

The lion has ascended from his den, and the pillager of the nations has lifted himself up. He has gone forth from his place, so that he may set your land in desolation. Your cities will be laid waste, remaining without an inhabitant.

8 עַל־זֹאת חִגְרוּ שַׂקִּים סִפְדוּ וְהֵילִילוּ כִּי לֹֽא־שָׁב חֲרוֹן אַף־יְהֹוָה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Concerning this, wrap yourselves in haircloth, mourn and wail: ‘For the wrath of the fury of the Lord has not been turned away from us.’

9 וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה יֹאבַד לֵב־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֵב הַשָּׂרִים וְנָשַׁמּוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַנְּבִאִים יִתְמָֽהוּ׃

And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: The heart of the king will perish, with the heart of the princes. And the priests will be stupefied, and the prophets will be in consternation.”

10 וָֽאֹמַר אֲהָהּ ׀ אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה אָכֵן הַשֵּׁא הִשֵּׁאתָ לָעָם הַזֶּה וְלִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לֵאמֹר שָׁלוֹם יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְנָגְעָה חֶרֶב עַד־הַנָּֽפֶשׁ׃

And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Could it be that you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: ‘Peace shall be yours,’ while, behold, the sword reaches even to the soul?”

11 בָּעֵת הַהִיא יֵאָמֵר לָעָם־הַזֶּה וְלִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם רוּחַ צַח שְׁפָיִם בַּמִּדְבָּר דֶּרֶךְ בַּת־עַמִּי לוֹא לִזְרוֹת וְלוֹא לְהָבַֽר׃

“In that time, it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: ‘A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert, along the way of the daughter of my people, but not to winnow and not to cleanse.’

12 רוּחַ מָלֵא מֵאֵלֶּה יָבוֹא לִי עַתָּה גַּם־אֲנִי אֲדַבֵּר מִשְׁפָּטִים אוֹתָֽם׃

A full spirit from these places will come to me. And now I will speak my judgments over them.

13 הִנֵּה ׀ כַּעֲנָנִים יַעֲלֶה וְכַסּוּפָה מַרְכְּבוֹתָיו קַלּוּ מִנְּשָׁרִים סוּסָיו אוֹי לָנוּ כִּי שֻׁדָּֽדְנוּ׃

Behold, he will ascend like a cloud, and his chariot will ascend like a tempest. His horses are swifter than eagles. ‘Woe to us! For we are being devastated!’

14 כַּבְּסִי מֵרָעָה לִבֵּךְ יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לְמַעַן תִּוָּשֵׁעִי עַד־מָתַי תָּלִין בְּקִרְבֵּךְ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אוֹנֵֽךְ׃

Wash your heart from malice, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will harmful thoughts abide in you?

15 כִּי קוֹל מַגִּיד מִדָּן וּמַשְׁמִיעַ אָוֶן מֵהַר אֶפְרָֽיִם׃

For there is a voice, of someone announcing from Dan, and he is making known the idol from mount Ephraim.

16 הַזְכִּירוּ לַגּוֹיִם הִנֵּה הַשְׁמִיעוּ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם נֹצְרִים בָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ הַמֶּרְחָק וַֽיִּתְּנוּ עַל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה קוֹלָֽם׃

Say to the nations: ‘Behold, it has been heard in Jerusalem! Guardians are coming from a far away land, to utter their voice against the cities of Judah.’

17 כְּשֹׁמְרֵי שָׂדַי הָיוּ עָלֶיהָ מִסָּבִיב כִּי־אֹתִי מָרָתָה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃

They have been stationed over her, like the guardians of fields, all around. For she has provoked me to wrath, says the Lord.

18 דַּרְכֵּךְ וּמַעֲלָלַיִךְ עָשׂוֹ אֵלֶּה לָךְ זֹאת רָעָתֵךְ כִּי מָר כִּי נָגַע עַד־לִבֵּֽךְ׃

Your ways and your thoughts have brought these things upon you. This is your own wickedness. And it is bitter, because it has touched your heart.

19 מֵעַי ׀ מֵעַי ׀ [אוֹחִילָה] (אחולה) קִירוֹת לִבִּי הֹמֶה־לִּי לִבִּי לֹא אַחֲרִשׁ כִּי קוֹל שׁוֹפָר (שמעתי) [שָׁמַעַתְּ] נַפְשִׁי תְּרוּעַת מִלְחָמָֽה׃

I am afflicted in my heart, in my heart. The senses of my heart have been stirred up within me. I will not remain silent. For my soul has heard the voice of the trumpet, the clamor of the battle.

20 שֶׁבֶר עַל־שֶׁבֶר נִקְרָא כִּי שֻׁדְּדָה כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ פִּתְאֹם שֻׁדְּדוּ אֹֽהָלַי רֶגַע יְרִיעֹתָֽי׃

Destruction upon destruction has been called forth. And the entire earth has been devastated. My tabernacles have been destroyed suddenly, and my tents in an instant.

21 עַד־מָתַי אֶרְאֶה־נֵּס אֶשְׁמְעָה קוֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃

How long shall I watch those who are fleeing, and listen to the voice of the trumpet?

22 כִּי ׀ אֱוִיל עַמִּי אוֹתִי לֹא יָדָעוּ בָּנִים סְכָלִים הֵמָּה וְלֹא נְבוֹנִים הֵמָּה חֲכָמִים הֵמָּה לְהָרַע וּלְהֵיטִיב לֹא יָדָֽעוּ׃

For my foolish people have not known me. They are foolish and mad sons. They are clever in doing evil, but they do not know how to do good.

23 רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה־תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵין אוֹרָֽם׃

I gazed upon the earth, and behold, it was empty and brought to nothing. And I gazed upon the heavens, but there was no light in them.

24 רָאִיתִי הֶהָרִים וְהִנֵּה רֹעֲשִׁים וְכׇל־הַגְּבָעוֹת הִתְקַלְקָֽלוּ׃

I watched the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills were shaken.

25 רָאִיתִי וְהִנֵּה אֵין הָאָדָם וְכׇל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נָדָֽדוּ׃

I looked, and there was no man. And all the flying things of the air had gone away.

26 רָאִיתִי וְהִנֵּה הַכַּרְמֶל הַמִּדְבָּר וְכׇל־עָרָיו נִתְּצוּ מִפְּנֵי יְהֹוָה מִפְּנֵי חֲרוֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃

I gazed, and behold, Carmel was a desert, and all its cities were destroyed before the face of the Lord, and before the face of the wrath of his fury.”

27 כִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה שְׁמָמָה תִֽהְיֶה כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ וְכָלָה לֹא אֶעֱשֶֽׂה׃

For thus says the Lord: “All the earth will be desolate, but I will not yet bring about its consummation.

28 עַל־זֹאת תֶּאֱבַל הָאָרֶץ וְקָדְרוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם מִמָּעַל עַל כִּֽי־דִבַּרְתִּי זַמֹּתִי וְלֹא נִחַמְתִּי וְלֹא־אָשׁוּב מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

The earth will mourn, and the heavens will lament from above. For I have spoken, I have decided, and I have not regretted. Neither will I be turned away from it.

29 מִקּוֹל פָּרָשׁ וְרֹמֵה קֶשֶׁת בֹּרַחַת כׇּל־הָעִיר בָּאוּ בֶּעָבִים וּבַכֵּפִים עָלוּ כׇּל־הָעִיר עֲזוּבָה וְאֵין־יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֵן אִֽישׁ׃

Before the voice of the horsemen and of those who send forth arrows, the entire city has fled. They have entered steep places, and they have ascended the cliffs. All of the cities have been abandoned, and no man lives within them.

30 (ואתי) [וְאַתְּ] שָׁדוּד מַֽה־תַּעֲשִׂי כִּֽי־תִלְבְּשִׁי שָׁנִי כִּֽי־תַעְדִּי עֲדִי־זָהָב כִּֽי־תִקְרְעִי בַפּוּךְ עֵינַיִךְ לַשָּׁוְא תִּתְיַפִּי מָאֲסוּ־בָךְ עֹגְבִים נַפְשֵׁךְ יְבַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃

So then, when you have been devastated, what will you do? Though you will clothe yourself with scarlet, though you will adorn yourself with a gold necklace and tint your eyes with cosmetics, you will be dressing yourself up in vain. Your lovers have spurned you; they will be seeking your life.

31 כִּי קוֹל כְּחוֹלָה שָׁמַעְתִּי צָרָה כְּמַבְכִּירָה קוֹל בַּת־צִיּוֹן תִּתְיַפֵּחַ תְּפָרֵשׂ כַּפֶּיהָ אֽוֹי־נָא לִי כִּֽי־עָיְפָה נַפְשִׁי לְהֹרְגִֽים׃

For I have heard a voice, like that of a woman giving birth, during the difficulties of labor. It is the voice of the daughter of Zion, dying, extending her hands: ‘Woe to me! For my soul is failing because of those who have been slain!’”