יִרְמְיָהוּ 13

1 כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י הָלֹ֞וךְ וְקָנִ֤יתָ לְּךָ֙ אֵזֹ֣ור פִּשְׁתִּ֔ים וְשַׂמְתֹּ֖ו עַל־מָתְנֶ֑יךָ וּבַמַּ֖יִם לֹ֥א תְבִאֵֽהוּ׃

This is what the Lord told me to do: Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on, but don't wash it.

2 וָאֶקְנֶ֥ה אֶת־הָאֵזֹ֖ור כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה וָאָשִׂ֖ם עַל־מָתְנָֽי׃ ס

So I went and bought a loincloth as the Lord had instructed me, and I put it on.

3 וַיְהִ֧י דְבַר־יְהוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י שֵׁנִ֥ית לֵאמֹֽר׃

Then the Lord gave me another message:

4 קַ֧ח אֶת־הָאֵזֹ֛ור אֲשֶׁ֥ר קָנִ֖יתָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־מָתְנֶ֑יךָ וְקוּם֙ לֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וְטָמְנֵ֥הוּ שָׁ֖ם בִּנְקִ֥יק הַסָּֽלַע׃

Take the loincloth that you bought and put on, and go immediately to the River Perath and hide it there in a hole among the rocks.

5 וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ וָאֶטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בִּפְרָ֑ת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֹותִֽי׃

So I went and hid it at the River Perath, as the Lord had told me.

6 וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י ק֚וּם לֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וְקַ֤ח מִשָּׁם֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵזֹ֔ור אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִ֖יךָ לְטָמְנֹו־שָֽׁם׃

A long time later the Lord told me, Go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I ordered you to hide there.

7 וָאֵלֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וָאֶחְפֹּ֗ר וָֽאֶקַּח֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵזֹ֔ור מִן־הַמָּקֹ֖ום אֲשֶׁר־טְמַנְתִּ֣יו שָׁ֑מָּה וְהִנֵּה֙ נִשְׁחַ֣ת הָאֵזֹ֔ור לֹ֥א יִצְלַ֖ח לַכֹּֽל׃ פ

I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and removed it from where I'd hidden it. Obviously it was ruined—completely useless.

8 וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

Then a message from the Lord came to me:

9 כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה כָּ֠כָה אַשְׁחִ֞ית אֶת־גְּאֹ֧ון יְהוּדָ֛ה וְאֶת־גְּאֹ֥ון יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם הָרָֽב׃

This is what the Lord says: I will ruin the arrogance of Judah and the great arrogance of Jerusalem in exactly the same way.

10 הָעָם֩ הַזֶּ֨ה הָרָ֜ע הַֽמֵּאֲנִ֣ים ׀ לִשְׁמֹ֣ועַ אֶת־דְּבָרַ֗י הַהֹֽלְכִים֙ בִּשְׁרִר֣וּת לִבָּ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים לְעָבְדָ֖ם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם וִיהִי֙ כָּאֵזֹ֣ור הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יִצְלַ֖ח לַכֹּֽל׃

These evil people refuse to listen to what I tell them. They follow their own stubborn and evil thinking and run off to worship other gods—they will be like this loincloth, completely useless.

11 כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יִדְבַּ֨ק הָאֵזֹ֜ור אֶל־מָתְנֵי־אִ֗ישׁ כֵּ֣ן הִדְבַּ֣קְתִּי אֵ֠לַי אֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל וְאֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה לִֽהְיֹ֥ות לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וּלְשֵׁ֥ם וְלִתְהִלָּ֖ה וּלְתִפְאָ֑רֶת וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵֽעוּ׃

In the same way that a loincloth holds tightly to the body, so I made all the people of Israel and Judah hold tightly to me, declares the Lord. Then they could have been my people, representing me, giving me honor and praise. But they refused to listen.

12 וְאָמַרְתָּ֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה ס כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כָּל־נֵ֖בֶל יִמָּ֣לֵא יָ֑יִן וְאָמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ הֲיָדֹ֙עַ֙ לֹ֣א נֵדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כָל־נֵ֖בֶל יִמָּ֥לֵא יָֽיִן׃

So tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wine jar shall be filled with wine. When they reply, “Don't we know that already? Of course every wine jar should be filled with wine!”

13 וְאָמַרְתָּ֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנְנִ֣י מְמַלֵּ֣א אֶת־כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֪רֶץ הַזֹּ֟את וְאֶת־הַמְּלָכִ֣ים הַיֹּשְׁבִים֩ לְדָוִ֨ד עַל־כִּסְאֹ֜ו וְאֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְאֶת־הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י יְרוּשָׁלָ֖͏ִם שִׁכָּרֹֽון׃

then tell them that this is what the Lord says: I'm going to make everyone who lives in this land drunk—the kings sitting on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.

14 וְנִפַּצְתִּים֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֜יו וְהָאָבֹ֧ות וְהַבָּנִ֛ים יַחְדָּ֖ו נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה לֹֽא־אֶחְמֹ֧ול וְלֹֽא־אָח֛וּס וְלֹ֥א אֲרַחֵ֖ם מֵהַשְׁחִיתָֽם׃ ס

I'm going to smash them against each other like wine jars, both parents and children, declares the Lord. I won't let any mercy or pity or compassion stop me from destroying them.

15 שִׁמְע֥וּ וְהַאֲזִ֖ינוּ אַל־תִּגְבָּ֑הוּ כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃

Listen and pay attention. Don't be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.

16 תְּנוּ֩ לַיהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֤ם כָּבֹוד֙ בְּטֶ֣רֶם יַחְשִׁ֔ךְ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם יִֽתְנַגְּפ֥וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם עַל־הָ֣רֵי נָ֑שֶׁף וְקִוִּיתֶ֤ם לְאֹור֙ וְשָׂמָ֣הּ לְצַלְמָ֔וֶת יָשִׁית (וְשִׁ֖ית) לַעֲרָפֶֽל׃

Honor the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before you trip and fall in the twilight on the mountains. You long for light to come, but he send only gloom and complete darkness.

17 וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תִשְׁמָע֔וּהָ בְּמִסְתָּרִ֥ים תִּבְכֶּֽה־נַפְשִׁ֖י מִפְּנֵ֣י גֵוָ֑ה וְדָמֹ֨עַ תִּדְמַ֜ע וְתֵרַ֤ד עֵינִי֙ דִּמְעָ֔ה כִּ֥י נִשְׁבָּ֖ה עֵ֥דֶר יְהוָֽה׃ ס

But if you refuse to listen, I will weep secretly inside because of your pride. My tears pouring down because the Lord's flock has been captured.

18 אֱמֹ֥ר לַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וְלַגְּבִירָ֖ה הַשְׁפִּ֣ילוּ שֵׁ֑בוּ כִּ֤י יָרַד֙ מַרְאֲשֹׁ֣ותֵיכֶ֔ם עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּֽפְאַרְתְּכֶֽם׃

Tell the king and the queen mother: Get down from your thrones, because your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.

19 עָרֵ֥י הַנֶּ֛גֶב סֻגְּר֖וּ וְאֵ֣ין פֹּתֵ֑חַ הָגְלָ֧ת יְהוּדָ֛ה כֻּלָּ֖הּ הָגְלָ֥ת שְׁלֹומִֽים׃ ס

The towns in the Negev are surrounded; no one can get through to them. The whole of Judah has been taken away into exile, everyone has been exiled.

20 שְׂאִי (שְׂא֤וּ) עֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ וּרְאִי (וּרְא֔וּ) הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצָּפֹ֑ון אַיֵּ֗ה הָעֵ֙דֶר֙ נִתַּן־לָ֔ךְ צֹ֖אן תִּפְאַרְתֵּֽךְ׃

Look up and you'll see the invaders coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you to look after? Where are the sheep you were so proud of?

21 מַה־תֹּֽאמְרִי֙ כִּֽי־יִפְקֹ֣ד עָלַ֔יִךְ וְ֠אַתְּ לִמַּ֨דְתְּ אֹתָ֥ם עָלַ֛יִךְ אַלֻּפִ֖ים לְרֹ֑אשׁ הֲלֹ֤וא חֲבָלִים֙ יֹאחֱז֔וּךְ כְּמֹ֖ו אֵ֥שֶׁת לֵדָֽה׃

What are you going to say when he puts your enemies in charge of you, people you once counted as your friends? Won't you suffer pains like a woman in labor?

22 וְכִ֤י תֹאמְרִי֙ בִּלְבָבֵ֔ךְ מַדּ֖וּעַ קְרָאֻ֣נִי אֵ֑לֶּה בְּרֹ֧ב עֲוֹנֵ֛ךְ נִגְל֥וּ שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ נֶחְמְס֥וּ עֲקֵבָֽיִךְ׃

If you say to yourself, Why has this happened to me? it's because you have been so wicked. That's why your skirts were stripped off and you were raped.

23 הֲיַהֲפֹ֤ךְ כּוּשִׁי֙ עֹורֹ֔ו וְנָמֵ֖ר חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָ֑יו גַּם־אַתֶּם֙ תּוּכְל֣וּ לְהֵיטִ֔יב לִמֻּדֵ֖י הָרֵֽעַ׃

Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin? Can a leopard change its spots? In the same way you can't change and do good because you're so used to doing evil.

24 וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם כְּקַשׁ־עֹובֵ֑ר לְר֖וּחַ מִדְבָּֽר׃

I'm going to scatter you like chaff blown away by the desert wind.

25 זֶ֣ה גֹורָלֵ֧ךְ מְנָת־מִדַּ֛יִךְ מֵֽאִתִּ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ שָׁכַ֣חַתְּ אֹותִ֔י וַֽתִּבְטְחִ֖י בַּשָּֽׁקֶר׃

This is what's going to happen to you; this is what I have decided to do to you, declares the Lord, because you have forgotten me and believed in lies.

26 וְגַם־אֲנִ֛י חָשַׂ֥פְתִּי שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ עַל־פָּנָ֑יִךְ וְנִרְאָ֖ה קְלֹונֵֽךְ׃

I will pull your skirts up over your face, so you will be seen naked and ashamed.

27 נִֽאֻפַ֤יִךְ וּמִצְהֲלֹותַ֙יִךְ֙ זִמַּ֣ת זְנוּתֵ֔ךְ עַל־גְּבָעֹות֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי שִׁקּוּצָ֑יִךְ אֹ֥וי לָךְ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם לֹ֣א תִטְהֲרִ֔י אַחֲרֵ֥י מָתַ֖י עֹֽד׃ פ

I watched your acts of adultery and lust, how you prostituted yourselves shamelessly, worshiping idols on the hills and in the fields. Yes, I saw the disgusting things you did. Disaster is coming to you, Jerusalem! How long are you going to remain unclean?