יִרְמְיָהוּ 15

1 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אִם־יַעֲמֹ֨ד מֹשֶׁ֤ה וּשְׁמוּאֵל֙ לְפָנַ֔י אֵ֥ין נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה שַׁלַּ֥ח מֵֽעַל־פָּנַ֖י וְיֵצֵֽאוּ׃

The Lord told me: Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me pleading with me on behalf of these people, I wouldn't feel sorry for them. Send them away from me. Have them leave.

2 וְהָיָ֛ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ אָ֣נָה נֵצֵ֑א וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לַמָּ֤וֶת לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לַחֶ֙רֶב֙ לַחֶ֔רֶב וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לָֽרָעָב֙ לָֽרָעָ֔ב וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לַשְּׁבִ֖י לַשֶּֽׁבִי׃

If they ask you, “Where shall we go?” tell them that this is what the Lord says: Those to be killed by the plague, to the plague; those to be killed by the sword, to the sword; those to be killed by famine, to famine; and those to be killed in captivity, to captivity.

3 וּפָקַדְתִּ֨י עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אַרְבַּ֤ע מִשְׁפָּחֹות֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־הַחֶ֣רֶב לַֽהֲרֹ֔ג וְאֶת־הַכְּלָבִ֖ים לִסְחֹ֑ב וְאֶת־עֹ֧וף הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְאֶת־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וּלְהַשְׁחִֽית׃

I will put four kinds of destroyers in charge of them, declares the Lord: swords to kill, dogs to drag their bodies away, and the birds of prey and wild animals to eat them and destroy them.

4 וּנְתַתִּ֣ים לִזְוָעָה (לְזַֽעֲוָ֔ה) לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכֹ֣ות הָאָ֑רֶץ בִּ֠גְלַל מְנַשֶּׁ֤ה בֶן־יְחִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by them, because of the evil things Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

5 כִּ֠י מִֽי־יַחְמֹ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וּמִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑ךְ וּמִ֣י יָס֔וּר לִשְׁאֹ֥ל לְשָׁלֹ֖ם לָֽךְ׃

Who will be sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask you how you are?

6 אַ֣תְּ נָטַ֥שְׁתְּ אֹתִ֛י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה אָחֹ֣ור תֵּלֵ֑כִי וָאַ֨ט אֶת־יָדִ֤י עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ וָֽאַשְׁחִיתֵ֔ךְ נִלְאֵ֖יתִי הִנָּחֵֽם׃

You have deserted me, declares the Lord. You have turned your back on me. So I will take action against you and destroy you; I am tired of showing you mercy.

7 וָאֶזְרֵ֥ם בְּמִזְרֶ֖ה בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי אִבַּ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י מִדַּרְכֵיהֶ֖ם לֹוא־שָֽׁבוּ׃

I will scatter you with a winnowing fork from every town in the country. I will destroy my people and take away their children because they refuse to give up their evil ways.

8 עָֽצְמוּ־לִ֤י אַלְמְנֹתָו֙ מֵחֹ֣ול יַמִּ֔ים הֵבֵ֨אתִי לָהֶ֥ם עַל־אֵ֛ם בָּח֖וּר שֹׁדֵ֣ד בַּֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם הִפַּ֤לְתִּי עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ פִּתְאֹ֔ם עִ֖יר וּבֶהָלֹֽות׃

There will be more widows than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon and mothers will lose their young sons. They will suddenly experience agony and shock.

9 אֻמְלְלָ֞ה יֹלֶ֣דֶת הַשִּׁבְעָ֗ה נָפְחָ֥ה נַפְשָׁ֛הּ בָּאָה (בָּ֥א) שִׁמְשָׁ֛הּ בְּעֹ֥ד יֹומָ֖ם בֹּ֣ושָׁה וְחָפֵ֑רָה וּשְׁאֵֽרִיתָ֗ם לַחֶ֧רֶב אֶתֵּ֛ן לִפְנֵ֥י אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

A mother of seven children will collapse; she will gasp for breath. Her sun will set while it's still daytime; she will be ashamed and humiliated. I will let the enemies kill the rest of them, declares the Lord.

10 אֹֽוי־לִ֣י אִמִּ֔י כִּ֣י יְלִדְתִּ֗נִי אִ֥ישׁ רִ֛יב וְאִ֥ישׁ מָדֹ֖ון לְכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־נָשִׁ֥יתִי וְלֹא־נָֽשׁוּ־בִ֖י כֻּלֹּ֥ה מְקַלְלַֽונִי׃ ס

How sad I am, my mother, that you gave birth to me! I'm a victim of argument and conflict wherever I go in the country. I have never lent anyone anything, or borrowed anything, but still everyone curses me.

11 אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אִם־לֹ֥א שָׁרֹותִךָ (שֵֽׁרִיתִ֖יךָ) לְטֹ֑וב אִם־לֹ֣וא ׀ הִפְגַּ֣עְתִּֽי בְךָ֗ בְּעֵ֥ת־רָעָ֛ה וּבְעֵ֥ת צָרָ֖ה אֶת־הָאֹיֵֽב׃

But the Lord told me: Don't worry, I'm going to take away your problems so you can do good. I will make your enemies plead with you whenever they're in trouble or suffering.

12 הֲיָרֹ֨עַ בַּרְזֶ֧ל ׀ בַּרְזֶ֛ל מִצָּפֹ֖ון וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

Can anyone break iron, iron from the north, or bronze?

13 חֵילְךָ֧ וְאֹוצְרֹותֶ֛יךָ לָבַ֥ז אֶתֵּ֖ן לֹ֣א בִמְחִ֑יר וּבְכָל־חַטֹּאותֶ֖יךָ וּבְכָל־גְּבוּלֶֽיךָ׃

I will give away your wealth and valuable possessions for free. They will become plunder for your enemies because of all the sins you committed throughout your country.

14 וְהַֽעֲבַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֣א יָדָ֑עְתָּ כִּֽי־אֵ֛שׁ קָדְחָ֥ה בְאַפִּ֖י עֲלֵיכֶ֥ם תּוּקָֽד׃ ס

Then I will have your enemies make you their slaves in an unfamiliar country, because I will so angry it will be like lighting a fire that will burn you up.

15 אַתָּ֧ה יָדַ֣עְתָּ יְהוָ֗ה זָכְרֵ֤נִי וּפָקְדֵ֙נִי֙ וְהִנָּ֤קֶם לִי֙ מֵרֹ֣דְפַ֔י אַל־לְאֶ֥רֶךְ אַפְּךָ֖ תִּקָּחֵ֑נִי דַּ֕ע שְׂאֵתִ֥י עָלֶ֖יךָ חֶרְפָּֽה׃

You know what's happening to me, Lord. Please remember me and look after me. Punish my persecutors! Please be patient—don't let me die! You know I put up with criticism because I want to honor you.

16 נִמְצְא֤וּ דְבָרֶ֙יךָ֙ וָאֹ֣כְלֵ֔ם וַיְהִ֤י דְבָרֶיךָ (דְבָֽרְךָ֙) לִ֔י לְשָׂשֹׂ֖ון וּלְשִׂמְחַ֣ת לְבָבִ֑י כִּֽי־נִקְרָ֤א שִׁמְךָ֙ עָלַ֔י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י צְבָאֹֽות׃ ס

When I received your messages, I ate them up! What you said made me really happy—I was delighted. I belong to you, Lord God Almighty!

17 לֹֽא־יָשַׁ֥בְתִּי בְסֹוד־מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים וָֽאֶעְלֹ֑ז מִפְּנֵ֤י יָֽדְךָ֙ בָּדָ֣ד יָשַׁ֔בְתִּי כִּֽי־זַ֖עַם מִלֵּאתָֽנִי׃ ס

I didn't join in with a bunch of jokers as they had fun. I stayed by myself because you have called me, and you have filled me with outrage.

18 לָ֣מָּה הָיָ֤ה כְאֵבִי֙ נֶ֔צַח וּמַכָּתִ֖י אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙ מֵֽאֲנָה֙ הֵֽרָפֵ֔א הָיֹ֨ו תִֽהְיֶ֥ה לִי֙ כְּמֹ֣ו אַכְזָ֔ב מַ֖יִם לֹ֥א נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ ס

Why doesn't my pain ever stop? Why is my wound incurable? Why can't it be healed? You've really become like a seasonal stream to me, an unreliable source of water.

19 לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִם־תָּשׁ֤וּב וַאֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֙ לְפָנַ֣י תַּֽעֲמֹ֔ד וְאִם־תֹּוצִ֥יא יָקָ֛ר מִזֹּולֵ֖ל כְּפִ֣י תִֽהְיֶ֑ה יָשֻׁ֤בוּ הֵ֙מָּה֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹֽא־תָשׁ֥וּב אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

So this is what the Lord says: If you come back to me, I will take you back and you will serve me again. If what you talk about are worthwhile subjects and not nonsense, you will be my spokesman, Jeremiah. They must be the ones who follow you; you must not follow them.

20 וּנְתַתִּ֜יךָ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה לְחֹומַ֤ת נְחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ בְּצוּרָ֔ה וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהֹושִֽׁיעֲךָ֥ וּלְהַצִּילֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

Then I will make you a wall to these people, a strong wall of bronze. They will fight against you but they won't defeat you. I am with you to save you and rescue you, declares the Lord.

21 וְהִצַּלְתִּ֖יךָ מִיַּ֣ד רָעִ֑ים וּפְדִתִ֖יךָ מִכַּ֥ף עָרִצִֽים׃ פ

I will liberate you from the power of the wicked, and free you from clutches of the cruel.