יִרְמְיָהוּ 18

1 הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

2 ק֥וּם וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בֵּ֣ית הַיֹּוצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֖מָּה אַשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃

Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.

3 וָאֵרֵ֖ד בֵּ֣ית הַיֹּוצֵ֑ר וְהִנֵּהוּ (וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּא) עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְלָאכָ֖ה עַל־הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃

I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.

4 וְנִשְׁחַ֣ת הַכְּלִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֛ה בַּחֹ֖מֶר בְּיַ֣ד הַיֹּוצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֗ב וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ כְּלִ֣י אַחֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֛ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י הַיֹּוצֵ֖ר לַעֲשֹֽׂות׃ פ

But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.

5 וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽור׃

The Lord's message came to me, saying,

6 הֲכַיֹּוצֵ֨ר הַזֶּ֜ה לֹא־אוּכַ֨ל לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות לָכֶ֛ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה כַחֹ֙מֶר֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַיֹּוצֵ֔ר כֵּן־אַתֶּ֥ם בְּיָדִ֖י בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס

People of Israel, declares the Lord, can't I deal with you just like this potter does with his clay? I hold you in my hand just like clay in the potter's hand, people of Israel.

7 רֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גֹּ֖וי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִנְתֹ֥ושׁ וְלִנְתֹ֖וץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃

At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

8 וְשָׁב֙ הַגֹּ֣וי הַה֔וּא מֵרָ֣עָתֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלָ֑יו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות לֹֽו׃ ס

However, if that nation I warned gives up its evil ways, then I will change my mind regarding the disaster I was about to bring.

9 וְרֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גֹּ֖וי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִבְנֹ֖ת וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃

At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom.

10 וְעָשָׂ֤ה הָרָעָה (הָרַע֙) בְּעֵינַ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקֹולִ֑י וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הַטֹּובָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֖רְתִּי לְהֵיטִ֥יב אֹותֹֽו׃ ס

But if it does evil in my sight and refuses to listen to my voice, then I will change my mind regarding the good I had planned for it.

11 וְעַתָּ֡ה אֱמָר־נָ֣א אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה֩ וְעַל־יֹושְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יֹוצֵ֤ר עֲלֵיכֶם֙ רָעָ֔ה וְחֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מַֽחֲשָׁבָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכֹּ֣ו הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃

So tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: Watch out! I am preparing disaster for you, and working out a plan against you. All of you, give up your evil ways. Live right and act right!

12 וְאָמְר֖וּ נֹואָ֑שׁ כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵ֤י מַחְשְׁבֹותֵ֙ינוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ וְאִ֛ישׁ שְׁרִר֥וּת לִבֹּֽו־הָרָ֖ע נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ ס

But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”

13 לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא֙ בַּגֹּויִ֔ם מִ֥י שָׁמַ֖ע כָּאֵ֑לֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ עָשְׂתָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.

14 הֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב מִצּ֛וּר שָׂדַ֖י שֶׁ֣לֶג לְבָנֹ֑ון אִם־יִנָּתְשׁ֗וּ מַ֛יִם זָרִ֥ים קָרִ֖ים נֹוזְלִֽים׃

Does the snow of Lebanon ever disappear from its rocky mountain-tops? Do its cool waters that flow from such distant sources ever dry up?

15 כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי עַמִּ֖י לַשָּׁ֣וְא יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙ שְׁבִילֵ֣י עֹולָ֔ם לָלֶ֣כֶת נְתִיבֹ֔ות דֶּ֖רֶךְ לֹ֥א סְלוּלָֽה׃

But my people have rejected me! They burn incense to useless idols which trip them up, making them leave the old roads in order to walk down unmade paths instead of the highway.

16 לָשׂ֥וּם אַרְצָ֛ם לְשַׁמָּ֖ה שְׁרוּקַת (שְׁרִיקֹ֣ות) עֹולָ֑ם כֹּ֚ל עֹובֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשֹּׁ֖ם וְיָנִ֥יד בְּרֹאשֹֽׁו׃

They have turned their country into a horrific wasteland, a place that will always be treated with contempt. People passing by will be shocked, shaking their heads in disbelief.

17 כְּרֽוּחַ־קָדִ֥ים אֲפִיצֵ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אֹויֵ֑ב עֹ֧רֶף וְלֹֽא־פָנִ֛ים אֶרְאֵ֖ם בְּיֹ֥ום אֵידָֽם׃ ס

Like a strong wind from the east I will scatter them before the enemy. I will turn my back on them and not look at them when their time of trouble comes.

18 וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לְכ֨וּ וְנַחְשְׁבָ֣ה עַֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ מַחֲשָׁבֹות֒ כִּי֩ לֹא־תֹאבַ֨ד תֹּורָ֜ה מִכֹּהֵ֗ן וְעֵצָה֙ מֵֽחָכָ֔ם וְדָבָ֖ר מִנָּבִ֑יא לְכוּ֙ וְנַכֵּ֣הוּ בַלָּשֹׁ֔ון וְאַל־נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה אֶל־כָּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃

Some people decided, “We need a plan to deal with Jeremiah. There'll still be priests to explain the law, there'll still be wise people to give advice, and there'll still be prophets to give prophecies. Let's organize a smear campaign against him so we don't have to listen to a word he says.”

19 הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וּשְׁמַ֖ע לְקֹ֥ול יְרִיבָֽי׃

Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying!

20 הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם תַּֽחַת־טֹובָה֙ רָעָ֔ה כִּֽי־כָר֥וּ שׁוּחָ֖ה לְנַפְשִׁ֑י זְכֹ֣ר ׀ עָמְדִ֣י לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְדַבֵּ֤ר עֲלֵיהֶם֙ טֹובָ֔ה לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ מֵהֶֽם׃

Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they have dug a pit to trap me! Remember how I stood before you to plead on their behalf, to stop you being angry with them?

21 לָכֵן֩ תֵּ֨ן אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֜ם לָרָעָ֗ב וְהַגִּרֵם֮ עַל־יְדֵי־חֶרֶב֒ וְתִֽהְיֶ֨נָה נְשֵׁיהֶ֤ם שַׁכֻּלֹות֙ וְאַלְמָנֹ֔ות וְאַ֨נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם יִֽהְי֖וּ הֲרֻ֣גֵי מָ֑וֶת בַּח֣וּרֵיהֶ֔ם מֻכֵּי־חֶ֖רֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

But now may their children starve; may they be killed by the sword. May their wives lose their children and their husbands; may their husbands die from disease; may their young men be killed in battle.

22 תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבִ֧יא עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם גְּד֖וּד פִּתְאֹ֑ם כִּֽי־כָר֤וּ שִׁיחָה (שׁוּחָה֙) לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי וּפַחִ֖ים טָמְנ֥וּ לְרַגְלָֽי׃

May cries of agony be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders to attack them, because they dug a pit to capture me and hid traps to catch me as I walk along.

23 וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֠הוָה יָדַ֜עְתָּ אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲצָתָ֤ם עָלַי֙ לַמָּ֔וֶת אַל־תְּכַפֵּר֙ עַל־עֲוֹנָ֔ם וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ אַל־תֶּ֑מְחִי וְהָיוּ (וְיִהְי֤וּ) מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ בְּעֵ֥ת אַפְּךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃ ס

But Lord, you know about all their plots to try and kill me. Don't forgive their wickedness; don't wipe away their sin. Bring them down! Deal with them when you're angry!