יִרְמְיָהוּ 19

1 כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הָלֹ֛וךְ וְקָנִ֥יתָ בַקְבֻּ֖ק יֹוצֵ֣ר חָ֑רֶשׂ וּמִזִּקְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם וּמִזִּקְנֵ֖י הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃

This is what the Lord says: Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take some of the elders of the people and leaders of the priests with you,

2 וְיָצָ֙אתָ֙ אֶל־גֵּ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֕ר פֶּ֖תַח שַׁ֣עַר הַחֲרָסוּת (הַֽחַרְסִ֑ית) וְקָרָ֣אתָ שָּׁ֔ם אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

and go through the Broken Pottery Gate to the valley of Ben-hinnom. Announce this message I'm giving you.

3 וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ שִׁמְע֣וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֔ה מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְיֹשְׁבֵ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כֹּֽה־אָמַר֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָאֹ֜ות אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִ֤יא רָעָה֙ עַל־הַמָּקֹ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּל־שֹׁמְעָ֖הּ תִּצַּ֥לְנָה אָזְנָֽיו׃

Tell them, Listen to what the Lord says, kings of Judah and people living in Jerusalem. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring down on this place such a disaster that it will make the ears of anyone who hears about it ring.

4 יַ֣עַן ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָבֻ֗נִי וַֽיְנַכְּר֞וּ אֶת־הַמָּקֹ֤ום הַזֶּה֙ וַיְקַטְּרוּ־בֹו֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יְדָע֛וּם הֵ֥מָּה וַאֲבֹֽותֵיהֶ֖ם וּמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וּמָֽלְא֛וּ אֶת־הַמָּקֹ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה דַּ֥ם נְקִיִּֽם׃

My people have deserted me and have made this a place where foreign gods are worshiped. They have burned incense in it to other gods that they and their forefathers and the kings of Judah never knew anything about. They have filled this place with the blood of innocent people.

5 וּבָנ֞וּ אֶת־בָּמֹ֣ות הַבַּ֗עַל לִשְׂרֹ֧ף אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם בָּאֵ֖שׁ עֹלֹ֣ות לַבָּ֑עַל אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־צִוִּ֙יתִי֙ וְלֹ֣א דִבַּ֔רְתִּי וְלֹ֥א עָלְתָ֖ה עַל־לִבִּֽי׃ פ

They have built pagan shrines to Baal where they burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal. This is something I never commanded or even mentioned. I never even thought of such a thing!

6 לָכֵ֞ן הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵא֩ לַמָּקֹ֨ום הַזֶּ֥ה עֹ֛וד הַתֹּ֖פֶת וְגֵ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֑ם כִּ֖י אִם־גֵּ֥יא הַהֲרֵגָֽה׃

So watch out! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when instead of Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom this place will be called the Valley of Killing.

7 וּ֠בַקֹּתִי אֶת־עֲצַ֨ת יְהוּדָ֤ה וִירוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ בַּמָּקֹ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִפַּלְתִּ֤ים בַּחֶ֙רֶב֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֤י אֶת־נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְעֹ֥וף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Right here in this place I'm going to spoil the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will let their enemies who want to kill them come and do exactly that. Their dead bodies will be food for birds of prey and wild animals.

8 וְשַׂמְתִּי֙ אֶת־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את לְשַׁמָּ֖ה וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֑ה כֹּ֚ל עֹבֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשֹּׁ֥ם וְיִשְׁרֹ֖ק עַל־כָּל־מַכֹּתֶֽהָ׃

I'm going to make this city desolate, a place that is mocked. Everyone who passes by will be horrified, shocked by all its damage.

9 וְהַֽאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם וְאֵת֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ בְּשַׂר־רֵעֵ֖הוּ יֹאכֵ֑לוּ בְּמָצֹור֙ וּבְמָצֹ֔וק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֧יקוּ לָהֶ֛ם אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשָֽׁם׃

The siege brought by their enemies who want to kill them will be so terrible that I will make them eat each other, even their own sons and daughters.

10 וְשָׁבַרְתָּ֖ הַבַּקְבֻּ֑ק לְעֵינֵי֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים הַהֹלְכִ֖ים אֹותָֽךְ׃

Then smash the jar in front of the people with you.

11 וְאָמַרְתָּ֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֗ות כָּ֣כָה אֶשְׁבֹּ֞ר אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ וְאֶת־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁבֹּר֙ אֶת־כְּלִ֣י הַיֹּוצֵ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־יוּכַ֥ל לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה עֹ֑וד וּבְתֹ֣פֶת יִקְבְּר֔וּ מֵאֵ֥ין מָקֹ֖ום לִקְבֹּֽור׃

Tell them: this is what the Lord Almighty says: I'm going to smash this nation and this city, just like a clay jar is smashed so it can't ever be repaired. People will bury their dead in Topheth until it's full.

12 כֵּֽן־אֶעֱשֶׂ֞ה לַמָּקֹ֥ום הַזֶּ֛ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה וּלְיֹֽושְׁבָ֑יו וְלָתֵ֛ת אֶת־הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֖את כְּתֹֽפֶת׃

This is what I'm going to do to this place and to the people who live here, declares the Lord. I will turn this city into Topheth.

13 וְהָי֞וּ בָּתֵּ֣י יְרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם וּבָתֵּי֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כִּמְקֹ֥ום הַתֹּ֖פֶת הַטְּמֵאִ֑ים לְכֹ֣ל הַבָּתִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר קִטְּר֜וּ עַל־גַּגֹּֽתֵיהֶם֙ לְכֹל֙ צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְהַסֵּ֥ךְ נְסָכִ֖ים לֵאלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃ פ

All the houses of Jerusalem and the palaces of the kings of Judah will become unclean just like Topheth, because they are all the houses whose rooftops they used to burn incense to the sun, moon, and stars, and poured out drink offerings to other gods.

14 וַיָּבֹ֤א יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ מֵֽהַתֹּ֔פֶת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שְׁלָחֹ֧ו יְהוָ֛ה שָׁ֖ם לְהִנָּבֵ֑א וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ בַּחֲצַ֣ר בֵּית־יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־כָּל־הָעָֽם׃ ס

Jeremiah returned from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to deliver this message. He went and stood in the court of the Lord's Temple and announced to everyone,

15 כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִי (מֵבִ֜יא) אֶל־הָעִ֤יר הַזֹּאת֙ וְעַל־כָּל־עָרֶ֔יהָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּ֤י הִקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־עָרְפָּ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֥ועַ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Watch out! I am about to bring down on this city and on all its surrounding villages every disaster I warned them about, because they have stubbornly refused to listen to what I say.