יִרְמְיָהוּ 9

1 מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן רֹאשִׁי֙ מַ֔יִם וְעֵינִ֖י מְקֹ֣ור דִּמְעָ֑ה וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ יֹומָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֵ֖ת חַֽלְלֵ֥י בַת־עַמִּֽי׃

Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

2 מִֽי־יִתְּנֵ֣נִי בַמִּדְבָּ֗ר מְלֹון֙ אֹֽרְחִ֔ים וְאֶֽעֶזְבָה֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וְאֵלְכָ֖ה מֵֽאִתָּ֑ם כִּ֤י כֻלָּם֙ מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים עֲצֶ֖רֶת בֹּגְדִֽים׃

Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

3 וַֽיַּדְרְכ֤וּ אֶת־לְשֹׁונָם֙ קַשְׁתָּ֣ם שֶׁ֔קֶר וְלֹ֥א לֶאֱמוּנָ֖ה גָּבְר֣וּ בָאָ֑רֶץ כִּי֩ מֵרָעָ֨ה אֶל־רָעָ֧ה ׀ יָצָ֛אוּ וְאֹתִ֥י לֹֽא־יָדָ֖עוּ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

“They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me,” says the LORD.

4 אִ֤ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ הִשָּׁמֵ֔רוּ וְעַל־כָּל־אָ֖ח אַל־תִּבְטָ֑חוּ כִּ֤י כָל־אָח֙ עָקֹ֣וב יַעְקֹ֔ב וְכָל־רֵ֖עַ רָכִ֥יל יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃

“Everyone beware of his neighbor, and do not trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go around like a slanderer.

5 וְאִ֤ישׁ בְּרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ יְהָתֵ֔לּוּ וֶאֱמֶ֖ת לֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ לִמְּד֧וּ לְשֹׁונָ֛ם דַּבֶּר־שֶׁ֖קֶר הַעֲוֵ֥ה נִלְאֽוּ׃

Friends deceive each other, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves committing iniquity.

6 שִׁבְתְּךָ֖ בְּתֹ֣וךְ מִרְמָ֑ה בְּמִרְמָ֛ה מֵאֲנ֥וּ דַֽעַת־אֹותִ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

Your habitation is in the middle of deceit. Through deceit, they refuse to know me,” says the LORD.

7 לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות הִנְנִ֥י צֹורְפָ֖ם וּבְחַנְתִּ֑ים כִּֽי־אֵ֣יךְ אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃

Therefore the LORD of Armies says, “Behold, I will melt them and test them; for how should I deal with the daughter of my people?

8 חֵ֥ץ שֹׁוחֵט (שָׁח֛וּט) לְשֹׁונָ֖ם מִרְמָ֣ה דִבֵּ֑ר בְּפִ֗יו שָׁלֹ֤ום אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ יְדַבֵּ֗ר וּבְקִרְבֹּ֖ו יָשִׂ֥ים אָרְבֹּֽו׃

Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart, he waits to ambush him.

9 הַעַל־אֵ֥לֶּה לֹֽא־אֶפְקָד־בָּ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה אִ֚ם בְּגֹ֣וי אֲשֶׁר־כָּזֶ֔ה לֹ֥א תִתְנַקֵּ֖ם נַפְשִֽׁי׃ ס

Should not I punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “Should not my soul be avenged on a nation such as this?

10 עַל־הֶ֨הָרִ֜ים אֶשָּׂ֧א בְכִ֣י וָנֶ֗הִי וְעַל־נְאֹ֤ות מִדְבָּר֙ קִינָ֔ה כִּ֤י נִצְּתוּ֙ מִבְּלִי־אִ֣ישׁ עֹבֵ֔ר וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ קֹ֣ול מִקְנֶ֑ה מֵעֹ֤וף הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה נָדְד֖וּ הָלָֽכוּ׃

I will weep and wail for the mountains, and lament for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are burned up, so that no one passes through; Men cannot hear the voice of the livestock. Both the birds of the sky and the animals have fled. They are gone.

11 וְנָתַתִּ֧י אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם לְגַלִּ֖ים מְעֹ֣ון תַּנִּ֑ים וְאֶת־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה אֶתֵּ֥ן שְׁמָמָ֖ה מִבְּלִ֖י יֹושֵֽׁב׃ ס

“I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling place of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

12 מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הֶֽחָכָם֙ וְיָבֵ֣ן אֶת־זֹ֔את וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר פִּֽי־יְהוָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו וְיַגִּדָ֑הּ עַל־מָה֙ אָבְדָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ נִצְּתָ֥ה כַמִּדְבָּ֖ר מִבְּלִ֖י עֹבֵֽר׃ ס

Who is wise enough to understand this? Who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why has the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?

13 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה עַל־עָזְבָם֙ אֶת־תֹּ֣ורָתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹא־שָׁמְע֥וּ בְקֹולִ֖י וְלֹא־הָ֥לְכוּ בָֽהּ׃

The LORD says, “Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways,

14 וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ אַחֲרֵ֖י שְׁרִר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם וְאַחֲרֵי֙ הַבְּעָלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִמְּד֖וּם אֲבֹותָֽם׃ ס

but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them.”

15 לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֧י מַאֲכִילָ֛ם אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה לַֽעֲנָ֑ה וְהִשְׁקִיתִ֖ים מֵי־רֹֽאשׁ׃

Therefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

16 וַהֲפִֽצֹותִים֙ בַּגֹּויִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ הֵ֖מָּה וַֽאֲבֹותָ֑ם וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב עַ֥ד כַּלֹּותִ֖י אֹותָֽם׃ פ

I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”

17 כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות הִתְבֹּֽונְנ֛וּ וְקִרְא֥וּ לַמְקֹונְנֹ֖ות וּתְבֹואֶ֑ינָה וְאֶל־הַחֲכָמֹ֥ות שִׁלְח֖וּ וְתָבֹֽואנָה׃

The LORD of Armies says, “Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come. Send for the skillful women, that they may come.

18 וּתְמַהֵ֕רְנָה וְתִשֶּׂ֥נָה עָלֵ֖ינוּ נֶ֑הִי וְתֵרַ֤דְנָה עֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ דִּמְעָ֔ה וְעַפְעַפֵּ֖ינוּ יִזְּלוּ־מָֽיִם׃

Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush out with waters.

19 כִּ֣י קֹ֥ול נְהִ֛י נִשְׁמַ֥ע מִצִּיֹּ֖ון אֵ֣יךְ שֻׁדָּ֑דְנוּ בֹּ֤שְׁנֽוּ מְאֹד֙ כִּֽי־עָזַ֣בְנוּ אָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י הִשְׁלִ֖יכוּ מִשְׁכְּנֹותֵֽינוּ׃ ס

For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, ‘How we are ruined! We are greatly confounded because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.’”

20 כִּֽי־שְׁמַ֤עְנָה נָשִׁים֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה וְתִקַּ֥ח אָזְנְכֶ֖ם דְּבַר־פִּ֑יו וְלַמֵּ֤דְנָה בְנֹֽותֵיכֶם֙ נֶ֔הִי וְאִשָּׁ֥ה רְעוּתָ֖הּ קִינָֽה׃

Yet hear the LORD’s word, you women. Let your ear receive the word of his mouth. Teach your daughters wailing. Everyone teach her neighbor a lamentation.

21 כִּֽי־עָ֤לָה מָ֙וֶת֙ בְּחַלֹּונֵ֔ינוּ בָּ֖א בְּאַרְמְנֹותֵ֑ינוּ לְהַכְרִ֤ית עֹולָל֙ מִח֔וּץ בַּחוּרִ֖ים מֵרְחֹבֹֽות׃

For death has come up into our windows. It has entered into our palaces to cut off the children from outside, and the young men from the streets.

22 דַּבֵּ֗ר כֹּ֚ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְנָֽפְלָה֙ נִבְלַ֣ת הָֽאָדָ֔ם כְּדֹ֖מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּכְעָמִ֛יר מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י הַקֹּצֵ֖ר וְאֵ֥ין מְאַסֵּֽף׃ ס

Speak, “The LORD says, “‘The dead bodies of men will fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester. No one will gather them.’”

23 כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֤ל חָכָם֙ בְּחָכְמָתֹ֔ו וְאַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֥ל הַגִּבֹּ֖ור בִּגְבֽוּרָתֹ֑ו אַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֥ל עָשִׁ֖יר בְּעָשְׁרֹֽו׃

The LORD says, “Do not let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Do not let the mighty man glory in his might. Do not let the rich man glory in his riches.

24 כִּ֣י אִם־בְּזֹ֞את יִתְהַלֵּ֣ל הַמִּתְהַלֵּ֗ל הַשְׂכֵּל֮ וְיָדֹ֣עַ אֹותִי֒ כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה עֹ֥שֶׂה חֶ֛סֶד מִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה בָּאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־בְאֵ֥לֶּה חָפַ֖צְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for I delight in these things,” says the LORD.

25 הִנֵּ֛ה יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וּפָ֣קַדְתִּ֔י עַל־כָּל־מ֖וּל בְּעָרְלָֽה׃

“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their flesh:

26 עַל־מִצְרַ֣יִם וְעַל־יְהוּדָ֗ה וְעַל־אֱדֹ֞ום וְעַל־בְּנֵ֤י עַמֹּון֙ וְעַל־מֹואָ֔ב וְעַל֙ כָּל־קְצוּצֵ֣י פֵאָ֔ה הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּ֤י כָל־הַגֹּויִם֙ עֲרֵלִ֔ים וְכָל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַרְלֵי־לֵֽב׃ ס

Egypt, Judah, Edom, the children of Ammon, Moab, and all who have the corners of their hair cut off, who dwell in the wilderness, for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”