יִרְמְיָהוּ 12

1 צַדִּ֤יק אַתָּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אָרִ֖יב אֵלֶ֑יךָ אַ֤ךְ מִשְׁפָּטִים֙ אֲדַבֵּ֣ר אוֹתָ֔ךְ מַדּ֗וּעַ דֶּ֤רֶךְ רְשָׁעִים֙ צָלֵ֔חָה שָׁל֖וּ כָּל־בֹּ֥גְדֵי בָֽגֶד׃

Certainly, O Lord, you are just. But if I may contend with you, while still speaking what is just to you: Why does the way of the impious prosper? Why is it well with all those who transgress and act unfairly?

2 נְטַעְתָּם֙ גַּם־שֹׁרָ֔שׁוּ יֵלְכ֖וּ גַּם־עָ֣שׂוּ פֶ֑רִי קָר֤וֹב אַתָּה֙ בְּפִיהֶ֔ם וְרָח֖וֹק מִכִּלְיוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

You planted them, and they took root. They are prospering and bearing fruit. You are near to their mouths, but far from their hearts.

3 וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ יְדַעְתָּ֔נִי תִּרְאֵ֕נִי וּבָחַנְתָּ֥ לִבִּ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ הַתִּקֵם֙ כְּצֹ֣אן לְטִבְחָ֔ה וְהַקְדִּשֵׁ֖ם לְי֥וֹם הֲרֵגָֽה׃ ס

And you, O Lord, have known me well. You have seen me, and you have tested my heart with you. Gather them together like a flock for the sacrifice and sanctify them for the day of slaughter.

4 עַד־מָתַי֙ תֶּאֱבַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעֵ֥שֶׂב כָּל־הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִיבָ֑שׁ מֵרָעַ֣ת יֹֽשְׁבֵי־בָ֗הּ סָפְתָ֤ה בְהֵמוֹת֙ וָע֔וֹף כִּ֣י אָמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א יִרְאֶ֖ה אֶת־אַחֲרִיתֵֽנוּ׃

How long shall the earth mourn? And how long shall the plants of every field whither because of the wickedness of the inhabitants within them? It has consumed the wild animals and the birds. For they said: “He will not see our very end.”

5 כִּ֣י אֶת־רַגְלִ֥ים ׀ רַ֙צְתָּה֙ וַיַּלְא֔וּךָ וְאֵ֥יךְ תְּתַֽחֲרֶ֖ה אֶת־הַסּוּסִ֑ים וּבְאֶ֤רֶץ שָׁלוֹם֙ אַתָּ֣ה בוֹטֵ֔חַ וְאֵ֥יךְ תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בִּגְא֥וֹן הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

“If you have struggled to run on foot, how will you be able to compete with horses? And if you have been secure in a land of peace, what will you do about the arrogance of the Jordan?

6 כִּ֧י גַם־אַחֶ֣יךָ וּבֵית־אָבִ֗יךָ גַּם־הֵ֙מָּה֙ בָּ֣גְדוּ בָ֔ךְ גַּם־הֵ֛מָּה קָרְא֥וּ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ מָלֵ֑א אַל־תַּאֲמֵ֣ן בָּ֔ם כִּֽי־יְדַבְּר֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ טוֹבֽוֹת׃ ס

For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even these have fought against you. And they have cried out after you with loud voice: ‘You should not believe them, when they speak good things to you.’”

7 עָזַ֙בְתִּי֙ אֶת־בֵּיתִ֔י נָטַ֖שְׁתִּי אֶת־נַחֲלָתִ֑י נָתַ֛תִּי אֶת־יְדִד֥וּת נַפְשִׁ֖י בְּכַ֥ף אֹיְבֶֽיהָ׃

“I have abandoned my house. I have disowned my inheritance. I have given my beloved soul into the hand of its enemies.

8 הָיְתָה־לִּ֥י נַחֲלָתִ֖י כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה בַיָּ֑עַר נָתְנָ֥ה עָלַ֛י בְּקוֹלָ֖הּ עַל־כֵּ֥ן שְׂנֵאתִֽיהָ׃

My inheritance has become for me like a lion in the forest. It has uttered a voice against me, therefore, I have hated it.

9 הַעַ֨יִט צָב֤וּעַ נַחֲלָתִי֙ לִ֔י הַעַ֖יִט סָבִ֣יב עָלֶ֑יהָ לְכ֗וּ אִסְפ֛וּ כָּל־חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה הֵתָ֥יוּ לְאָכְלָֽה׃

Is my inheritance to me like a discolored bird? Is it like a bird that has entirely changed color? Approach and assemble, all beasts of the earth! Hurry, so that you may devour!

10 רֹעִ֤ים רַבִּים֙ שִֽׁחֲת֣וּ כַרְמִ֔י בֹּסְס֖וּ אֶת־חֶלְקָתִ֑י נָֽתְנ֛וּ אֶת־חֶלְקַ֥ת חֶמְדָּתִ֖י לְמִדְבַּ֥ר שְׁמָמָֽה׃

Many pastors have demolished my vineyard. They have trampled my portion. They have made my desirable portion into a desert of solitude.

11 שָׂמָהּ֙ לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה אָבְלָ֥ה עָלַ֖י שְׁמֵמָ֑ה נָשַׁ֙מָּה֙ כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ שָׂ֥ם עַל־לֵֽב׃

They have squandered it, and it has grieved concerning me. The entire earth has become utterly desolate, because there is no one who understands with the heart.”

12 עַֽל־כָּל־שְׁפָיִ֣ם בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר בָּ֚אוּ שֹֽׁדְדִ֔ים כִּ֣י חֶ֤רֶב לַֽיהוָה֙ אֹֽכְלָ֔ה מִקְצֵה־אֶ֖רֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ אֵ֥ין שָׁל֖וֹם לְכָל־בָּשָֽׂר׃ ס

The devastators have arrived, over all the ways of the wilderness. For the sword of the Lord will devour, from one end of the earth even to its furthest limits. There is no peace for all that is flesh.

13 זָרְע֤וּ חִטִּים֙ וְקֹצִ֣ים קָצָ֔רוּ נֶחְל֖וּ לֹ֣א יוֹעִ֑לוּ וּבֹ֙שׁוּ֙ מִתְּבוּאֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵחֲר֖וֹן אַף־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

They sowed wheat, but they reaped thorns. They received an inheritance, but it will not benefit them. You will be confounded by your own fruits, because of the wrath of the fury of the Lord.

14 כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה עַל־כָּל־שְׁכֵנַי֙ הָֽרָעִ֔ים הַנֹּֽגְעִים֙ בַּֽנַּחֲלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הִנְחַ֥לְתִּי אֶת־עַמִּ֖י אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִנְנִ֤י נֹֽתְשָׁם֙ מֵעַ֣ל אַדְמָתָ֔ם וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶתּ֥וֹשׁ מִתּוֹכָֽם׃

Thus says the Lord against all my wicked neighbors, who touch the inheritance that I have distributed to my people Israel: “Behold, I will root them out of their own land, and I will root the house of Judah out of their midst.

15 וְהָיָ֗ה אַֽחֲרֵי֙ נָתְשִׁ֣י אוֹתָ֔ם אָשׁ֖וּב וְרִֽחַמְתִּ֑ים וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֛ים אִ֥ישׁ לְנַחֲלָת֖וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ לְאַרְצֽוֹ׃

And when I have rooted them out, I will turn back and take pity on them. And I will lead them back, one man to his inheritance, and another man to his land.

16 וְהָיָ֡ה אִם־לָמֹ֣ד יִלְמְדוּ֩ אֶת־דַּֽרְכֵ֨י עַמִּ֜י לְהִשָּׁבֵ֤עַ בִּשְׁמִי֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר לִמְּדוּ֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י לְהִשָּׁבֵ֖עַ בַּבָּ֑עַל וְנִבְנ֖וּ בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמִּֽי׃

And this shall be: if they are taught and they learn the ways of my people, so that they swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they had taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the midst of my people.

17 וְאִ֖ם לֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑עוּ וְנָ֨תַשְׁתִּ֜י אֶת־הַגּ֥וֹי הַה֛וּא נָת֥וֹשׁ וְאַבֵּ֖ד נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

But if they will not listen, I will uproot that nation unto utter destruction and perdition, says the Lord.”