יִרְמְיָהוּ 12

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

Lord, when I complain to you, you always show yourself to be in the right. Even so I still want to present my case to you. Why is it that wicked people do so well? Why do those who are unfaithful to you live so comfortably?

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

You planted them, and they've taken root, grown, and produced fruit. They're always talking about you but they don't think of you, even for a moment.

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

But you know me, Lord, you see me, and examine what I think about you. Drag off these people like sheep to be slaughtered; keep them apart for the time when they're killed.

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

How long will the land have to mourn and the grass in every field be dried up because of the evil of the people who live there? The animals and birds have died out because the people have said, “He doesn't know what's going to happen to us.”

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

The Lord says, Once you've become worn out in a foot race against men, how would you win racing against horses? If you trip up in open ground, how would you do in the tangled undergrowth beside 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

Even your own brothers and your father's family have betrayed you; they have publicly criticized you. Don't trust them when they talk nicely to you!

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

I have given up on my people; I have abandoned the nation I chose. I have handed over the ones I truly love to their enemies.

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

They've turned into a wild lion, roaring at me—that's why I hate them.

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

My people are like a spotted bird of prey to me with other birds of prey circling to attack it. Go and bring all the wild animals to eat up the carcass.

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

Many shepherds have come and destroyed my vineyard; they have trampled down the crops in my field. They have turned my pleasant land into an empty wasteland.

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

They have made it into a desert; it mourns before me, lying desolate. The whole country is a wasteland, but no one cares.

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

The destructive armies have crossed all the bare desert hills for the Lord's sword destroys from one end of the country to the other. No one has any peace.

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

My people sowed wheat but harvested thorns. They wore themselves out but gained no benefit. You should be ashamed of such a poor harvest, caused by the Lord's furious anger.

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׃

This is what the Lord says: When it comes these evil nearby nations who attack the country that I gave to my people Israel, I'm going to uproot them from their land. I'm also going to uproot the people of Judah from among them.

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

However, once I have uprooted them, I will have mercy on them again, and bring each one back to their property and their land.

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

If they will honestly learn the ways of my people and respect me, making their vows to me, just as they once taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will do well among my people.

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

But if they refuse to obey, then I will not only uproot that nation but I will completely destroy it, declares the Lord.