יִרְמְיָהוּ 16

1 וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

2 לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח לְךָ֖ אִשָּׁ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יִהְי֤וּ לְךָ֙ בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנ֔וֹת בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

“Do not take a wife for yourself, and do not have sons or daughters for yourself in this place.

3 כִּי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה עַל־הַבָּנִים֙ וְעַל־הַבָּנ֔וֹת הַיִּלּוֹדִ֖ים בַּמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְעַֽל־אִמֹּתָ֞ם הַיֹּלְד֣וֹת אוֹתָ֗ם וְעַל־אֲבוֹתָ֛ם הַמּוֹלִדִ֥ים אוֹתָ֖ם בָּאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּֽאת׃

For Yahweh says this to the sons and daughters who are born in this place, to the mothers who bear them, and to the fathers who caused them to be born in this land,

4 מְמוֹתֵ֨י תַחֲלֻאִ֜ים יָמֻ֗תוּ לֹ֤א יִסָּֽפְדוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ לְדֹ֛מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה יִֽהְי֑וּ וּבַחֶ֤רֶב וּבָֽרָעָב֙ יִכְל֔וּ וְהָיְתָ֤ה נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַאֲכָ֔ל לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ס

'They will die diseased deaths. They will not be mourned or buried. They will be like dung on the ground. For they will come to an end by sword and famine, and their corpses will be food for the birds of the skies and the beasts of the earth.'

5 כִּֽי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אַל־תָּבוֹא֙ בֵּ֣ית מַרְזֵ֔חַ וְאַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ לִסְפּ֔וֹד וְאַל־תָּנֹ֖ד לָהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אָסַ֨פְתִּי אֶת־שְׁלוֹמִ֜י מֵאֵ֨ת הָעָ֤ם־הַזֶּה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־הַחֶ֖סֶד וְאֶת־הָֽרַחֲמִֽים׃

For the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 'Do not enter a house where there is mourning. Do not go to mourn or to show sympathy for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people—this is Yahweh's declaration—and my steadfast love and mercy.

6 וּמֵ֨תוּ גְדֹלִ֧ים וּקְטַנִּ֛ים בָּאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את לֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֑רוּ וְלֹֽא־יִסְפְּד֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א יִתְגֹּדַ֔ד וְלֹ֥א יִקָּרֵ֖חַ לָהֶֽם׃

Both the great and the small will die in this land. They will not be buried, and no one will mourn for them or cut themselves or shave their heads for them.

7 וְלֹֽא־יִפְרְס֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם עַל־אֵ֖בֶל לְנַחֲמ֣וֹ עַל־מֵ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁק֤וּ אוֹתָם֙ כּ֣וֹס תַּנְחוּמִ֔ים עַל־אָבִ֖יו וְעַל־אִמּֽוֹ׃

No one must share any food in mourning to comfort them because of the deaths, and none must give a comforting cup to his father or his mother in order to comfort them.

8 וּבֵית־מִשְׁתֶּ֥ה לֹא־תָב֖וֹא לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אוֹתָ֑ם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וְלִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃ ס

You must not go to a banquet house to sit with them in order to eat or drink.'

9 כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֨י מַשְׁבִּ֜ית מִן־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה לְעֵינֵיכֶ֖ם וּבִֽימֵיכֶ֑ם ק֤וֹל שָׂשׂוֹן֙ וְק֣וֹל שִׂמְחָ֔ה ק֥וֹל חָתָ֖ן וְק֥וֹל כַּלָּֽה׃

For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, 'See, before your eyes, in your days and in this place, I am about to put an end to the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the sound of the groom and the sound of the bride.'

10 וְהָיָ֗ה כִּ֤י תַגִּיד֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וְאָמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ עַל־מֶה֩ דִבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ אֵ֣ת כָּל־הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדוֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וּמֶ֤ה עֲוֹנֵ֙נוּ֙ וּמֶ֣ה חַטָּאתֵ֔נוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָ֖אנוּ לַֽיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

Then it will happen that you will report all these words to this people, and they will say to you, 'Why has Yahweh decreed all this great disaster against us? What is our iniquity and sin that we sinned against Yahweh our God?'

11 וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם עַל֩ אֲשֶׁר־עָזְב֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיַּעַבְד֖וּם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וְאֹתִ֣י עָזָ֔בוּ וְאֶת־תּוֹרָתִ֖י לֹ֥א שָׁמָֽרוּ׃

So say to them, 'Because your ancestors abandoned me—this is Yahweh's declaration—and they went after other gods and worshiped and bowed down to them. They abandoned me and have not kept my law.

12 וְאַתֶּ֛ם הֲרֵעֹתֶ֥ם לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת מֵאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִנְּכֶ֣ם הֹלְכִ֗ים אִ֚ישׁ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ שְׁרִר֣וּת לִבּֽוֹ־הָרָ֔ע לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֥עַ אֵלָֽי׃

But you yourselves have brought about more wickedness than your ancestors, for see, each person is walking by the stubbornness of his wicked heart; there is no one who listens to me.

13 וְהֵטַלְתִּ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מֵעַל֙ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את עַל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם אַתֶּ֖ם וַאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֞ם אֶת־אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֥ן לָכֶ֖ם חֲנִינָֽה׃ ס

So I will throw you from this land to a land that you have not known, neither you nor your ancestors, and you will worship other gods there by day and night, for I will not give any favor to you.'

14 לָכֵ֛ן הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלָ֛ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Therefore, behold, the days are coming—this is Yahweh's declaration—when it will no longer be said, 'As Yahweh lives, the one who brought up the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.'

15 כִּ֣י אִם־חַי־יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱלָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹן וּמִכֹּל֙ הָֽאֲרָצ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִדִּיחָ֖ם שָׁ֑מָּה וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִים֙ עַל־אַדְמָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לַאֲבוֹתָֽם׃ ס

but, 'As Yahweh lives, the one who brought up the people of Israel from the land of the north and from the lands where he had scattered them.' For I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors.

16 הִנְנִ֨י שֹׁלֵ֜חַ לְדַיָּגִ֥ים רַבִּ֛ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה וְדִיג֑וּם וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֶשְׁלַח֙ לְרַבִּ֣ים צַיָּדִ֔ים וְצָד֞וּם מֵעַ֤ל כָּל־הַר֙ וּמֵעַ֣ל כָּל־גִּבְעָ֔ה וּמִנְּקִיקֵ֖י הַסְּלָעִֽים׃

Behold! I will send for many fishermen—this is Yahweh's declaration—so they will fish the people out. After this I will send for many hunters so they will hunt for them among all the mountains and hills, and in rock crevices.

17 כִּ֤י עֵינַי֙ עַל־כָּל־דַּרְכֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א נִסְתְּר֖וּ מִלְּפָנָ֑י וְלֹֽא־נִצְפַּ֥ן עֲוֹנָ֖ם מִנֶּ֥גֶד עֵינָֽי׃

For my eye is on all their ways; they cannot be hidden from before me. Their iniquity cannot be concealed from before my eyes.

18 וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֣י רִֽאשׁוֹנָ֗ה מִשְׁנֵ֤ה עֲוֹנָם֙ וְחַטָּאתָ֔ם עַ֖ל חַלְּלָ֣ם אֶת־אַרְצִ֑י בְּנִבְלַ֤ת שִׁקּֽוּצֵיהֶם֙ וְתוֹעֲב֣וֹתֵיהֶ֔ם מָלְא֖וּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתִֽי׃ ס

I will first pay back double for their iniquity and sin for their polluting of my land with their disgusting idol figures, and for their filling my inheritance with their disgusting idols.”

19 יְהוָ֞ה עֻזִּ֧י וּמָעֻזִּ֛י וּמְנוּסִ֖י בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה אֵלֶ֗יךָ גּוֹיִ֤ם יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ מֵֽאַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ וְיֹאמְר֗וּ אַךְ־שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ נָחֲל֣וּ אֲבוֹתֵ֔ינוּ הֶ֖בֶל וְאֵֽין־בָּ֥ם מוֹעִֽיל׃

Yahweh, you are my stronghold and my refuge, my place of safety in the day of distress. The nations will go to you from the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our ancestors inherited deceit. They are empty; there is no profit in them.

20 הֲיַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֥וֹ אָדָ֖ם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְהֵ֖מָּה לֹ֥א אֱלֹהִֽים׃

Do people make gods for themselves? But they are not gods.”

21 לָכֵן֙ הִנְנִ֣י מֽוֹדִיעָ֔ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֔את אוֹדִיעֵ֥ם אֶת־יָדִ֖י וְאֶת־גְּבֽוּרָתִ֑י וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־שְׁמִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס

Therefore see! I will cause them to know in this time, I will cause them to know my hand and my power, so they will know that Yahweh is my name.