ירמיה 18

1 הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2 קוּם וְיָרַדְתָּ בֵּית הַיּוֹצֵר וְשָׁמָּה אַשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃

Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there will I let thee hear my words.

3 וָאֵרֵד בֵּית הַיּוֹצֵר והנהו וְהִנֵּה־הוּא עֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה עַל־הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃

Then went I down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was doing work on the wheels.

4 וְנִשְׁחַת הַכְּלִי אֲשֶׁר הוּא עֹשֶׂה בַּחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר וְשָׁב וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ כְּלִי אַחֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינֵי הַיּוֹצֵר לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

And the vessel that he was making became spoiled as [happeneth] with the clay in the hand of the potter; and he made again thereof another vessel, as it seemed good in the eyes of the potter to make it.

5 וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֽוֹר׃

Then came the word of the Lord to me, saying,

6 הֲכַיּוֹצֵר הַזֶּה לֹא־אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת לָכֶם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־יְהוָה הִנֵּה כַחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר כֵּן־אַתֶּם בְּיָדִי בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Shall I not be able to do unto you as this potter, O house of Israel? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.

7 רֶגַע אֲדַבֵּר עַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָה לִנְתוֹשׁ וְלִנְתוֹץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃

At one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

8 וְשָׁב הַגּוֹי הַהוּא מֵרָעָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי עָלָיו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי עַל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁבְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לֽוֹ׃

But should that nation, against whom I have spoken, return from their wrong-doing: then will I bethink me of the evil that I had thought to do unto them.

9 וְרֶגַע אֲדַבֵּר עַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָה לִבְנֹת וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃

And at one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

10 וְעָשָׂה הרעה הָרַע בְּעֵינַי לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹלִי וְנִֽחַמְתִּי עַל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי לְהֵיטִיב אוֹתֽוֹ׃

But should it do what is evil in my eyes, so as not to hearken to my voice: then will I bethink me of the good, wherewith I had thought to benefit the same.

11 וְעַתָּה אֱמָר־נָא אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יוֹצֵר עֲלֵיכֶם רָעָה וְחֹשֵׁב עֲלֵיכֶם מַֽחֲשָׁבָה שׁוּבוּ נָא אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָֽרָעָה וְהֵיטִיבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃

And now do say to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as followeth, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I form against you evil, and devise against you a device: do but return now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.

12 וְאָמְרוּ נוֹאָשׁ כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵינוּ נֵלֵךְ וְאִישׁ שְׁרִרוּת לִבּֽוֹ־הָרָע נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃

And they said, It is useless: for after our own thoughts will we walk, and we will every one do after the stubbornness of his evil heart.

13 לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא בַּגּוֹיִם מִי שָׁמַע כָּאֵלֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת עָשְׂתָה מְאֹד בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Therefore thus hath said the Lord, Only ask among the nations, Who hath heard the like things? a very horrible act hath the virgin of Israel committed.

14 הֲיַעֲזֹב מִצּוּר שָׂדַי שֶׁלֶג לְבָנוֹן אִם־יִנָּתְשׁוּ מַיִם זָרִים קָרִים נוֹזְלִֽים׃

Doth the snow of Lebanon ever quit the rock of the field? or do the far-coming, cold, flowing waters ever fail?

15 כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻנִי עַמִּי לַשָּׁוְא יְקַטֵּרוּ וַיַּכְשִׁלוּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם שְׁבִילֵי עוֹלָם לָלֶכֶת נְתִיבוֹת דֶּרֶךְ לֹא סְלוּלָֽה׃

That my people have forgotten me, that they have burnt incense to false gods, and are made to stumble on their ways, the ancient beaten tracks, to walk in paths, on a road which is not leveled?

16 לָשׂוּם אַרְצָם לְשַׁמָּה שרוקת שְׁרִיקוֹת עוֹלָם כֹּל עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ יִשֹּׁם וְיָנִיד בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

To make their land desolate, a perpetual derision: every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

17 כְּרֽוּחַ־קָדִים אֲפִיצֵם לִפְנֵי אוֹיֵב עֹרֶף וְלֹֽא־פָנִים אֶרְאֵם בְּיוֹם אֵידָֽם׃

Like an east wind will I scatter them before the enemy; with the back, and not the face, will I regard them on the day of their calamity.

18 וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַחְשְׁבָה עַֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת כִּי לֹא־תֹאבַד תּוֹרָה מִכֹּהֵן וְעֵצָה מֵֽחָכָם וְדָבָר מִנָּבִיא לְכוּ וְנַכֵּהוּ בַלָּשׁוֹן וְאַל־נַקְשִׁיבָה אֶל־כָּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃

And they said, Come, and let us contrive devices against Jeremiah; for the law will not be lost from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not listen to any of his words.

19 הַקְשִׁיבָה יְהוָה אֵלָי וּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל יְרִיבָֽי׃

Listen to me, O Lord, and hearken to the voice of those that contend with me.

20 הַיְשֻׁלַּם תַּֽחַת־טוֹבָה רָעָה כִּֽי־כָרוּ שׁוּחָה לְנַפְשִׁי זְכֹר ׀ עָמְדִי לְפָנֶיךָ לְדַבֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם טוֹבָה לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ מֵהֶֽם׃

Shall evil be recompensed instead of good, that they have dug a pit for my life? Remember my standing before thee to speak good concerning them, to cause thy wrath to turn away from them.

21 לָכֵן תֵּן אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם לָרָעָב וְהַגִּרֵם עַל־יְדֵי־חֶרֶב וְתִֽהְיֶנָה נְשֵׁיהֶם שַׁכֻּלוֹת וְאַלְמָנוֹת וְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם יִֽהְיוּ הֲרֻגֵי מָוֶת בַּחוּרֵיהֶם מֻכֵּי־חֶרֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

Therefore give up their children to the famine, and let their life ebb out by means of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain by death; their young men smitten by the sword in the battle.

22 תִּשָּׁמַע זְעָקָה מִבָּתֵּיהֶם כִּֽי־תָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם גְּדוּד פִּתְאֹם כִּֽי־כָרוּ שיחה שׁוּחָה לְלָכְדֵנִי וּפַחִים טָמְנוּ לְרַגְלָֽי׃

Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou bringest a troop over them suddenly; for they have dug a pit to catch me, and laid concealed snares for my feet.

23 וְאַתָּה יְהוָה יָדַעְתָּ אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲצָתָם עָלַי לַמָּוֶת אַל־תְּכַפֵּר עַל־עֲוֺנָם וְחַטָּאתָם מִלְּפָנֶיךָ אַל־תֶּמְחִי והיו וְיִהְיוּ מֻכְשָׁלִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּעֵת אַפְּךָ עֲשֵׂה בָהֶֽם׃

Yet thou, Lord, knowest well all their counsel against me to [procure my] death: forgive not their iniquity, and let their sin not be blotted out from before thee; but let them be brought to stumbling before thee; in the time of thy anger deal thus with them.