Tanach · Prophets

Jeremiah 18/ירמיהו י״ח

אהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

1The word that came to Jeremiah from GOD:

בק֥וּם וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֖מָּה אַשְׁמִיעֲךָ֥ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃

2“Go down to the house of a potter, and there I will impart My words to you.”

גוָאֵרֵ֖ד בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר (והנהו) [וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּא] עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְלָאכָ֖ה עַל־הָאׇבְנָֽיִם׃

3So I went down to the house of a potter, and found him working at the wheel.

דוְנִשְׁחַ֣ת הַכְּלִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֛ה בַּחֹ֖מֶר בְּיַ֣ד הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֗ב וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ כְּלִ֣י אַחֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֛ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י הַיּוֹצֵ֖ר לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

4And if the vessel he was making was spoiled, as happens to clay in the potter’s hands,^a he would make it into another vessel, such as the potter saw fit to make.

הוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֽוֹר׃

5Then the word of GOD came to me:

והֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨ר הַזֶּ֜ה לֹא־אוּכַ֨ל לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לָכֶ֛ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה כַחֹ֙מֶר֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר כֵּן־אַתֶּ֥ם בְּיָדִ֖י בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

6O House of Israel, can I not deal with you like this potter?—says GOD. Just like clay in the hands of the potter, so are you in My hands, O House of Israel!

זרֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃

7At one moment I may decree that a nation or a kingdom shall be uprooted and pulled down and destroyed;

חוְשָׁב֙ הַגּ֣וֹי הַה֔וּא מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלָ֑יו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לֽוֹ׃

8but if that nation against which I made the decree turns back from its wickedness, I change My mind concerning the punishment I planned to bring on it.

טוְרֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃

9At another moment I may decree that a nation or a kingdom shall be built and planted;

יוְעָשָׂ֤ה (הרעה) [הָרַע֙] בְּעֵינַ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקוֹלִ֑י וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֖רְתִּי לְהֵיטִ֥יב אוֹתֽוֹ׃

10but if it does what is displeasing to Me and does not obey Me, then I change My mind concerning the good I planned to bestow upon it.

יאוְעַתָּ֡ה אֱמׇר־נָ֣א אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה֩ וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יוֹצֵ֤ר עֲלֵיכֶם֙ רָעָ֔ה וְחֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מַחֲשָׁבָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָרָעָ֔ה וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃

11And now, say to the citizenry of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus said GOD: I am devising^b disaster for you and laying plans against you. Turn back, each of you, from your wicked ways, and mend your ways and your actions!

יבוְאָמְר֖וּ נוֹאָ֑שׁ כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵ֤י מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ וְאִ֛ישׁ שְׁרִר֥וּת לִבּֽוֹ־הָרָ֖ע נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃

12But they will say, “It is no use. We will keep on following our own plans; each of us will act in the willfulness of our own evil heart.”

יגלָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם מִ֥י שָׁמַ֖ע כָּאֵ֑לֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ עָשְׂתָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

13Assuredly, thus said GOD:Inquire among the nations:Who has heard anything like this?Maiden Israel has doneA most horrible thing.

ידהֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב מִצּ֛וּר שָׂדַ֖י שֶׁ֣לֶג לְבָנ֑וֹן אִם־יִנָּֽתְשׁ֗וּ מַ֛יִם זָרִ֥ים קָרִ֖ים נוֹזְלִֽים׃

14^c Does one forsake Lebanon snowFrom the mountainous rocks?Does one abandon cool waterFlowing from afar?

טוכִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי עַמִּ֖י לַשָּׁ֣וְא יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙ שְׁבִילֵ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם לָלֶ֣כֶת נְתִיב֔וֹת דֶּ֖רֶךְ לֹ֥א סְלוּלָֽה׃

15Yet My people have forgotten Me:They sacrifice to a delusion:They are made to stumble in their ways—The ancient paths—And to walk instead on byways,On a road not built up.

טזלָשׂ֥וּם אַרְצָ֛ם לְשַׁמָּ֖ה (שרוקת) [שְׁרִיק֣וֹת] עוֹלָ֑ם כֹּ֚ל עוֹבֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשֹּׁ֖ם וְיָנִ֥יד בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

16So their land will become a desolation,An object of hissing for all time.Every passerby will be appalledAnd will shake their head.^d

יזכְּרוּחַ־קָדִ֥ים אֲפִיצֵ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אוֹיֵ֑ב עֹ֧רֶף וְלֹֽא־פָנִ֛ים אֶרְאֵ֖ם בְּי֥וֹם אֵידָֽם׃

17Like the east wind, I will scatter themBefore the enemy.I will look upon their back, not their face,^e In their day of disaster.

יחוַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לְכ֨וּ וְנַחְשְׁבָ֥ה עַֽל־יִרְמְיָ֘הוּ֮ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת֒ כִּי֩ לֹא־תֹאבַ֨ד תּוֹרָ֜ה מִכֹּהֵ֗ן וְעֵצָה֙ מֵחָכָ֔ם וְדָבָ֖ר מִנָּבִ֑יא לְכוּ֙ וְנַכֵּ֣הוּ בַלָּשׁ֔וֹן וְאַל־נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה אֶל־כׇּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃

18They said,^f “Come let us devise a plot against Jeremiah—for instruction shall not fail from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor oracle from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and we shall no longer have to listen to all those words of his.”

יטהַקְשִׁ֥יבָה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וּשְׁמַ֖ע לְק֥וֹל יְרִיבָֽי׃

19Listen to me, O ETERNAL One—And take note of what my enemies say!^g

כהַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם תַּֽחַת־טוֹבָה֙ רָעָ֔ה כִּי־כָר֥וּ שׁוּחָ֖ה לְנַפְשִׁ֑י זְכֹ֣ר׀ עׇמְדִ֣י לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְדַבֵּ֤ר עֲלֵיהֶם֙ טוֹבָ֔ה לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ מֵהֶֽם׃

20Should good be repaid with evil?Yet they have dug a pit for me.Remember how I stood before YouTo plead in their behalf,To turn Your anger away from them!

כאלָכֵן֩ תֵּ֨ן אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֜ם לָרָעָ֗ב וְהַגִּרֵם֮ עַל־יְדֵי־חֶ֒רֶב֒ וְתִהְיֶ֨נָה נְשֵׁיהֶ֤ם שַׁכֻּלוֹת֙ וְאַלְמָנ֔וֹת וְאַ֨נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם יִהְי֖וּ הֲרֻ֣גֵי מָ֑וֶת בַּח֣וּרֵיהֶ֔ם מֻכֵּי־חֶ֖רֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

21Oh, give their children over to famine,Mow them down by the sword.Let their wives be bereavedOf children and husbands,Let their men^h be struck down by the plague,And their young men be slain in battle by the sword.

כבתִּשָּׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבִ֧יא עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם גְּד֖וּד פִּתְאֹ֑ם כִּֽי־כָר֤וּ (שיחה) [שׁוּחָה֙] לְלׇכְדֵ֔נִי וּפַחִ֖ים טָמְנ֥וּ לְרַגְלָֽי׃

22Let an outcry be heard from their housesWhen You bring sudden marauders against them;For they have dug a pit to trap me,And laid snares for my feet.

כגוְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֠הֹוָ֠ה יָדַ֜עְתָּ אֶֽת־כׇּל־עֲצָתָ֤ם עָלַי֙ לַמָּ֔וֶת אַל־תְּכַפֵּר֙ עַל־עֲוֺנָ֔ם וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ אַל־תֶּ֑מְחִי (והיו) [וְיִהְי֤וּ] מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ בְּעֵ֥ת אַפְּךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃

23O ETERNAL One, You knowAll their plots to kill me.Do not pardon their iniquity,Do not blot out their guilt from Your presence.Let them be made to stumble before You—Act against them in Your hour of wrath!