The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 18ירמיהו 18

הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה אֶֽל יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר

The word which came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying,

ק֥וּם וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֖מָּה אַשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥ אֶת דְּבָרָֽי

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

וָאֵרֵ֖ד בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר והנהו וְהִנֵּה ה֛וּא עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְלָאכָ֖ה עַל הָאָבְנָֽיִם

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

וְנִשְׁחַ֣ת הַכְּלִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֛ה בַּחֹ֖מֶר בְּיַ֣ד הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֗ב וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֨הוּ֙ כְּלִ֣י אַחֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֛ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י הַיּוֹצֵ֖ר לַעֲשֽׂוֹת

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make .

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֽוֹר

Then the word of YHWH came to me, saying,

הֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨ר הַזֶּ֜ה לֹא אוּכַ֨ל לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לָכֶ֛ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה כַחֹ֨מֶר֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר כֵּן אַתֶּ֥ם בְּיָדִ֖י בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? says YHWH. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so you in mine hand, O house of Israel.

רֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל גּ֖וֹי וְעַל מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד

instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy ;

וְשָׁב֙ הַגּ֣וֹי הַה֔וּא מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלָ֑יו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לֽוֹ

If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

וְרֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל גּ֖וֹי וְעַל מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִבְנֹ֖ת וְלִנְטֹֽעַ

And instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant ;

וְעָשָׂ֤ה הרעה הָרַע֙ בְּעֵינַ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקוֹלִ֑י וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֖רְתִּי לְהֵיטִ֥יב אוֹתֽוֹ

If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

וְעַתָּ֡ה אֱמָר נָ֣א אֶל אִישׁ יְהוּדָה֩ וְעַל יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יוֹצֵ֤ר עֲלֵיכֶם֙ רָעָ֔ה וְחֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מַֽחֲשָׁבָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם

Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says YHWH; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return you now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

וְאָמְר֖וּ נוֹאָ֑שׁ כִּֽי אַחֲרֵ֤י מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵ֨ינוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ וְאִ֛ישׁ שְׁרִר֥וּת לִבּֽוֹ הָרָ֖ע נַעֲשֶֽׂה

And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שַֽׁאֲלוּ נָא֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם מִ֥י שָׁמַ֖ע כָּאֵ֑לֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ עָשְׂתָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

Therefore thus says YHWH; Ask you now among the heathen, who has heard such things: the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

הֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב מִצּ֛וּר שָׂדַ֖י שֶׁ֣לֶג לְבָנ֑וֹן אִם יִנָּתְשׁ֗וּ מַ֛יִם זָרִ֥ים קָרִ֖ים נוֹזְלִֽים

Will leave the snow of Lebanon from the rock of the field? shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?

כִּֽי שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי עַמִּ֖י לַשָּׁ֣וְא יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙ שְׁבִילֵ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם לָלֶ֣כֶת נְתִיב֔וֹת דֶּ֖רֶךְ לֹ֥א סְלוּלָֽה

Because my people has forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways the ancient paths, to walk in paths, a way not cast up;

לָשׂ֥וּם אַרְצָ֛ם לְשַׁמָּ֖ה שרוקת שְׁרִיק֣וֹת עוֹלָ֑ם כֹּ֚ל עוֹבֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשֹּׁ֖ם וְיָנִ֥יד בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ

To make their land desolate, a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

כְּרֽוּחַ קָדִ֥ים אֲפִיצֵ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אוֹיֵ֑ב עֹ֧רֶף וְלֹֽא פָנִ֛ים אֶרְאֵ֖ם בְּי֥וֹם אֵידָֽם

I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לְכ֨וּ וְנַחְשְׁבָ֣ה עַֽל יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת֒ כִּי֩ לֹא תֹאבַ֨ד תּוֹרָ֜ה מִכֹּהֵ֗ן וְעֵצָה֙ מֵֽחָכָ֔ם וְדָבָ֖ר מִנָּבִ֑יא לְכוּ֙ וְנַכֵּ֣הוּ בַלָּשׁ֔וֹן וְאַל נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה אֶל כָּל דְּבָרָֽיו

Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish 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 give heed to any of his words.

הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וּשְׁמַ֖ע לְק֥וֹל יְרִיבָֽי

Give heed to me, O YHWH, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם תַּֽחַת טוֹבָה֙ רָעָ֔ה כִּֽי כָר֥וּ שׁוּחָ֖ה לְנַפְשִׁ֑י זְכֹ֣ר עָמְדִ֣י לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְדַבֵּ֤ר עֲלֵיהֶם֙ טוֹבָ֔ה לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת חֲמָתְךָ֖ מֵהֶֽם

Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.

לָכֵן֩ תֵּ֨ן אֶת בְּנֵיהֶ֜ם לָרָעָ֗ב וְהַגִּרֵם֮ עַל יְדֵי חֶרֶב֒ וְתִֽהְיֶ֨נָה נְשֵׁיהֶ֤ם שַׁכֻּלוֹת֙ וְאַלְמָנ֔וֹת וְאַ֨נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם יִֽהְי֖וּ הֲרֻ֣גֵי מָ֑וֶת בַּח֣וּרֵיהֶ֔ם מֻכֵּי חֶ֖רֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה

Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be put to death; their young men slain by the sword in battle.

תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי תָבִ֧יא עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם גְּד֖וּד פִּתְאֹ֑ם כִּֽי כָר֤וּ שיחה שׁוּחָה֙ לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי וּפַחִ֖ים טָמְנ֥וּ לְרַגְלָֽי

Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֠הוָה יָדַ֜עְתָּ אֶֽת כָּל עֲצָתָ֤ם עָלַי֙ לַמָּ֔וֶת אַל תְּכַפֵּר֙ עַל עֲוֺנָ֔ם וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ אַל תֶּ֑מְחִי והיו וְיִהְי֤וּ מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ בְּעֵ֥ת אַפְּךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֥ה בָהֶֽם

Yet, YHWH, you knowest all their counsel against me to slay : forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from your sight, but let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.