The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 8ירמיהו 8

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֣יא נְאֻם יְהוָ֡ה ויציאו יוֹצִ֣יאוּ אֶת עַצְמ֣וֹת מַלְכֵֽי יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת עַצְמוֹת שָׂרָיו֩ וְאֶת עַצְמ֨וֹת הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת עַצְמ֣וֹת הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹשְׁבֵֽי יְרוּשָׁלִָ֖ם מִקִּבְרֵיהֶֽם

At that time, says YHWH, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:

וּשְׁטָחוּם֩ לַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵ֜חַ וּלְכֹ֣ל צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲהֵב֜וּם וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר עֲבָדוּם֙ וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ הָלְכ֣וּ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר דְּרָשׁ֔וּם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם לֹ֤א יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ לְדֹ֛מֶן עַל פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ

And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

וְנִבְחַ֥ר מָ֨וֶת֙ מֵֽחַיִּ֔ים לְכֹ֗ל הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֔ים מִן הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה הָֽרָעָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את בְּכָל הַמְּקֹמ֤וֹת הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִדַּחְתִּ֣ים שָׁ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת

And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, says YHWH of hosts.

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲיִפְּל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יָק֑וּמוּ אִם יָשׁ֖וּב וְלֹ֥א יָשֽׁוּב

Moreover you shall say to them, Thus says YHWH; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

מַדּ֨וּעַ שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֛ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם מְשֻׁבָ֣ה נִצַּ֑חַת הֶחֱזִ֨יקוּ֙ בַּתַּרְמִ֔ית מֵאֲנ֖וּ לָשֽׁוּב

Why is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

הִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּי וָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙ לוֹא כֵ֣ן יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ אֵ֣ין אִ֗ישׁ נִחָם֙ עַל רָ֣עָת֔וֹ לֵאמֹ֖ר מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתִי כֻּלֹּ֗ה שָׁ֚ב במרצותם בִּמְר֣וּצָתָ֔ם כְּס֥וּס שׁוֹטֵ֖ף בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה

I hearkened and heard, they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

גַּם חֲסִידָ֣ה בַשָּׁמַ֗יִם יָֽדְעָה֙ מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָ וְתֹ֤ר וסוס וְסִיס֙ וְעָג֔וּר שָׁמְר֖וּ אֶת עֵ֣ת בֹּאָ֑נָה וְעַמִּ֕י לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יְהוָֽה

Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of YHWH.

אֵיכָ֤ה תֹֽאמְרוּ֙ חֲכָמִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ וְתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה אִתָּ֑נוּ אָכֵן֙ הִנֵּ֣ה לַשֶּׁ֣קֶר עָשָׂ֔ה עֵ֖ט שֶׁ֥קֶר סֹפְרִֽים

How do you say, We wise, and the law of YHWH with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he ; the pen of the scribes in vain.

הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ חֲכָמִ֔ים חַ֖תּוּ וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ הִנֵּ֤ה בִדְבַר יְהוָה֙ מָאָ֔סוּ וְחָכְמַֽת מֶ֖ה לָהֶֽם

The wise are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of YHWH; and what wisdom in them?

לָכֵן֩ אֶתֵּ֨ן אֶת נְשֵׁיהֶ֜ם לַאֲחֵרִ֗ים שְׂדֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ לְי֣וֹרְשִׁ֔ים כִּ֤י מִקָּטֹן֙ וְעַד גָּד֔וֹל כֻּלֹּ֖ה בֹּצֵ֣עַ בָּ֑צַע מִנָּבִיא֙ וְעַד כֹּהֵ֔ן כֻּלֹּ֖ה עֹ֥שֶׂה שָּֽׁקֶר

Therefore will I give their wives to others, their fields to them that shall inherit : for every one from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even to the priest every one dealeth falsely.

וַיְרַפּ֞וּ אֶת שֶׁ֤בֶר בַּת עַמִּי֙ עַל נְקַלָּ֔ה לֵאמֹ֖ר שָׁל֣וֹם שָׁל֑וֹם וְאֵ֖ין שָׁלֽוֹם

For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when no peace.

הֹבִ֕שׁוּ כִּ֥י תוֹעֵבָ֖ה עָשׂ֑וּ גַּם בּ֣וֹשׁ לֹֽא יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ וְהִכָּלֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ לָכֵ֞ן יִפְּל֣וּ בַנֹּפְלִ֗ים בְּעֵ֧ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֛ם יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says YHWH.

אָסֹ֥ף אֲסִיפֵ֖ם נְאֻם יְהֹוָ֑ה אֵין֩ עֲנָבִ֨ים בַּגֶּ֜פֶן וְאֵ֧ין תְּאֵנִ֣ים בַּתְּאֵנָ֗ה וְהֶֽעָלֶה֙ נָבֵ֔ל וָאֶתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם יַעַבְרֽוּם

I will surely consume them, says YHWH: no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and I have given them shall pass away from them.

עַל מָה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ יֹֽשְׁבִ֔ים הֵֽאָסְפ֗וּ וְנָב֛וֹא אֶל עָרֵ֥י הַמִּבְצָ֖ר וְנִדְּמָה שָּׁ֑ם כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ הֲדִמָּ֨נוּ֙ וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּ מֵי רֹ֔אשׁ כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לַיהוָֽה

Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for YHWH our God has put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against YHWH.

קַוֵּ֥ה לְשָׁל֖וֹם וְאֵ֣ין ט֑וֹב לְעֵ֥ת מַרְפֵּ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה בְעָתָֽה

We looked for peace, but no good for a time of health, and behold trouble!

מִדָּ֤ן נִשְׁמַע֙ נַחְרַ֣ת סוּסָ֗יו מִקּוֹל֙ מִצְהֲל֣וֹת אַבִּירָ֔יו רָעֲשָׁ֖ה כָּל הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ

The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.

כִּי֩ הִנְנִ֨י מְשַׁלֵּ֜חַ בָּכֶ֗ם נְחָשִׁים֙ צִפְעֹנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין לָהֶ֖ם לָ֑חַשׁ וְנִשְּׁכ֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם נְאֻם יְהוָֽה

For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which not charmed, and they shall bite you, says YHWH.

מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י עֲלֵ֣י יָג֑וֹן עָלַ֖י לִבִּ֥י דַוָּֽי

I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart faint in me.

הִנֵּה ק֞וֹל שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת בַּת עַמִּ֗י מֵאֶ֨רֶץ֙ מַרְחַקִּ֔ים הַֽיהוָה֙ אֵ֣ין בְּצִיּ֔וֹן אִם מַלְכָּ֖הּ אֵ֣ין בָּ֑הּ מַדּ֗וּעַ הִכְעִס֛וּנִי בִּפְסִלֵיהֶ֖ם בְּהַבְלֵ֥י נֵכָֽר

Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: not YHWH in Zion? not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, with strange vanities?

עָבַ֥ר קָצִ֖יר כָּ֣לָה קָ֑יִץ וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ ל֥וֹא נוֹשָֽׁעְנוּ

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

עַל שֶׁ֥בֶר בַּת עַמִּ֖י הָשְׁבָּ֑רְתִּי קָדַ֕רְתִּי שַׁמָּ֖ה הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי

For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment has taken hold on me.

הַצֳרִי֙ אֵ֣ין בְּגִלְעָ֔ד אִם רֹפֵ֖א אֵ֣ין שָׁ֑ם כִּ֗י מַדּ֨וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א עָֽלְתָ֔ה אֲרֻכַ֖ת בַּת עַמִּֽי

no balm in Gilead; no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

מִֽי יִתֵּ֤ן רֹאשִׁי֙ מַ֔יִם וְעֵינִ֖י מְק֣וֹר דִּמְעָ֑ה וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֵ֖ת חַֽלְלֵ֥י בַת עַמִּֽי

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!