בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֣יא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֡ה (ויציאו) [יוֹצִ֣יאוּ] אֶת־עַצְמ֣וֹת מַלְכֵי־יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־עַצְמוֹת־שָׂרָיו֩ וְאֶת־עַצְמ֨וֹת הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת ׀ עַצְמ֣וֹת הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹשְׁבֵֽי־יְרוּשָׁלָ֖͏ִם מִקִּבְרֵיהֶֽם׃ At that time—declares GOD—the bones of the kings of Judah, of its officers, of the priests, of the prophets, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be taken out of their graves
וּשְׁטָחוּם֩ לַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵ֜חַ וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲהֵב֜וּם וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר עֲבָדוּם֙ וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ הָלְכ֣וּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר דְּרָשׁ֔וּם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם לֹ֤א יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ לְדֹ֛מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה יִהְיֽוּ׃ and exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven that they loved and served and followed, to which they turned and bowed down. They shall not be gathered for reburial; they shall become dung upon the face of the earth.
וְנִבְחַ֥ר מָ֙וֶת֙ מֵחַיִּ֔ים לְכֹ֗ל הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֔ים מִן־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה הָרָעָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את בְּכׇל־הַמְּקֹמ֤וֹת הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִדַּחְתִּ֣ים שָׁ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ {ס} And death shall be preferable to life for all that are left of this wicked folk, in all the other places to which I shall banish them—declares GOD of Hosts.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה הֲיִפְּל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יָק֑וּמוּ אִם־יָשׁ֖וּב וְלֹ֥א יָשֽׁוּב׃ Say to them: Thus said GOD:
When people fall, do they not get up again?
If they turn aside, do they not turn back?
מַדּ֨וּעַ שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֛ה יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם מְשֻׁבָ֣ה נִצַּ֑חַת הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙ בַּתַּרְמִ֔ת מֵאֲנ֖וּ לָשֽׁוּב׃ Why is this people—Jerusalem—rebellious
With a persistent rebellion?
They cling to 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 have listened and heard:
They do not speak honestly.
No one regrets their own wickedness
And says, “What have I done!”
They all persist in their wayward course
Like a steed dashing forward in the fray.
גַּם־חֲסִידָ֣ה בַשָּׁמַ֗יִם יָֽדְעָה֙ מוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָ וְתֹ֤ר (וסוס) [וְסִיס֙] וְעָג֔וּר שָׁמְר֖וּ אֶת־עֵ֣ת בֹּאָ֑נָה וְעַמִּ֕י לֹ֣א יָדְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יְהֹוָֽה׃ Even the stork in the sky knows its seasons,
And the turtledove, swift, and crane
Keep the time of their coming;
But My people pay no heed
To GOD’s law.
אֵיכָ֤ה תֹֽאמְרוּ֙ חֲכָמִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ וְתוֹרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה אִתָּ֑נוּ אָכֵן֙ הִנֵּ֣ה לַשֶּׁ֣קֶר עָשָׂ֔ה עֵ֖ט שֶׁ֥קֶר סֹפְרִֽים׃ How can you say, “We are wise,
And we possess GOD’s Instruction”?
Assuredly, for naught has the pen labored,
For naught the scribes!
הֹבִ֣שׁוּ חֲכָמִ֔ים חַ֖תּוּ וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ הִנֵּ֤ה בִדְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ מָאָ֔סוּ וְחׇכְמַ֥ת מֶ֖ה לָהֶֽם׃ The wise men shall be put to shame,
Shall be dismayed and caught;
See, they reject the word of GOD,
So their wisdom amounts to nothing.
לָכֵן֩ אֶתֵּ֨ן אֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶ֜ם לַאֲחֵרִ֗ים שְׂדֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ לְי֣וֹרְשִׁ֔ים כִּ֤י מִקָּטֹן֙ וְעַד־גָּד֔וֹל כֻּלֹּ֖ה בֹּצֵ֣עַ בָּ֑צַע מִנָּבִיא֙ וְעַד־כֹּהֵ֔ן כֻּלֹּ֖ה עֹ֥שֶׂה שָּֽׁקֶר׃ Assuredly, I will give their wives to others,
And their fields to dispossessors;
For from the smallest to the greatest,
They are all greedy for gain;
Priest and prophet alike,
They all act falsely.
וַיְרַפּ֞וּ אֶת־שֶׁ֤בֶר בַּת־עַמִּי֙ עַל־נְקַלָּ֔ה לֵאמֹ֖ר שָׁל֣וֹם ׀ שָׁל֑וֹם וְאֵ֖ין שָׁלֽוֹם׃ They offer healing offhand
For the wounds of My poor people,
Saying, “All is well, all is well,”
When nothing is well.
הֹבִ֕שׁוּ כִּ֥י תוֹעֵבָ֖ה עָשׂ֑וּ גַּם־בּ֣וֹשׁ לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ וְהִכָּלֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ לָכֵ֞ן יִפְּל֣וּ בַנֹּפְלִ֗ים בְּעֵ֧ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֛ם יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ אָמַ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
They have acted shamefully;
They have done abhorrent things—
Yet they do not feel shame,
They cannot be made to blush.
Assuredly, they shall fall among the falling,
They shall stumble at the time of their doom
—said GOD.
אָסֹ֥ף אֲסִיפֵ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה אֵין֩ עֲנָבִ֨ים בַּגֶּ֜פֶן וְאֵ֧ין תְּאֵנִ֣ים בַּתְּאֵנָ֗ה וְהֶעָלֶה֙ נָבֵ֔ל וָאֶתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם יַעַבְרֽוּם׃ I will make an end of themaI will make an end of them Meaning of Heb. uncertain; change of vocalization yields “Their fruit harvest has been gathered in.”
—declares GOD:
No grapes left on the vine,
No figs on the fig tree,
The leaves all withered;
Whatever I have given them is gone.bWhatever I have given them is gone Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
עַל־מָה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ יֹֽשְׁבִ֔ים הֵאָסְפ֗וּ וְנָב֛וֹא אֶל־עָרֵ֥י הַמִּבְצָ֖ר וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁ֑ם כִּי֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ הֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙ וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּ מֵי־רֹ֔אשׁ כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לַיהֹוָֽה׃ Why are we sitting by?
Let us gather into the fortified cities
And meet our doom there.
For the ETERNAL our God has doomed us—
And has made us drink a bitter draft,
Because we sinned against GOD.
קַוֵּ֥ה לְשָׁל֖וֹם וְאֵ֣ין ט֑וֹב לְעֵ֥ת מַרְפֵּ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה בְעָתָֽה׃ We hoped for good fortune, but no happiness came;
For a time of relief—instead there is terror!
מִדָּ֤ן נִשְׁמַע֙ נַחְרַ֣ת סוּסָ֔יו מִקּוֹל֙ מִצְהֲל֣וֹת אַבִּירָ֔יו רָעֲשָׁ֖ה כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ {פ}
The snorting of their horses was heard from Dan;
At the loud neighing of their steeds
The whole land quaked.
They came and devoured the land and what was in it,
The towns and those who dwelt in them.
כִּי֩ הִנְנִ֨י מְשַׁלֵּ֜חַ בָּכֶ֗ם נְחָשִׁים֙ צִפְעֹנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם לָ֑חַשׁ וְנִשְּׁכ֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} Lo, I will send serpents against you,
Adders that cannot be charmed,
And they shall bite you
—declares GOD.
מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י עֲלֵ֣י יָג֑וֹן עָלַ֖י לִבִּ֥י דַוָּֽי׃ When in grief I would seek comfort,cWhen in grief I would seek comfort Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
My heart is sick within me.
הִנֵּה־ק֞וֹל שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת בַּת־עַמִּ֗י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ מַרְחַקִּ֔ים הַֽיהֹוָה֙ אֵ֣ין בְּצִיּ֔וֹן אִם־מַלְכָּ֖הּ אֵ֣ין בָּ֑הּ מַדּ֗וּעַ הִכְעִס֛וּנִי בִּפְסִלֵיהֶ֖ם בְּהַבְלֵ֥י נֵכָֽר׃ dHere God is speaking. “Is not GOD in Zion?
Is not her Sovereign in her midst?
Why then did they anger Me with their images,
With alien futilities?”
Hark! The outcry of my poor people
From the land far and wide:
עָבַ֥ר קָצִ֖יר כָּ֣לָה קָ֑יִץ וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ ל֥וֹא נוֹשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ “Harvest is past,
Summer is gone,
But we have not been saved.”
עַל־שֶׁ֥בֶר בַּת־עַמִּ֖י הׇשְׁבָּ֑רְתִּי קָדַ֕רְתִּי שַׁמָּ֖ה הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי׃ Because my people is shattered I am shattered;
I am dejected, seized by desolation.
הַצֳּרִי֙ אֵ֣ין בְּגִלְעָ֔ד אִם־רֹפֵ֖א אֵ֣ין שָׁ֑ם כִּ֗י מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א עָֽלְתָ֔ה אֲרֻכַ֖ת בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ {ס} Is there no balm in Gilead?
Can no physician be found?
Why has healing not yet
Come to my poor people?
מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן רֹאשִׁי֙ מַ֔יִם וְעֵינִ֖י מְק֣וֹר דִּמְעָ֑ה וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֵ֖ת חַֽלְלֵ֥י בַת־עַמִּֽי׃ {ס} Oh, that my head were water,
My eyes a fount of tears!
Then would I weep day and night
For the slain of my poor people.