“At that time,בָּעֵת הַהִיאdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH,יְהוָהthey will bring outיוֹצִיאוּthe bonesאֶת עַצְמוֹתof the kingsמַלְכֵיof Judah,יְהוּדָהand the bonesוְאֶת עַצְמוֹתof its princes,שָׂרָיוand the bonesוְאֶת עַצְמוֹתof the priests,הַכֹּהֲנִיםand the bonesוְאֵת עַצְמוֹתof the prophets,הַנְּבִיאִיםand the bonesוְאֵת עַצְמוֹתof the inhabitantsיוֹשְׁבֵיof Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָםfrom their graves;מִקִּבְרֵיהֶם
and they will spread them outוּשְׁטָחוּםbefore the sunלַשֶּׁמֶשׁand the moonוְלַיָּרֵחַand allוּלְכֹלthe armyצְבָאof the heavens,הַשָּׁמַיִםwhichאֲשֶׁר םthey have lovedאֲהֵבוּand whichוַאֲשֶׁר םthey have servedעֲבָדוּand after whichוַאֲשֶׁר אַחֲרֵיהֶםthey have walkedהָלְכוּand whichוַאֲשֶׁר םthey have soughtדְּרָשׁוּand to whichוַאֲשֶׁר לָהֶםthey have bowed down.הִשְׁתַּחֲווּThey will notלֹאbe gatheredיֵאָסְפוּorוְלֹאburied;יִקָּבֵרוּas dungלְדֹמֶןon the faceעַל פְּנֵיof the groundהָאֲדָמָהthey will be.יִהְיוּ
And deathמָוֶתwill be chosenוְנִבְחַרrather than lifeמֵחַיִּיםby allלְכֹלthe remnantהַשְּׁאֵרִיתthat remainsהַנִּשְׁאָרִיםof thisהַזֹּאתevilהָרָעָהclan,מִן הַמִּשְׁפָּחָהin allבְּכָלthe placesהַמְּקֹמוֹתwhere they remain,הַנִּשְׁאָרִיםwhereאֲשֶׁר שָׁםI have driven them,הִדַּחְתִּיםdeclaresנְאֻםYHWHיְהוָהTsevaot.צְבָאוֹת
And you will say to them,וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם‘ThusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWH:יְהוָהDo men fallהֲיִפְּלוּand notוְלֹאrise up?יָקוּמוּIfאִםone turns away,יָשׁוּבdoes he notוְלֹאreturn?יָשׁוּב
Whyמַדּוּעַhas this people,הָעָם הַזֶּהJerusalem,יְרוּשָׁלִַםturned waywardשׁוֹבְבָהin perpetualנִצַּחַתapostasy?מְשֻׁבָהThey hold fastהֶחֱזִיקוּto deceit;בַּתַּרְמִיתthey refuseמֵאֲנוּto return.לָשׁוּב
I have paid attentionהִקְשַׁבְתִּיand listened,וָאֶשְׁמָעbut they do notלוֹאspeakיְדַבֵּרוּwhat is right;כֵןnoאֵיןmanאִישׁrepentsנִחָםof his evil,עַל רָעָתוֹsaying,לֵאמֹר“Whatמֶהhave I done?”עָשִׂיתִיEveryoneכֻּלֹּהturnsשָׁבin his course,בִּמְרוּצָתָםlike a horseכְּסוּסrushingשׁוֹטֵףinto battle.בַּמִּלְחָמָה
Evenגַּםthe storkחֲסִידָהin the heavensבַשָּׁמַיִםknowsיָדְעָהher appointed times,מוֹעֲדֶיהָand the turtledoveוְתֹרand the swallowוְסִיסand the craneוְעָגוּרkeepשָׁמְרוּthe timeאֶת עֵתof their coming,בֹּאָנָהbut my peopleוְעַמִּיdo notלֹאknowיָדְעוּthe justiceאֵת מִשְׁפַּטof YHWH.יְהוָה
Howאֵיכָהcan you say,תֹאמְרוּ“We areאֲנַחְנוּwise,חֲכָמִיםand the instructionוְתוֹרַתof YHWH isיְהוָהwith us”?אִתָּנוּSurely,אָכֵןlook,הִנֵּהfor falsehoodלַשֶּׁקֶרit has been madeעָשָׂהby the lyingשֶׁקֶרpenעֵטof the scribes.סֹפְרִים
The wiseחֲכָמִיםare put to shame,הֹבִישׁוּdismayedחַתּוּand caught;וַיִּלָּכֵדוּlook,הִנֵּהthe wordבִדְבַרof YHWHיְהוָהthey have rejected,מָאָסוּand what wisdomוְחָכְמַת מֶהis in them?לָהֶם
ThereforeלָכֵןI will giveאֶתֵּןtheir wivesאֶת נְשֵׁיהֶםto others,לַאֲחֵרִיםtheir fieldsשְׂדוֹתֵיהֶםto new possessors;לְיוֹרְשִׁיםforכִּיfrom the leastמִקָּטֹןeven toוְעַדthe greatest,גָּדוֹלeveryoneכֻּלֹּהis greedyבֹּצֵעַfor gain;בָּצַעfrom prophetמִנָּבִיאeven toוְעַדpriest,כֹּהֵןeveryoneכֻּלֹּהpracticesעֹשֶׂהfalsehood.שָּׁקֶר
And they healוַיְרַפּוּthe breakingאֶת שֶׁבֶרof the daughterבַּתof my peopleעַמִּיlightly,עַל נְקַלָּהsaying,לֵאמֹר‘Peace,שָׁלוֹםpeace,’שָׁלוֹםwhen there is noוְאֵיןpeace.שָׁלוֹם
Were they ashamedהֹבִשׁוּbecauseכִּיthey committedעָשׂוּabomination?תוֹעֵבָהNo, they were notגַּם לֹאat allבּוֹשׁashamed,יֵבֹשׁוּand to blushוְהִכָּלֵםthey did notלֹאknow.יָדָעוּThereforeלָכֵןthey will fallיִפְּלוּamong those who fall;בַנֹּפְלִיםat the timeבְּעֵתof their punishmentפְּקֻדָּתָםthey will stumble,יִכָּשְׁלוּsaysאָמַרYHWH.יְהוָה
I will gather them inאֲסִיפֵםcompletely,אָסֹףdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהֹוָהThere are noאֵיןgrapesעֲנָבִיםon the vine,בַּגֶּפֶןand noוְאֵיןfigsתְּאֵנִיםon the fig tree,בַּתְּאֵנָהand the leafוְהֶעָלֶהwithers;נָבֵלand what I gave themוָאֶתֵּן לָהֶםwill pass away from them.’”יַעַבְרוּם
Whyעַל מָהare weאֲנַחְנוּsitting still?יֹשְׁבִיםGather together,הֵאָסְפוּand let us goוְנָבוֹאinto the fortifiedהַמִּבְצָרcitiesאֶל עָרֵיand be silentוְנִדְּמָהthere;שָּׁםforכִּיYHWHיְהוָהour Elohimאֱלֹהֵינוּhas silenced usהֲדִמָּנוּand given us to drinkוַיַּשְׁקֵנוּwaterמֵיof poison,רֹאשׁbecauseכִּיwe have sinnedחָטָאנוּagainst YHWH.לַיהוָה
We hopedקַוֵּהfor peace,לְשָׁלוֹםbut there is noוְאֵיןgood;טוֹבfor a timeלְעֵתof healing,מַרְפֵּהand look,וְהִנֵּהterror!בְעָתָה
From Danמִדָּןis heardנִשְׁמַעthe snortingנַחְרַתof his horses;סוּסָיוat the soundמִקּוֹלof the neighingמִצְהֲלוֹתof his stallionsאַבִּירָיוthe wholeכָּלlandהָאָרֶץquakes;רָעֲשָׁהand they comeוַיָּבוֹאוּand devourוַיֹּאכְלוּthe landאֶרֶץand all that fills it,וּמְלוֹאָהּthe cityעִירand those who liveוְיֹשְׁבֵיin it.בָהּ
“Forכִּיlook, Iהִנְנִיam sendingמְשַׁלֵּחַamong youבָּכֶםserpents,נְחָשִׁיםvipersצִפְעֹנִיםfor whichאֲשֶׁר לָהֶםthere is noאֵיןcharm,לָחַשׁand they will bite you,וְנִשְּׁכוּ אֶתְכֶםdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.”יְהוָה
My comfortמַבְלִיגִיתִיinעֲלֵיsorrow!יָגוֹןWithin meעָלַיmy heartלִבִּיis faint.דַוָּי
Listen!הִנֵּהThe voiceקוֹלof the cryשַׁוְעַתof the daughterבַּתof my peopleעַמִּיfrom a landמֵאֶרֶץfar away:מַרְחַקִּים“Is YHWH notהַיהוָה אֵיןin Zion?בְּצִיּוֹןIsאִםher Kingמַלְכָּהּnotאֵיןin her?”בָּהּ“Whyמַדּוּעַhave they provoked me to angerהִכְעִסוּנִיwith their carved images,בִּפְסִלֵיהֶםwith foreignנֵכָרvapors?”בְּהַבְלֵי
The harvestקָצִירis past,עָבַרthe summerקָיִץis ended,כָּלָהand weוַאֲנַחְנוּare notלוֹאsaved.נוֹשָׁעְנוּ
For the breakingעַל שֶׁבֶרof the daughterבַּתof my peopleעַמִּיI am broken;הָשְׁבָּרְתִּיI go about in mourning;קָדַרְתִּיhorrorשַׁמָּהhas seized me.הֶחֱזִקָתְנִי
Is there noהַ אֵיןbalmצֳרִיin Gilead?בְּגִלְעָדIs there noאִם אֵיןphysicianרֹפֵאthere?שָׁםWhy thenכִּי מַדּוּעַhas the healingאֲרֻכַתof the daughterבַּתof my peopleעַמִּיnotלֹאcome up?עָלְתָה