Oh thatמִי יִתֵּןmy headרֹאשִׁיwere waterמַיִםand my eyesוְעֵינִיa fountainמְקוֹרof tears,דִּמְעָהthat I might weepוְאֶבְכֶּהdayיוֹמָםand nightוָלַיְלָהfor the slainאֵת חַלְלֵיof the daughterבַתof my people!עַמִּי
Oh thatמִיI hadיִתְּנֵנִיin the wildernessבַמִּדְבָּרa lodging placeמְלוֹןfor travelers,אֹרְחִיםthat I might leaveוְאֶעֶזְבָהmy peopleאֶת עַמִּיand go awayוְאֵלְכָהfrom them!מֵאִתָּםForכִּיthey are allכֻלָּםadulterers,מְנָאֲפִיםan assemblyעֲצֶרֶתof traitors.בֹּגְדִים
And they bendוַיַּדְרְכוּtheir tongue,אֶת לְשׁוֹנָםtheir bow,קַשְׁתָּםfor falsehood;שֶׁקֶרand notוְלֹאfor faithfulnessלֶאֱמוּנָהhave they grown strongגָּבְרוּin the land;בָאָרֶץforכִּיfrom evilמֵרָעָהto evilאֶל רָעָהthey go on,יָצָאוּand meוְאֹתִיthey do notלֹאknow,יָדָעוּdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָה
Beware,הִשָּׁמֵרוּeachאִישׁof his neighbor,מֵרֵעֵהוּand inוְעַלnoכָּל אַלbrotherאָחput your trust;תִּבְטָחוּforכִּיeveryכָלbrotherאָחutterly supplants,עָקוֹב יַעְקֹבand everyוְכָלneighborרֵעַgoes about slandering.רָכִיל יַהֲלֹךְ
And eachוְאִישׁdeceivesיְהָתֵלּוּhis neighbor,בְּרֵעֵהוּand truthוֶאֱמֶתthey do notלֹאspeak;יְדַבֵּרוּthey have taughtלִמְּדוּtheir tongueלְשׁוֹנָםto speakדַּבֶּרfalsehood;שֶׁקֶרthey weary themselvesנִלְאוּcommitting iniquity.הַעֲוֵה
Your dwellingשִׁבְתְּךָis in the midstבְּתוֹךְof deceit;מִרְמָהthrough deceitבְּמִרְמָהthey refuseמֵאֲנוּto know me,דַעַת אוֹתִיdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָה
ThereforeלָכֵןthusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWHיְהוָהTsevaot:צְבָאוֹת“Look, Iהִנְנִיwill refine themצוֹרְפָםand assay them,וּבְחַנְתִּיםforכִּיhow elseאֵיךְcan I actאֶעֱשֶׂהbecause ofמִפְּנֵיthe daughterבַּתof my people?עַמִּי
A deadlyשָׁחוּטarrowחֵץis their tongue;לְשׁוֹנָםit speaksדִבֵּרdeceit;מִרְמָהwith his mouthבְּפִיוone speaksיְדַבֵּרpeaceשָׁלוֹםto his neighbor,אֶת רֵעֵהוּbut within himוּבְקִרְבּוֹhe setsיָשִׂיםhis ambush.אָרְבּוֹ
Shall I notהַ לֹאpunish themאֶפְקָד בָּםfor these things?עַל אֵלֶּהdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָהOn a nationאִם בְּגוֹיsuch as thisאֲשֶׁר כָּזֶהshall my soulנַפְשִׁיnotלֹאavenge itself?תִתְנַקֵּם
For the mountainsעַל הֶהָרִיםI will take upאֶשָּׂאweepingבְכִיand wailing,וָנֶהִיand forוְעַלthe pasturesנְאוֹתof the wildernessמִדְבָּרa lament,קִינָהforכִּיthey are burned,נִצְּתוּwith noמִבְּלִיmanאִישׁpassing through,עֹבֵרand the soundקוֹלof cattleמִקְנֶהis notוְלֹאheard;שָׁמְעוּfrom the birdsמֵעוֹףof the heavensהַשָּׁמַיִםtoוְעַדthe beasts,בְּהֵמָהthey have fled,נָדְדוּthey are gone.הָלָכוּ
And I will makeוְנָתַתִּיJerusalemאֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַםheaps,לְגַלִּיםa lairמְעוֹןof jackals,תַּנִּיםand the citiesוְאֶת עָרֵיof JudahיְהוּדָהI will makeאֶתֵּןa desolation,שְׁמָמָהwithoutמִבְּלִיinhabitant.”יוֹשֵׁב
Who isמִיthe manהָאִישׁwise enoughהֶחָכָםto understandוְיָבֵןthis?אֶת זֹאתAnd to whomוַאֲשֶׁר אֵלָיוhas the mouthפִּיof YHWHיְהוָהspoken,דִּבֶּרthat he may declare it?וְיַגִּדָהּWhyעַל מָהhas the landהָאָרֶץperished,אָבְדָהburnedנִצְּתָהlike the wilderness,כַמִּדְבָּרwith noמִבְּלִיone passing through?עֹבֵר
And YHWHיְהוָהsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Becauseעַלthey have forsakenעָזְבָםmy instructionאֶת תּוֹרָתִיthatאֲשֶׁרI setנָתַתִּיbefore them,לִפְנֵיהֶםand have notוְלֹאlistenedשָׁמְעוּto my voiceבְקוֹלִיorוְלֹאwalkedהָלְכוּin it,בָהּ
but have walkedוַיֵּלְכוּafterאַחֲרֵיthe stubbornnessשְׁרִרוּתof their heartלִבָּםand afterוְאַחֲרֵיthe Baals,הַבְּעָלִיםasאֲשֶׁרtheir fathersאֲבוֹתָםtaught them,לִמְּדוּם
thereforeלָכֵןthusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWHיְהוָהTsevaot,צְבָאוֹתthe Elohimאֱלֹהֵיof Israel:יִשְׂרָאֵלLook, Iהִנְנִיwill feedמַאֲכִילָםthis peopleאֶת הָעָם הַזֶּהwormwood,לַעֲנָהand give them to drinkוְהִשְׁקִיתִיםwaterמֵיof poison.רֹאשׁ
And I will scatter themוַהֲפִצוֹתִיםamong the nationsבַּגּוֹיִםthatאֲשֶׁרneither theyהֵמָּהnor their fathersוַאֲבוֹתָםhaveלֹאknown,יָדְעוּand I will sendוְשִׁלַּחְתִּיthe swordאֶת הַחֶרֶבafter themאַחֲרֵיהֶםuntil I have consumed them.”עַד כַּלּוֹתִי אוֹתָם
ThusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWHיְהוָהTsevaot:צְבָאוֹת“Consider,הִתְבּוֹנְנוּand callוְקִרְאוּfor the mourning womenלַמְקוֹנְנוֹתto come,וּתְבוֹאֶינָהand sendשִׁלְחוּfor the wise womenוְאֶל הַחֲכָמוֹתto come;וְתָבוֹאנָה
and let them hurryוּתְמַהֵרְנָהand raiseוְתִשֶּׂנָהover usעָלֵינוּa wailing,נֶהִיthat our eyesעֵינֵינוּmay run downוְתֵרַדְנָהwith tearsדִּמְעָהand our eyelidsוְעַפְעַפֵּינוּflowיִזְּלוּwith water.מָיִם
Forכִּיa soundקוֹלof wailingנְהִיis heardנִשְׁמַעfrom Zion:מִצִּיּוֹן‘Howאֵיךְwe are devastated!שֻׁדָּדְנוּWe are greatlyמְאֹדashamed,בֹּשְׁנוּforכִּיwe have leftעָזַבְנוּthe land,אָרֶץforכִּיthey have cast downהִשְׁלִיכוּour dwellings.’”מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֵינוּ
Nowכִּיhear,שְׁמַעְנָהwomen,נָשִׁיםthe wordדְּבַרof YHWH,יְהוָהand let your earוְ אָזְנְכֶםreceiveתִקַּחthe wordדְּבַרof his mouth;פִּיוand teachוְלַמֵּדְנָהyour daughtersבְנוֹתֵיכֶםa wailing,נֶהִיand each womanוְאִשָּׁהher companionרְעוּתָהּa lament.קִינָה
Forכִּיdeathמָוֶתhas come upעָלָהthrough our windows;בְּחַלּוֹנֵינוּit has enteredבָּאour palaces,בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵינוּto cut offלְהַכְרִיתthe childעוֹלָלfrom the street,מִחוּץthe young menבַּחוּרִיםfrom the squares.מֵרְחֹבוֹת
Speak:דַּבֵּר“ThusכֹּהdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH:יְהוָה‘The corpsesנִבְלַתof human beingsהָאָדָםwill fallוְנָפְלָהlike dungכְּדֹמֶןon the faceעַל פְּנֵיof the field,הַשָּׂדֶהand like a sheafוּכְעָמִירbehind the reaper,מֵאַחֲרֵי הַקֹּצֵרwith no oneוְאֵיןto gather them.’”מְאַסֵּף
ThusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWH:יְהוָה“Let notאַלthe wise manחָכָםboastיִתְהַלֵּלin his wisdom,בְּחָכְמָתוֹand let notוְאַלthe mighty manהַגִּבּוֹרboastיִתְהַלֵּלin his might;בִּגְבוּרָתוֹlet notאַלthe rich manעָשִׁירboastיִתְהַלֵּלin his riches;בְּעָשְׁרוֹ
butכִּי אִםin thisבְּזֹאתlet the one who boastsהַמִּתְהַלֵּלboast:יִתְהַלֵּלin having understandingהַשְׂכֵּלand knowing me,וְיָדֹעַ אוֹתִיthatכִּיI amאֲנִיYHWH,יְהוָהwho practicesעֹשֶׂהloyal love,חֶסֶדjustice,מִשְׁפָּטand righteousnessוּצְדָקָהin the earth;בָּאָרֶץforכִּיin these thingsבְאֵלֶּהI delight,חָפַצְתִּיdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָה
Look,הִנֵּהdaysיָמִיםare coming,בָּאִיםdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH,יְהוָהwhen I will punishוּפָקַדְתִּי עַלallכָּלwho are circumcisedמוּלin the foreskin:בְּעָרְלָה
Egyptעַל מִצְרַיִםand Judahוְעַל יְהוּדָהand Edomוְעַל אֱדוֹםand the sonsוְעַל בְּנֵיof Ammonעַמּוֹןand Moabוְעַל מוֹאָבand allוְעַל כָּלwho are clippedקְצוּצֵיat the temples,פֵאָהwho liveהַיֹּשְׁבִיםin the wilderness;בַּמִּדְבָּרforכִּיallכָלthe nationsהַגּוֹיִםare uncircumcised,עֲרֵלִיםand allוְכָלthe houseבֵּיתof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלare uncircumcisedעַרְלֵיin heart.”לֵב