1 הָעִזוּ ׀ בְּנֵי בִניָמִן מִקֶּרֶב יְרוּשָׁלִַם וּבִתְקֹועַ תִּקְעוּ שֹׁופָר וְעַל־בֵּית הַכֶּרֶם שְׂאוּ מַשְׂאֵת כִּי רָעָה נִשְׁקְפָה מִצָּפֹון וְשֶׁבֶר גָּדֹול | 1 Flee in a body, Benjaminites, right away from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Light the beaconon Beth-ha-Cherem! For disaster lowers from the north, an immense calamity. |
2 הַנָּוָה וְהַמְּעֻנָּגָה דָּמִיתִי בַּת־צִיֹּון | 2 Beautiful, delicate as she is, I shal destroy the daughter of Zion! |
3 אֵלֶיהָ יָבֹאוּ רֹעִים וְעֶדְרֵיהֶם תָּקְעוּ עָלֶיהָ אֹהָלִים סָבִיב רָעוּ אִישׁ אֶת־יָדֹו | 3 Shepherds are advancing on her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents all round her, eachgrazes his part. |
4 קַדְּשׁוּ עָלֶיהָ מִלְחָמָה קוּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶה בַצָּהֳרָיִם אֹוי לָנוּ כִּי־פָנָה הַיֹּום כִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְלֵי־עָרֶב | 4 Prepare for holy war against her! To arms! We shall attack at noon! Disaster for us! The light is fading,the evening shadows lengthen. |
5 קוּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶה בַלָּיְלָה וְנַשְׁחִיתָה אַרְמְנֹותֶיהָ׃ ס | 5 To arms! We shall attack at night and destroy her palaces. |
6 כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות כִּרְתוּ עֵצָה וְשִׁפְכוּ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם סֹלְלָה הִיא הָעִיר הָפְקַד כֻּלָּהּ עֹשֶׁק בְּקִרְבָּהּ | 6 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, 'Cut down trees, throw up an earthwork outside Jerusalem: this is thecity to be punished, with nothing but oppression in her. |
7 כְּהָקִיר [בְּוֵר כ] (בַּיִר ק) מֵימֶיהָ כֵּן הֵקֵרָה רָעָתָהּ חָמָס וָשֹׁד יִשָּׁמַע בָּהּ עַל־פָּנַי תָּמִיד חֳלִי וּמַכָּה | 7 As a wel keeps its water fresh so she keeps her wickedness fresh. Violence and ruin are what you hearin her, wounds and blows always forced on my attention. |
8 הִוָּסְרִי יְרוּשָׁלִַם פֶּן־תֵּקַע נַפְשִׁי מִמֵּךְ פֶּן־אֲשִׂימֵךְ שְׁמָמָה אֶרֶץ לֹוא נֹושָׁבָה׃ פ | 8 Reform, Jerusalem, or I shal turn my attention away from you and reduce you to a desert, a land withoutpeople.' |
9 כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאֹות עֹולֵל יְעֹולְלוּ כַגֶּפֶן שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל הָשֵׁב יָדְךָ כְּבֹוצֵר עַל־סַלְסִלֹּות | 9 Yahweh Sabaoth says this, 'They will glean, glean what is left of Israel like a vine. Like a grape-picker,pass your hand again over the branches!' |
10 עַל־מִי אֲדַבְּרָה וְאָעִידָה וְיִשְׁמָעוּ הִנֵּה עֲרֵלָה אָזְנָם וְלֹא יוּכְלוּ לְהַקְשִׁיב הִנֵּה דְבַר־יְהוָה הָיָה לָהֶם לְחֶרְפָּה לֹא יַחְפְּצוּ־בֹו | 10 To whom should I speak, whom warn, for them to hear? Look, their ears are uncircumcised, theycannot listen. Look, for them Yahweh's word is something to sneer at, they have no taste for it. |
11 וְאֵת חֲמַת יְהוָה ׀ מָלֵאתִי נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל שְׁפֹךְ עַל־עֹולָל בַּחוּץ וְעַל סֹוד בַּחוּרִים יַחְדָּו כִּי־גַם־אִישׁ עִם־אִשָּׁה יִלָּכֵדוּ זָקֵן עִם־מְלֵא יָמִים | 11 So I am full of Yahweh's wrath, I am weary of holding it in. Then pour it on the children in the streets,and on the bands of youths as wel , for husband and wife wil both be taken, the greybeard and the man weigheddown with years. |
12 וְנָסַבּוּ בָתֵּיהֶם לַאֲחֵרִים שָׂדֹות וְנָשִׁים יַחְדָּו כִּי־אַטֶּה אֶת־יָדִי עַל־יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ נְאֻם־יְהוָה | 12 Their houses wil pass to other men, so wil their fields and wives. Yes, I shal stretch my hand overthose living in this country, Yahweh declares. |
13 כִּי מִקְּטַנָּם וְעַד־גְּדֹולָם כֻּלֹּו בֹּוצֵעַ בָּצַע וּמִנָּבִיא וְעַד־כֹּהֵן כֻּלֹּו עֹשֶׂה שָּׁקֶר | 13 For, from the least to greatest, they are al greedy for gain; prophet no less than priest, al of thempractise fraud. |
14 וַיְרַפְּאוּ אֶת־שֶׁבֶר עַמִּי עַל־נְקַלָּה לֵאמֹר שָׁלֹום ׀ שָׁלֹום וְאֵין שָׁלֹום | 14 Without concern they dress my people's wound, saying, 'Peace! Peace!' whereas there is no peace. |
15 הֹבִישׁוּ כִּי תֹועֵבָה עָשׂוּ גַּם־בֹּושׁ לֹא־יֵבֹושׁוּ גַּם־הַכְלִים לֹא יָדָעוּ לָכֵן יִפְּלוּ בַנֹּפְלִים בְּעֵת־פְּקַדְתִּים יִכָּשְׁלוּ אָמַר יְהוָה׃ ס | 15 They should be ashamed of their loathsome deeds. Not they! They feel no shame, they do not evenknow how to blush. And so as others fall, they too wil fal , will be thrown down when I come and punish them,Yahweh says. |
16 כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה עִמְדוּ עַל־דְּרָכִים וּרְאוּ וְשַׁאֲלוּ ׀ לִנְתִבֹות עֹולָם אֵי־זֶה דֶרֶךְ הַטֹּוב וּלְכוּ־בָהּ וּמִצְאוּ מַרְגֹּועַ לְנַפְשְׁכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נֵלֵךְ | 16 Yahweh says this, 'Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths: which was the goodway? Take it and you wil find rest for yourselves. But they have said, "We wil not take it." |
17 וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיכֶם צֹפִים הַקְשִׁיבוּ לְקֹול שֹׁופָר וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נַקְשִׁיב | 17 I posted look-outs on your behalf: Listen to the sound of the trumpet! But they said, "We will not listen." |
18 לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ הַגֹּויִם וּדְעִי עֵדָה אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־בָּם | 18 Then hear, you nations, and know, assembly, what is going to happen to them! |
19 שִׁמְעִי הָאָרֶץ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵבִיא רָעָה אֶל־הָעָם הַזֶּה פְּרִי מַחְשְׁבֹותָם כִּי עַל־דְּבָרַי לֹא הִקְשִׁיבוּ וְתֹורָתִי וַיִּמְאֲסוּ־בָהּ | 19 Listen, earth! Watch, I shal bring disaster on this people: it is the fruit of the way they think, since theyhave not listened to my words nor to my law, but have rejected it. |
20 לָמָּה־זֶּה לִי לְבֹונָה מִשְּׁבָא תָבֹוא וְקָנֶה הַטֹּוב מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָק עֹלֹותֵיכֶם לֹא לְרָצֹון וְזִבְחֵיכֶם לֹא־עָרְבוּ לִי׃ ס | 20 What do I care about incense imported from Sheba, or fragrant cane from a distant country? Your burntofferings are not acceptable, your sacrifices do not please me.' |
21 לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֶל־הָעָם הַזֶּה מִכְשֹׁלִים וְכָשְׁלוּ בָם אָבֹות וּבָנִים יַחְדָּו שָׁכֵן וְרֵעֹו [יֹאבֵדוּ כ] (וְאָבָדוּ׃ ק) פ | 21 And so, Yahweh says this, 'In front of this people I shal now lay obstacles for them to stumble over;father and son alike, neighbour and friend will perish.' |
22 כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנֵּה עַם בָּא מֵאֶרֶץ צָפֹון וְגֹוי גָּדֹול יֵעֹור מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָרֶץ | 22 Yahweh says this, 'Look, a people is coming from the land of the north, from the far ends of the earth agreat nation is rising; |
23 קֶשֶׁת וְכִידֹון יַחֲזִיקוּ אַכְזָרִי הוּא וְלֹא יְרַחֵמוּ קֹולָם כַּיָּם יֶהֱמֶה וְעַל־סוּסִים יִרְכָּבוּ עָרוּךְ כְּאִישׁ לַמִּלְחָמָה עָלַיִךְ בַּת־צִיֹּון | 23 they are armed with bow and spear, they are cruel and pitiless; their noise is like the roaring of the sea;they are riding horses, they are ready to fight against you as one man, against you, daughter of Zion. |
24 שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶת־שָׁמְעֹו רָפוּ יָדֵינוּ צָרָה הֶחֱזִיקַתְנוּ חִיל כַּיֹּולֵדָה | 24 We have heard the news, our hands fal limp, anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman inlabour. |
25 אַל־ [תֵּצְאִי כ] (תֵּצְאוּ ק) הַשָּׂדֶה וּבַדֶּרֶךְ אַל־ [תֵּלֵכִי כ] (תֵּלֵכוּ ק) כִּי חֶרֶב לְאֹיֵב מָגֹור מִסָּבִיב | 25 Do not go out into the countryside, do not venture onto the roads, for the enemy's sword is there, terroron every side. |
26 בַּת־עַמִּי חִגְרִי־שָׂק וְהִתְפַּלְּשִׁי בָאֵפֶר אֵבֶל יָחִיד עֲשִׂי לָךְ מִסְפַּד תַּמְרוּרִים כִּי פִתְאֹם יָבֹא הַשֹּׁדֵד עָלֵינוּ | 26 Put on sackcloth, daughter of my people, rol in ashes; mourn as for an only son, a very bitter dirge. Foron us suddenly the destroyer is coming. |
27 בָּחֹון נְתַתִּיךָ בְעַמִּי מִבְצָר וְתֵדַע וּבָחַנְתָּ אֶת־דַּרְכָּם | 27 'I have appointed you as tester of my people, to learn and to test how they behave. |
28 כֻּלָּם סָרֵי סֹורְרִים הֹלְכֵי רָכִיל נְחֹשֶׁת וּבַרְזֶל כֻּלָּם מַשְׁחִיתִים הֵמָּה | 28 Al of them are total rebels peddlers of slander, hard as bronze and iron, al agents of corruption. |
29 נָחַר מַפֻּחַ [מֵאִשְׁתַּם כ] (מֵאֵשׁ ק) (תַּם ק) עֹפָרֶת לַשָּׁוְא צָרַף צָרֹוף וְרָעִים לֹא נִתָּקוּ | 29 The bel ows blast away to make the fire burn away the lead. In vain the smelter does his work, for thedross is not purged out. |
30 כֶּסֶף נִמְאָס קָרְאוּ לָהֶם כִּי־מָאַס יְהוָה בָּהֶם׃ פ | 30 "Silver-reject", men cal them, and indeed Yahweh has rejected them!' |