Jeremiah 18

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

1 هَذَا مَا أَوْحَى الرَّبُّ بِهِ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا قَائِلاً:

2 “Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will give you My message.”

2 «قُمْ وَامْضِ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْفَخَّارِيِّ، وَهُنَاكَ أُسْمِعُكَ كَلامِي».

3 So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.

3 فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْفَخَّارِيِّ، فَإِذَا بِهِ يَعْمَلُ عَلَى دُولابِهِ.

4 But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do.

4 غَيْرَ أَنَّ الإِنَاءَ الَّذِي كَانَ يَصْنَعُهُ فَسَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَعَادَ يُشَكِّلُهُ إِنَاءً آخَرَ كَمَا طَابَ لِلْفَخَّارِيِّ أَنْ يَصُوغَهُ.

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5 عِنْدَئِذٍ قَالَ لِيَ الرَّبُّ:

6 “O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

6 «يَا ذُرِّيَّةَ إِسْرَائِيلَ: أَلا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ بِكُمْ كَمَا صَنَعَ الْفَخَّارِيُّ؟ إِنَّكُمْ فِي يَدِي كَالطِّينِ فِي يَدِ الْفَخَّارِيِّ.

7 At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

7 تَارَةً أَقْضِي عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَعَلَى مَمْلَكَةٍ بِالاسْتِئْصَالِ وَالْهَدْمِ وَالدَّمَارِ،

8 But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.

8 فَتَرْتَدُّ تِلْكَ الأُمَّةُ الَّتِي قَضَيْتُ عَلَيْهَا بِالْعِقَابِ عَنْ شَرِّهَا، فَأَكُفُّ عَنِ الشَّرِّ الَّذِي نَوَيْتُ مُعَاقَبَتَهَا بِهِ.

9 And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,

9 وَتَارَةً أَقْضِي بِمُكَافَأَةِ أُمَّةٍ أَوْ مَمْلَكَةٍ بِبِنَاءِ قُوَّتِهَا وَإِنْمَائِهَا.

10 and if it does evil in My sight and does not listen to My voice, then I will relent of the good I had intended for it.

10 ثُمَّ لَا تَلْبَثُ أَنْ تَرْتَكِبَ الشَّرَّ أَمَامِي وَلا تَسْمَعُ لِصَوْتِي، فَأَكُفُّ عَنِ الْخَيْرِ الَّذِي نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أُنْعِمَ بِهِ عَلَيْهَا.

11 Now therefore, tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am planning a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, and correct your ways and deeds.’

11 لِذَلِكَ قُلْ لِرِجَالِ يَهُوذَا وَأَهْلِ أُورُشَلِيمَ، هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ: هَا أَنَا أُدَبِّرُ لَكُمْ شَرّاً، وأُعِدُّ لَكُمْ مُؤَامَرَةً، فَلْيَرْجِعْ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِ الشِّرِّيرِ وَقَوِّمُوا سُبُلَكُمْ وَأَعْمَالَكُمْ.

12 But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”

12 وَلَكِنَّهُمْ يُجِيبُونَ: لَا جَدْوَى مِنْ هَذَا، بَلْ نَسْعَى وَرَاءَ أَهْوَاءِ أَفْكَارِنَا، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَّا يَفْعَلُ مَا يَرُوقُ لِعِنَادِ قَلْبِهِ الأَثِيمِ».

13 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing.

13 لِذَلِكَ هَكَذَا يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: «اسْأَلُوا بَيْنَ الشُّعُوبِ مَنْ سَمِعَ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا؟ قَدِ ارْتَكَبَتِ الْعَذْرَاءُ إِسْرَائِيلُ أَمْراً شَدِيدَ الْهَوْلِ.

14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave its rocky slopes? Or do its cool waters flowing from a distance ever run dry?

14 هَلْ يَخْتَفِي ثَلْجُ لُبْنَانَ عَنْ مُنْحَدَرَاتِ جِبَالِهِ الصَّخْرِيَّةِ؟ وَهَلْ تَتَوَقَّفُ مِيَاهُهُ الْبَارِدَةُ الْمُنْحَدِرَةُ مِنْ يَنَابِيعَ بَعِيدَةٍ عَنِ التَّدَفُّقِ؟

15 Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.

15 لَكِنَّ شَعْبِي قَدْ نَسِيَنِي وَأَحْرَقَ بَخُوراً لأَوْثَانٍ بَاطِلَةٍ، جَعَلَتْهُ يَتَعَثَّرُ فِي طُرُقِهِ، فِي السُّبُلِ الْقَدِيمَةِ، فَسَلَكَ فِي مَمَرَّاتٍ وَطُرُقٍ غَيْرِ مُعَبَّدَةٍ.

16 They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.

16 فَتُصْبِحُ أَرْضُهُ خَرَاباً، مَثَارَ صَفِيرِ دَهْشَةٍ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ يَعْبُرُ بِها يَعْتَرِيهِ رُعْبٌ وَيَهُزُّ رَأْسَهُ.

17 I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

17 فَأُشَتِّتُهُمْ أَمَامَ أَعْدَائِهِمْ كَرِيحٍ شَرْقِيَّةٍ، وَلا أَلْتَفِتُ إِلَيْهِمْ بَلْ أُدِيرُ لَهُمُ القَفَا فِي يَوْمِ مِحْنَتِهِمْ».

18 Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

18 ثُمَّ قَالُوا: «تَعَالَوْا نَتَآمَرُ عَلَى إرْمِيَا، لأَنَّ الشَّرِيعَةَ لَا تَبِيدُ عَنِ الْكَاهِنِ، وَلا الْمَشُورَةَ عَنِ الْحَكِيمِ، وَلا الوَحْيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ. تَعَالَوْا نَلْذَعُهُ بِوَخْزَاتِ اللِّسَانِ وَنَصُمُّ آذَانَنَا عَنْ كَلامِهِ».

19 Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying!

19 أَصْغِ لِي يَا رَبُّ، وَاسْتَمِعْ إِلَى اتِّهَامَاتِ خُصُومِي.

20 Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.

20 هَلْ يُجَازَى عَنْ خَيْرٍ بِشَرٍّ؟ قَدْ نَقَرُوا حُفْرَةً لِنَفْسِي. اذْكُرْ كَيْفَ وَقَفْتُ أَمَامَكَ أُثْنِي عَلَيْهِمْ خَيْراً لأَصْرِفَ غَضَبَكَ عَنْهُمْ.

21 Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

21 لِذَلِكَ أَسْلِمْ بَنِيهِمْ لأَنْيَابِ الْجُوعِ، وَاعْهَدْ بِهِمْ إِلَى قَبْضَةِ السَّيْفِ فَتُصْبِحَ نِسَاؤُهُمْ ثَكَالَى وَأَرَامِلَ، وَلْيَمُتْ رِجَالُهُمْ، وَلْيَلْقَ شُبَّانُهُمْ حَتْفَهُمْ فِي الْمَعَارِكِ بِحَدِّ السَّيْفِ.

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.

22 لِيَتَرَدَّدْ صُرَاخٌ فِي بُيُوتِهِمْ عِنْدَمَا تُرْسِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ جَيْشَ الْغُزَاةِ بَغْتَةً، لأَنَّهُمْ حَفَرُوا هُوَّةً لِيَقْتَنِصُونِي، وَنَصَبُوا فِخَاخاً لِرِجْلَيَّ.

23 But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.

23 أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا رَبُّ فَقَدْ عَرَفْتَ جَمِيعَ مَا تَآمَرُوا بِهِ عَلَيَّ، فَلا تَصْفَحْ عَنْ إِثْمِهِمْ، وَلا تَمْحُ خَطِيئَتَهُمْ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ، بَلْ لِيَعْثُرُوا مُنْطَرِحِينَ فِي حَضْرَتِكَ، وَعَاقِبْهُمْ فِي أَوَانِ غَضَبِكَ.