Jeremiah 18

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

1 ٱلْكَلَامُ ٱلَّذِي صَارَ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا مِنْ قِبَلِ ٱلرَّبِّ قَائِلًا:

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

2 «قُمِ ٱنْزِلْ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ وَهُنَاكَ أُسْمِعُكَ كَلَامِي».

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

3 فَنَزَلْتُ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ، وَإِذَا هُوَ يَصْنَعُ عَمَلًا عَلَى ٱلدُّولَابِ.

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 فَفَسَدَ ٱلْوِعَاءُ ٱلَّذِي كَانَ يَصْنَعُهُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ بِيَدِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ، فَعَادَ وَعَمِلَهُ وِعَاءً آخَرَ كَمَا حَسُنَ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ أَنْ يَصْنَعَهُ.

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

5 فَصَارَ إِلَيَّ كَلَامُ ٱلرَّبِّ قَائِلًا:

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 «أَمَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ بِكُمْ كَهَذَا ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ يَا بَيْتَ إِسْرَائِيلَ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ؟ هُوَذَا كَٱلطِّينِ بِيَدِ ٱلْفَخَّارِيِّ أَنْتُمْ هَكَذَا بِيَدِي يَا بَيْتَ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

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

7 تَارَةً أَتَكَلَّمُ عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَعَلَى مَمْلَكَةٍ بِٱلْقَلْعِ وَٱلْهَدْمِ وَٱلْإِهْلَاكِ،

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

8 فَتَرْجِعُ تِلْكَ ٱلْأُمَّةُ ٱلَّتِي تَكَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهَا عَنْ شَرِّهَا، فَأَنْدَمُ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ ٱلَّذِي قَصَدْتُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَهُ بِهَا.

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

9 وَتَارَةً أَتَكَلَّمُ عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَعَلَى مَمْلَكَةٍ بِٱلْبِنَاءِ وَٱلْغَرْسِ،

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 فَتَفْعَلُ ٱلشَّرَّ فِي عَيْنَيَّ، فَلَا تَسْمَعُ لِصَوْتِي، فَأَنْدَمُ عَنِ ٱلْخَيْرِ ٱلَّذِي قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُحْسِنُ إِلَيْهَا بِهِ.

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 «فَٱلْآنَ كَلِّمْ رِجَالَ يَهُوذَا وَسُكَّانَ أُورُشَلِيمَ قَائِلًا: هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: هَأَنَذَا مُصْدِرٌ عَلَيْكُمْ شَرًّا، وَقَاصِدٌ عَلَيْكُمْ قَصْدًا. فَٱرْجِعُوا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِ ٱلرَّدِيءِ، وَأَصْلِحُوا طُرُقَكُمْ 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 فَقَالُوا: «بَاطِلٌ! لِأَنَّنَا نَسْعَى وَرَاءَ أَفْكَارِنَا، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ يَعْمَلُ حَسَبَ عِنَادِ قَلْبِهِ ٱلرَّدِيءِ».

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 قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: «ٱسْأَلُوا بَيْنَ ٱلْأُمَمِ. مَنْ سَمِعَ كَهَذِهِ؟ مَا يُقْشَعَرُّ مِنْهُ جِدًّا عَمِلَتْ عَذْرَاءُ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

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 يَخْلُو صَخْرُ حَقْلِي مِنْ ثَلْجِ لُبْنَانَ؟ أَوْ هَلْ تَنْشَفُ ٱلْمِيَاهُ ٱلْمُنْفَجِرَةُ ٱلْبَارِدَةُ ٱلْجَارِيَةُ؟

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 لِأَنَّ شَعْبِي قَدْ نَسِيَني! بَخَّرُوا لِلْبَاطِلِ، وَقَدْ أَعْثَرُوهُمْ فِي طُرُقِهِمْ، فِي ٱلسُّبُلِ ٱلْقَدِيمَةِ لِيَسْلُكُوا فِي شُعَبٍ، فِي طَرِيقٍ غَيْرِ مُسَهَّلٍ،

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 لِتُجْعَلْ أَرْضُهُمْ خَرَابًا وَصَفِيرًا أَبَدِيًّا. كُلُّ مَارٍّ فِيهَا يَدْهَشُ وَيَنْغِضُ 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 كَرِيحٍ شَرْقِيَّةٍ أُبَدِّدُهُمْ أَمَامَ ٱلْعَدُوِّ. أُرِيهِمِ ٱلْقَفَا لَا ٱلْوَجْهَ فِي يَوْمِ مُصِيبَتِهِمْ».

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 فَقَالُوا: «هَلُمَّ فَنُفَكِّرُ عَلَى إِرْمِيَا أَفْكَارًا، لِأَنَّ ٱلشَّرِيعَةَ لَا تَبِيدُ عَنِ ٱلْكَاهِنِ، وَلَا ٱلْمَشُورَةَ عَنِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ، وَلَا ٱلْكَلِمَةَ عَنِ ٱلنَّبِيِّ. هَلُمَّ فَنَضْرِبُهُ بِٱللِّسَانِ وَلِكُلِّ كَلَامِهِ لَا نُصْغِي».

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

19 أَصْغِ لِي يَارَبُّ، وَٱسْمَعْ صَوْتَ أَخْصَامِي.

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؟ لِأَنَّهُمْ حَفَرُوا حُفْرَةً لِنَفْسِي. ٱذْكُرْ وُقُوفِي أَمَامَكَ لِأَتَكَلَّمَ عَنْهُمْ بِٱلْخَيْرِ لِأَرُدَّ 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 سَلِّمْ بَنِيهِمْ لِلْجُوعِ، وَٱدْفَعْهُمْ لِيَدِ ٱلسَّيْفِ، فَتَصِيرَ نِسَاؤُهُمْ ثَكَالَى وَأَرَامِلَ، وَتَصِيرَ رِجَالُهُمْ قَتْلَى ٱلْمَوْتِ، وَشُبَّانُهُمْ مَضْرُوبِي ٱلسَّيْفِ فِي ٱلْحَرْبِ.

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 لِيُسْمَعْ صِيَاحٌ مِنْ بُيُوتِهِمْ إِذْ تَجْلِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ جَيْشًا بَغْتَةً. لِأَنَّهُمْ حَفَرُوا حُفْرَةً لِيُمْسِكُونِي، وَطَمَرُوا فِخَاخًا 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 وَأَنْتَ يَارَبُّ عَرَفْتَ كُلَّ مَشُورَتِهِمْ عَلَيَّ لِلْمَوْتِ. لَا تَصْفَحْ عَنْ إِثْمِهِمْ، وَلَا تَمْحُ خَطِيَّتَهُمْ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ، بَلْ لِيَكُونُوا مُتَعَثِّرِينَ أَمَامَكَ. فِي وَقْتِ غَضَبِكَ عَامِلْهُمْ.