
TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 10
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1Hear the word which Hashem has spoken to you, O House of Yisrael!
אשִׁמְעוּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה עֲלֵיכֶם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
2Thus said Hashem: Do not learn to go the way of the nations, And do not be dismayed by portents in the sky; Let the nations be dismayed by them!
בכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֶל־דֶּרֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם אַל־תִּלְמָדוּ וּמֵאֹתוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם אַל־תֵּחָתּוּ כִּי־יֵחַתּוּ הַגּוֹיִם מֵהֵמָּה׃
3For the laws of the nations are delusions: For it is the work of a craftsman's hands. He cuts down a tree in the forest with an ax,
גכִּי־חֻקּוֹת הָעַמִּים הֶבֶל הוּא כִּי־עֵץ מִיַּעַר כְּרָתוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי־חָרָשׁ בַּמַּעֲצָד׃
4He adorns it with silver and gold, He fastens it with nails and hammer, So that it does not totter.
דבְּכֶסֶף וּבְזָהָב יְיַפֵּהוּ בְּמַסְמְרוֹת וּבְמַקָּבוֹת יְחַזְּקוּם וְלוֹא יָפִיק׃
5They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber patch, They cannot speak. They have to be carried, For they cannot walk. Be not afraid of them, for they can do no harm; Nor is it in them to do any good.
הכְּתֹמֶר מִקְשָׁה הֵמָּה וְלֹא יְדַבֵּרוּ נָשׂוֹא יִנָּשׂוּא כִּי לֹא יִצְעָדוּ אַל־תִּירְאוּ מֵהֶם כִּי־לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְגַם־הֵיטֵיב אֵין אוֹתָם׃
6Hashem, there is none like You! You are great and Your name is great in power.
ומֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ יְהֹוָה גָּדוֹל אַתָּה וְגָדוֹל שִׁמְךָ בִּגְבוּרָה׃
7Who would not revere You, O King of the nations? For that is Your due, Since among all the wise of the nations And among all their royalty, There is none like You.
זמִי לֹא יִרָאֲךָ מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם כִּי לְךָ יָאָתָה כִּי בְכָל־חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם וּבְכָל־מַלְכוּתָם מֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ׃
8But they are both dull and foolish; [Their] doctrine is but delusion; It is a piece of wood,
חוּבְאַחַת יִבְעֲרוּ וְיִכְסָלוּ מוּסַר הֲבָלִים עֵץ הוּא׃
9Silver beaten flat, that is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and the goldsmith's hands; Their clothing is blue and purple, All of them are the work of skilled men.
טכֶּסֶף מְרֻקָּע מִתַּרְשִׁישׁ יוּבָא וְזָהָב מֵאוּפָז מַעֲשֵׂה חָרָשׁ וִידֵי צוֹרֵף תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן לְבוּשָׁם מַעֲשֵׂה חֲכָמִים כֻּלָּם׃
10But Hashem is truly God: He is a living God, The everlasting King. At His wrath, the earth quakes, And nations cannot endure His rage.
va-do-NAI e-lo-HEEM e-MET hu e-lo-HEEM kha-YEEM u-ME-lekh o-LAM mi-kitz-PO tir-ASH ha-A-retz v'-lo ya-KHI-lu go-YIM za-MO
יוַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים אֱמֶת הוּא־אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים וּמֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם מִקִּצְפּוֹ תִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא־יָכִלוּ גוֹיִם זַעְמוֹ׃
10:10 But Hashem is truly God

Rabbi David Stavsky (1930-2004)
Hashem has many names in the Bible, each representing a distinct divine attribute. In his book of sermons, I Submit, Rabbi David Stavsky explains the difference between the two divine names mentioned in this verse. Commenting on the words Hashem Hu Ha-Elokim (ה’ הוא האלהים) (I Kings 18:39), ‘But Hashem is truly God,’ Rabbi Stavsky uncovers a deeper lesson behind the use of these two names together. “The word Hashem (Lord) means rachamim, ‘mercy,’ ‘kindness,’ ‘forgiveness.’ The word Elokim (God) means midat hadin, ‘the God of judgement.’ At first, judgment seems harsh, cruel, punishing. But, no, we say they are together ‘Hashem Hu Ha-Elokim.’ In the Elokim, in the judgment, there is, was, and always will be Hashem. He is not just a God of judgment — for in His judgment is compassion and kindness — may we merit to understand it.”
11Thus shall you say to them: Let the gods, who did not make heaven and earth, perish from the earth and from under these heavens.
יאכִּדְנָה תֵּאמְרוּן לְהוֹם אֱלָהַיָּא דִּי־שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְקָא לָא עֲבַדוּ יֵאבַדוּ מֵאַרְעָא וּמִן־תְּחוֹת שְׁמַיָּא אֵלֶּה׃
12He made the earth by His might, Established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding stretched out the skies.
יבעֹשֵׂה אֶרֶץ בְּכֹחוֹ מֵכִין תֵּבֵל בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וּבִתְבוּנָתוֹ נָטָה שָׁמָיִם׃
13When He makes His voice heard, There is a rumbling of water in the skies; He makes vapors rise from the end of the earth, He makes lightning for the rain, And brings forth wind from His treasuries.
יגלְקוֹל תִּתּוֹ הֲמוֹן מַיִם בַּשָּׁמַיִם וַיַּעֲלֶה נְשִׂאִים מִקְצֵה ארץ [הָאָרֶץ] בְּרָקִים לַמָּטָר עָשָׂה וַיּוֹצֵא רוּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָיו׃
14Every man is proved dull, without knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame because of the idol For his molten image is a deceit— There is no breath in them.
ידנִבְעַר כָּל־אָדָם מִדַּעַת הֹבִישׁ כָּל־צוֹרֵף מִפָּסֶל כִּי שֶׁקֶר נִסְכּוֹ וְלֹא־רוּחַ בָּם׃
15They are delusion, a work of mockery; In their hour of doom, they shall perish.
טוהֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתֻּעִים בְּעֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם יֹאבֵדוּ׃
16Not like these is the Portion of Yaakov; For it is He who formed all things, And Yisrael is His very own tribe: LORD of Hosts is His name.
טזלֹא־כְאֵלֶּה חֵלֶק יַעֲקֹב כִּי־יוֹצֵר הַכֹּל הוּא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁבֶט נַחֲלָתוֹ יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ׃
17Gather up your bundle from the ground, You who dwell under siege!
יזאִסְפִּי מֵאֶרֶץ כִּנְעָתֵךְ ישבתי [יֹשֶׁבֶת] בַּמָּצוֹר׃
18For thus said Hashem: I will fling away the inhabitants of the land this time: I will harass them so that they shall feel it.
יחכִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנְנִי קוֹלֵעַ אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת וַהֲצֵרוֹתִי לָהֶם לְמַעַן יִמְצָאוּ׃
19Woe unto me for my hurt, My wound is severe! I thought, “This is but a sickness And I must bear it.”
יטאוֹי לִי עַל־שִׁבְרִי נַחְלָה מַכָּתִי וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אַךְ זֶה חֳלִי וְאֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ׃
20My tents are ravaged, All my tent cords are broken. My children have gone forth from me And are no more; No one is left to stretch out my tent And hang my tent cloths.
כאָהֳלִי שֻׁדָּד וְכָל־מֵיתָרַי נִתָּקוּ בָּנַי יְצָאֻנִי וְאֵינָם אֵין־נֹטֶה עוֹד אָהֳלִי וּמֵקִים יְרִיעוֹתָי׃
21For the shepherds are dull And did not seek Hashem; Therefore they have not prospered And all their flock is scattered.
כאכִּי נִבְעֲרוּ הָרֹעִים וְאֶת־יְהֹוָה לֹא דָרָשׁוּ עַל־כֵּן לֹא הִשְׂכִּילוּ וְכָל־מַרְעִיתָם נָפוֹצָה׃
22Hark, a noise! It is coming, A great commotion out of the north, That the towns of Yehuda may be made a desolation, A haunt of jackals.
כבקוֹל שְׁמוּעָה הִנֵּה בָאָה וְרַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל מֵאֶרֶץ צָפוֹן לָשׂוּם אֶת־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה שְׁמָמָה מְעוֹן תַּנִּים׃
23I know, Hashem, that man's road is not his [to choose], That man, as he walks, cannot direct his own steps.
כגיָדַעְתִּי יְהֹוָה כִּי לֹא לָאָדָם דַּרְכּוֹ לֹא־לְאִישׁ הֹלֵךְ וְהָכִין אֶת־צַעֲדוֹ׃
24Chastise me, Hashem, but in measure; Not in Your wrath, lest You reduce me to naught.
כדיַסְּרֵנִי יְהֹוָה אַךְ־בְּמִשְׁפָּט אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ פֶּן־תַּמְעִטֵנִי׃
25Pour out Your wrath on the nations who have not heeded You, Upon the clans that have not invoked Your name. For they have devoured Yaakov, Have devoured and consumed him, And have laid desolate his homesteads.
sh'-FOKH kha-ma-t'-KHA al ha-go-YIM a-SHER lo y'-da-U-kha v'-AL mish-pa-KHOT a-SHER b'-shim-KHA LO ka-RA-u kee a-kh'-LU et ya-a-KOV va-a-kha-LU-hu vai-kha-LU-hu v'-et na-VAY-hu hay-SHA-mu
כהשְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ עַל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יְדָעוּךָ וְעַל מִשְׁפָּחוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּשִׁמְךָ לֹא קָרָאוּ כִּי־אָכְלוּ אֶת־יַעֲקֹב וַאֲכָלֻהוּ וַיְכַלֻּהוּ וְאֶת־נָוֵהוּ הֵשַׁמּוּ׃
10:25 Pour out Your wrath on the nations who have not heeded You
In chapter 10, Yirmiyahu mocks the futility of idolatry, and describes how the northern country, Babylonia, would turn the land of Yehuda into a desolate place that would be home for jackals. He concludes, however, with a plea for justice. If Israel is to be destroyed, then other nations who engaged in evil and violence should also be punished. Their attacks on Israel were motivated by hatred and vindictiveness, and they too should face Hashem’s anger. This verse is recited on Pesach night during the Seder meal, when Jews remember the deliverance from Egypt and pray for the final redemption.