Chapter 8

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1At that time—declares Hashem—the bones of the kings of Yehuda, of its officers, of the Kohanim, of the Neviim, and of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim shall be taken out of their graves

אבָּעֵת הַהִיא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה ויציאו [יוֹצִיאוּ] אֶת־עַצְמוֹת מַלְכֵי־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־עַצְמוֹת־שָׂרָיו וְאֶת־עַצְמוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֵת עַצְמוֹת הַנְּבִיאִים וְאֵת עַצְמוֹת יוֹשְׁבֵי־יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם מִקִּבְרֵיהֶם׃

2and exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven which they loved and served and followed, to which they turned and bowed down. They shall not be gathered for reburial; they shall become dung upon the face of the earth.

בוּשְׁטָחוּם לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵחַ וּלְכֹל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם אֲשֶׁר אֲהֵבוּם וַאֲשֶׁר עֲבָדוּם וַאֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַאֲשֶׁר דְּרָשׁוּם וַאֲשֶׁר הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם לֹא יֵאָסְפוּ וְלֹא יִקָּבֵרוּ לְדֹמֶן עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה יִהְיוּ׃

3And death shall be preferable to life for all that are left of this wicked folk, in all the other places to which I shall banish them—declares the lord of Hosts.

גוְנִבְחַר מָוֶת מֵחַיִּים לְכֹל הַשְּׁאֵרִית הַנִּשְׁאָרִים מִן־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת בְּכָל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת הַנִּשְׁאָרִים אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּים שָׁם נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃

4Say to them: Thus said Hashem: When men fall, do they not get up again? If they turn aside, do they not turn back?

דוְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הֲיִפְּלוּ וְלֹא יָקוּמוּ אִם־יָשׁוּב וְלֹא יָשׁוּב׃

5Why is this people—Yerushalayim—rebellious With a persistent rebellion? They cling to deceit, They refuse to return.

המַדּוּעַ שׁוֹבְבָה הָעָם הַזֶּה יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם מְשֻׁבָה נִצַּחַת הֶחֱזִיקוּ בַּתַּרְמִית מֵאֲנוּ לָשׁוּב׃

6I have listened and heard: They do not speak honestly. No one regrets his wickedness And says, “What have I done!” They all persist in their wayward course Like a steed dashing forward in the fray.

והִקְשַׁבְתִּי וָאֶשְׁמָע לוֹא־כֵן יְדַבֵּרוּ אֵין אִישׁ נִחָם עַל־רָעָתוֹ לֵאמֹר מֶה עָשִׂיתִי כֻּלֹּה שָׁב במרצותם [בִּמְרוּצָתָם] כְּסוּס שׁוֹטֵף בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃

7Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons, And the turtledove, swift, and crane Keep the time of their coming; But My people pay no heed To the law of Hashem.

זגַּם־חֲסִידָה בַשָּׁמַיִם יָדְעָה מוֹעֲדֶיהָ וְתֹר וסוס [וְסִיס] וְעָגוּר שָׁמְרוּ אֶת־עֵת בֹּאָנָה וְעַמִּי לֹא יָדְעוּ אֵת מִשְׁפַּט יְהֹוָה׃

8How can you say, “We are wise, And we possess the Instruction of Hashem”? Assuredly, for naught has the pen labored, For naught the scribes!

חאֵיכָה תֹאמְרוּ חֲכָמִים אֲנַחְנוּ וְתוֹרַת יְהֹוָה אִתָּנוּ אָכֵן הִנֵּה לַשֶּׁקֶר עָשָׂה עֵט שֶׁקֶר סֹפְרִים׃

9The wise shall be put to shame, Shall be dismayed and caught; See, they reject the word of Hashem, So their wisdom amounts to nothing.

טהֹבִישׁוּ חֲכָמִים חַתּוּ וַיִּלָּכֵדוּ הִנֵּה בִדְבַר־יְהֹוָה מָאָסוּ וְחָכְמַת־מֶה לָהֶם׃

10Assuredly, I will give their wives to others, And their fields to dispossessors; For from the smallest to the greatest, They are all greedy for gain; Kohen and Navi alike, They all act falsely.

ילָכֵן אֶתֵּן אֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶם לַאֲחֵרִים שְׂדוֹתֵיהֶם לְיוֹרְשִׁים כִּי מִקָּטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל כֻּלֹּה בֹּצֵעַ בָּצַע מִנָּבִיא וְעַד־כֹּהֵן כֻּלֹּה עֹשֶׂה שָּׁקֶר׃

11They offer healing offhand For the wounds of My poor people, Saying, “All is well, all is well,” When nothing is well.

יאוַיְרַפּוּ אֶת־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי עַל־נְקַלָּה לֵאמֹר שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם וְאֵין שָׁלוֹם׃

12They have acted shamefully; They have done abhorrent things— Yet they do not feel shame, They cannot be made to blush. Assuredly, they shall fall among the falling, They shall stumble at the time of their doom —said Hashem.

יבהֹבִשׁוּ כִּי תוֹעֵבָה עָשׂוּ גַּם־בּוֹשׁ לֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ וְהִכָּלֵם לֹא יָדָעוּ לָכֵן יִפְּלוּ בַנֹּפְלִים בְּעֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם יִכָּשְׁלוּ אָמַר יְהֹוָה׃

13I will make an end of them —declares Hashem: No grapes left on the vine, No figs on the fig tree, The leaves all withered; Whatever I have given them is gone.

יגאָסֹף אֲסִיפֵם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אֵין עֲנָבִים בַּגֶּפֶן וְאֵין תְּאֵנִים בַּתְּאֵנָה וְהֶעָלֶה נָבֵל וָאֶתֵּן לָהֶם יַעַבְרוּם׃

14Why are we sitting by? Let us gather into the fortified cities And meet our doom there. For Hashem our God has doomed us, He has made us drink a bitter draft, Because we sinned against Hashem.

ידעַל־מָה אֲנַחְנוּ יֹשְׁבִים הֵאָסְפוּ וְנָבוֹא אֶל־עָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁם כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ הֲדִמָּנוּ וַיַּשְׁקֵנוּ מֵי־רֹאשׁ כִּי חָטָאנוּ לַיהֹוָה׃

15We hoped for good fortune, but no happiness came; For a time of relief—instead there is terror!

טוקַוֵּה לְשָׁלוֹם וְאֵין טוֹב לְעֵת מַרְפֵּה וְהִנֵּה בְעָתָה׃

16The snorting of their horses was heard from Dan; At the loud neighing of their steeds The whole land quaked. They came and devoured the land and what was in it, The towns and those who dwelt in them.

טזמִדָּן נִשְׁמַע נַחְרַת סוּסָיו מִקּוֹל מִצְהֲלוֹת אַבִּירָיו רָעֲשָׁה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ וַיָּבוֹאוּ וַיֹּאכְלוּ אֶרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ עִיר וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ׃

17Lo, I will send serpents against you, Adders that cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you —declares Hashem.

יזכִּי הִנְנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ בָּכֶם נְחָשִׁים צִפְעֹנִים אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהֶם לָחַשׁ וְנִשְּׁכוּ אֶתְכֶם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

18When in grief I would seek comfort, My heart is sick within me.

יחמַבְלִיגִיתִי עֲלֵי יָגוֹן עָלַי לִבִּי דַוָּי׃

19“Is not Hashem in Tzion? Is not her King within her? Why then did they anger Me with their images, With alien futilities?” Hark! The outcry of my poor people From the land far and wide:

יטהִנֵּה־קוֹל שַׁוְעַת בַּת־עַמִּי מֵאֶרֶץ מַרְחַקִּים הַיהֹוָה אֵין בְּצִיּוֹן אִם־מַלְכָּהּ אֵין בָּהּ מַדּוּעַ הִכְעִסוּנִי בִּפְסִלֵיהֶם בְּהַבְלֵי נֵכָר׃

20“Harvest is past, Summer is gone, But we have not been saved.”

כעָבַר קָצִיר כָּלָה קָיִץ וַאֲנַחְנוּ לוֹא נוֹשָׁעְנוּ׃

21Because my people is shattered I am shattered; I am dejected, seized by desolation.

כאעַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי הָשְׁבָּרְתִּי קָדַרְתִּי שַׁמָּה הֶחֱזִקָתְנִי׃

22Is there no balm in Gilad? Can no physician be found? Why has healing not yet Come to my poor people?

ha-tzo-REE AYN b'-gil-AD im ro-FAY AYN SHAM KEE ma-DU-a LO a-l'-TAH a-ru-KHAT bat a-MEE

כבהַצֳרִי אֵין בְּגִלְעָד אִם־רֹפֵא אֵין שָׁם כִּי מַדּוּעַ לֹא עָלְתָה אֲרֻכַת בַּת־עַמִּי׃

8:22 Is there no balm in Gilad

Yirmiyahu laments the people’s suffering. Despite condemning their immorality, impudence and hypocrisy, he nevertheless identifies with their pain. Wistfully, he calls out, “Is there no balm in Gilad?” Gilad is located on the plains of Jordan, across the river from Yerushalayim, and was famous for its medicines. The commentators understand this balm as a metaphor — righteousness and good deeds could have healed the people, but they were too distant.

23Oh, that my head were water, My eyes a fount of tears! Then would I weep day and night For the slain of my poor people.

כגמִי־יִתֵּן רֹאשִׁי מַיִם וְעֵינִי מְקוֹר דִּמְעָה וְאֶבְכֶּה יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה אֵת חַלְלֵי בַת־עַמִּי׃