Chapter 9

1Oh, to be in the desert, At an encampment for wayfarers! Oh, to leave my people, To go away from them— For they are all adulterers, A band of rogues.

אמִי־יִתְּנֵנִי בַמִּדְבָּר מְלוֹן אֹרְחִים וְאֶעֶזְבָה אֶת־עַמִּי וְאֵלְכָה מֵאִתָּם כִּי כֻלָּם מְנָאֲפִים עֲצֶרֶת בֹּגְדִים׃

2They bend their tongues like bows; They are valorous in the land For treachery, not for honesty; They advance from evil to evil. And they do not heed Me —declares Hashem.

בוַיַּדְרְכוּ אֶת־לְשׁוֹנָם קַשְׁתָּם שֶׁקֶר וְלֹא לֶאֱמוּנָה גָּבְרוּ בָאָרֶץ כִּי מֵרָעָה אֶל־רָעָה יָצָאוּ וְאֹתִי לֹא־יָדָעוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

3Beware, every man of his friend! Trust not even a brother! For every brother takes advantage, Every friend is base in his dealings.

גאִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ הִשָּׁמֵרוּ וְעַל־כָּל־אָח אַל־תִּבְטָחוּ כִּי כָל־אָח עָקוֹב יַעְקֹב וְכָל־רֵעַ רָכִיל יַהֲלֹךְ׃

4One man cheats the other, They will not speak truth; They have trained their tongues to speak falsely; They wear themselves out working iniquity.

דוְאִישׁ בְּרֵעֵהוּ יְהָתֵלּוּ וֶאֱמֶת לֹא יְדַבֵּרוּ לִמְּדוּ לְשׁוֹנָם דַּבֶּר־שֶׁקֶר הַעֲוֵה נִלְאוּ׃

5You dwell in the midst of deceit. In their deceit, they refuse to heed Me —declares Hashem.

השִׁבְתְּךָ בְּתוֹךְ מִרְמָה בְּמִרְמָה מֵאֲנוּ דַעַת־אוֹתִי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

6Assuredly, thus said the lord of Hosts: Lo, I shall smelt and assay them— For what else can I do because of My poor people?

ולָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת הִנְנִי צוֹרְפָם וּבְחַנְתִּים כִּי־אֵיךְ אֶעֱשֶׂה מִפְּנֵי בַּת־עַמִּי׃

7Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, They use their mouths to deceive. One speaks to his fellow in friendship, But lays an ambush for him in his heart.

זחֵץ שוחט [שָׁחוּט] לְשׁוֹנָם מִרְמָה דִבֵּר בְּפִיו שָׁלוֹם אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ יְדַבֵּר וּבְקִרְבּוֹ יָשִׂים אָרְבּוֹ׃

8Shall I not punish them for such deeds? —says Hashem— Shall I not bring retribution On such a nation as this?

חהַעַל־אֵלֶּה לֹא־אֶפְקָד־בָּם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אִם בְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר־כָּזֶה לֹא תִתְנַקֵּם נַפְשִׁי׃

9For the mountains I take up weeping and wailing, For the pastures in the wilderness, a dirge. They are laid waste; no man passes through, And no sound of cattle is heard. Birds of the sky and beasts as well Have fled and are gone.

טעַל־הֶהָרִים אֶשָּׂא בְכִי וָנֶהִי וְעַל־נְאוֹת מִדְבָּר קִינָה כִּי נִצְּתוּ מִבְּלִי־אִישׁ עֹבֵר וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ קוֹל מִקְנֶה מֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה נָדְדוּ הָלָכוּ׃

10I will turn Yerushalayim into rubble, Into dens for jackals; And I will make the towns of Yehuda A desolation without inhabitants.

יוְנָתַתִּי אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם לְגַלִּים מְעוֹן תַּנִּים וְאֶת־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה אֶתֵּן שְׁמָמָה מִבְּלִי יוֹשֵׁב׃

11What man is so wise That he understands this? To whom has Hashem's mouth spoken, So that he can explain it: Why is the land in ruins, Laid waste like a wilderness, With none passing through?

יאמִי־הָאִישׁ הֶחָכָם וְיָבֵן אֶת־זֹאת וַאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר פִּי־יְהֹוָה אֵלָיו וְיַגִּדָהּ עַל־מָה אָבְדָה הָאָרֶץ נִצְּתָה כַמִּדְבָּר מִבְּלִי עֹבֵר׃

12Hashem replied: Because they forsook the Teaching I had set before them. They did not obey Me and they did not follow it,

יבוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה עַל־עָזְבָם אֶת־תּוֹרָתִי אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיהֶם וְלֹא־שָׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלִי וְלֹא־הָלְכוּ בָהּ׃

13but followed their own willful heart and followed the Baalim, as their fathers had taught them.

יגוַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי שְׁרִרוּת לִבָּם וְאַחֲרֵי הַבְּעָלִים אֲשֶׁר לִמְּדוּם אֲבוֹתָם׃

14Assuredly, thus said the lord of Hosts, the God of Yisrael: I am going to feed that people wormwood and make them drink a bitter draft.

ידלָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי מַאֲכִילָם אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה לַעֲנָה וְהִשְׁקִיתִים מֵי־רֹאשׁ׃

15I will scatter them among nations which they and their fathers never knew; and I will dispatch the sword after them until I have consumed them.

טווַהֲפִצוֹתִים בַּגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדְעוּ הֵמָּה וַאֲבוֹתָם וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי אַחֲרֵיהֶם אֶת־הַחֶרֶב עַד כַּלּוֹתִי אוֹתָם׃

16Thus said the lord of Hosts: Listen! Summon the dirge-singers, let them come; Send for the skilled women, let them come.

טזכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת הִתְבּוֹנְנוּ וְקִרְאוּ לַמְקוֹנְנוֹת וּתְבוֹאֶינָה וְאֶל־הַחֲכָמוֹת שִׁלְחוּ וְתָבוֹאנָה׃

17Let them quickly start a wailing for us, That our eyes may run with tears, Our pupils flow with water.

יזוּתְמַהֵרְנָה וְתִשֶּׂנָה עָלֵינוּ נֶהִי וְתֵרַדְנָה עֵינֵינוּ דִּמְעָה וְעַפְעַפֵּינוּ יִזְּלוּ־מָיִם׃

18For the sound of wailing Is heard from Tzion: How we are despoiled! How greatly we are shamed! Ah, we must leave our land, Abandon our dwellings!

יחכִּי קוֹל נְהִי נִשְׁמַע מִצִּיּוֹן אֵיךְ שֻׁדָּדְנוּ בֹּשְׁנוּ מְאֹד כִּי־עָזַבְנוּ אָרֶץ כִּי הִשְׁלִיכוּ מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֵינוּ׃

19Hear, O women, the word of Hashem, Let your ears receive the word of His mouth, And teach your daughters wailing, And one another lamentation.

יטכִּי־שְׁמַעְנָה נָשִׁים דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה וְתִקַּח אָזְנְכֶם דְּבַר־פִּיו וְלַמֵּדְנָה בְנוֹתֵיכֶם נֶהִי וְאִשָּׁה רְעוּתָהּ קִינָה׃

20For death has climbed through our windows, Has entered our fortresses, To cut off babes from the streets, Young men from the squares.

ככִּי־עָלָה מָוֶת בְּחַלּוֹנֵינוּ בָּא בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵינוּ לְהַכְרִית עוֹלָל מִחוּץ בַּחוּרִים מֵרְחֹבוֹת׃

21Speak thus—says Hashem: The carcasses of men shall lie Like dung upon the fields, Like sheaves behind the reaper, With none to pick them up.

כאדַּבֵּר כֹּה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְנָפְלָה נִבְלַת הָאָדָם כְּדֹמֶן עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה וּכְעָמִיר מֵאַחֲרֵי הַקֹּצֵר וְאֵין מְאַסֵּף׃

22Thus said Hashem: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; Let not the strong man glory in his strength; Let not the rich man glory in his riches.

כבכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אַל־יִתְהַלֵּל חָכָם בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וְאַל־יִתְהַלֵּל הַגִּבּוֹר בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ אַל־יִתְהַלֵּל עָשִׁיר בְּעָשְׁרוֹ׃

23But only in this should one glory: In his earnest devotion to Me. For I Hashem act with kindness, Justice, and equity in the world; For in these I delight —declares Hashem.

KEE im b'-ZOT yit-ha-LAYL ha-mit-ha-LAYL has-KAYL v'-ya-DO-a o-TEE KEE a-NEE a-do-NAI O-seh KHE-sed mish-PAT utz-da-KAH ba-A-retz kee v'-AY-leh kha-FATZ-tee n'-um a-do-NAI

כגכִּי אִם־בְּזֹאת יִתְהַלֵּל הַמִּתְהַלֵּל הַשְׂכֵּל וְיָדֹעַ אוֹתִי כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ כִּי־בְאֵלֶּה חָפַצְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

24Lo, days are coming—declares Hashem—when I will take note of everyone circumcised in the foreskin:

כדהִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־כָּל־מוּל בְּעָרְלָה׃

25of Egypt, Yehuda, Edom, the Amonites, Moab, and all the desert dwellers who have the hair of their temples clipped. For all these nations are uncircumcised, but all the House of Yisrael are uncircumcised of heart.

כהעַל־מִצְרַיִם וְעַל־יְהוּדָה וְעַל־אֱדוֹם וְעַל־בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וְעַל־מוֹאָב וְעַל כָּל־קְצוּצֵי פֵאָה הַיֹּשְׁבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי כָל־הַגּוֹיִם עֲרֵלִים וְכָל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל עַרְלֵי־לֵב׃