הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה' לֵאמֹר

This is the message that was to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:

שִׁמְעוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְעַל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם

Heed and accept the words of this covenant, and then speak them to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The prophet experienced receiving this prophecy as though he were hearing a public address to a community that hears the words of the covenant.

וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָרוּר הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמַע אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת

Say to them the content of the covenant: So said the Lord, God of Israel: Cursed is the man who will not heed the words of this covenant

אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הוֹצִיאִי־אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם מִכּוּר הַבַּרְזֶל לֵאמֹר שִׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלִי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אֲצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם וִהְיִיתֶם לִי לְעָם וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים

that I commanded your fathers on the day that I took them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron crucible, saying: Heed My voice, and perform them, all the commandments to which the covenant refers, in accordance with all that I will command you; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God,

לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת־הַשְּׁבוּעָה אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה וָאַעַן וָאֹמַר אָמֵן ה'

in order to fulfill the oath that I took to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, like this day. Since Jeremiah has just heard what amounts to a renewal of the covenant that God enacted with all Israel, he feels the need to respond with an affirmation. I answered, and I said: Amen, Lord. I accept the covenant upon myself.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלַי קְרָא אֶת־כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר שִׁמְעוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם

The Lord said to me: Proclaim all these matters in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Heed the words of this covenant, and perform them.

כִּי הָעֵד הַעִדֹתִי בַּאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַעֲלוֹתִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה הַשְׁכֵּם וְהָעֵד לֵאמֹר שִׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹלִי

For I forewarned your fathers on the day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt and until this day, time and again, saying: Heed My voice. The covenant does not depend on any specific point of halakha, but on the basic agreement to accept the word of God and obey His commandments.

וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ וְלֹא־הִטּוּ אֶת־אָזְנָם וַיֵּלְכוּ אִישׁ בִּשְׁרִירוּת לִבָּם הָרָע וָאָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית־הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת וְלֹא עָשׂוּ

But they did not heed, and they did not incline their ear; each man followed the desire of their evil heart, and I brought upon them all the words of punishment in this covenant, for all the matters that I commanded them to perform but they did not perform.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָי נִמְצָא־קֶשֶׁר בְּאִישׁ יְהוּדָה וּבְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם

The Lord said to me: A conspiracy, an organized rebellion, has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

שָׁבוּ עַל־עֲוֹנֹת אֲבוֹתָם הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר מֵאֲנוּ לִשְׁמוֹעַ אֶת־דְּבָרַי וְהֵמָּה הָלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְעָבְדָם הֵפֵרוּ בֵית־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵית יְהוּדָה אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר כָּרַתִּי אֶת־אֲבוֹתָם

They have returned to the iniquities of their ancestors in the wilderness, who refused to heed My words, and they have followed other gods to worship them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have breached My covenant that I made with their fathers.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֲלֵיהֶם רָעָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יוּכְלוּ לָצֵאת מִמֶּנָּה וְזָעֲקוּ אֵלַי – וְלֹא אֶשְׁמַע אֲלֵיהֶם

Therefore, so said the Lord: Behold, I am bringing evil upon them from which they will be unable to escape, and they will cry out to Me, but I will not heed them.

וְהָלְכוּ עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְזָעֲקוּ אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר הֵם מְקַטְּרִים לָהֶם וְהוֹשֵׁעַ לֹא־יוֹשִׁיעוּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת רָעָתָם

Consequently, the residents of the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but clearly they, those gods, will not save them at the time of their misfortune.

כִּי מִסְפַּר עָרֶיךָ הָיוּ אֱלֹהֶיךָ יְהוּדָה וּמִסְפַּר חֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם שַׂמְתֶּם מִזְבְּחוֹת לַבֹּשֶׁת מִזְבְּחוֹת לְקַטֵּר לַבָּעַל

For like the number of your cities are your gods, Judah, and like the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have placed altars to the shame, a disparaging term for idol worship, and altars to burn incense to the Baal.

וְאַתָּה אַל־תִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאַל־תִּשָּׂא בַעֲדָם רִנָּה וּתְפִלָּה כִּי אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ בְּעֵת קָרְאָם אֵלַי בְּעַד רָעָתָם

And you, Jeremiah, do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not lift up a cry, or a prayer on their behalf, for I do not listen and answer at the time that they cry to Me due to their misfortune. Although their downfall is being prophesied and has not yet occurred, Jeremiah is already instructed not to pray for them, for their troubles are fast approaching.

מֶה לִידִידִי בְּבֵיתִי! עֲשׂוֹתָהּ הַמְזִמָּתָה הָרַבִּים וּבְשַׂר־קֹדֶשׁ יַעַבְרוּ מֵעָלָיִךְ כִּי רָעָתֵכִי אָז תַּעֲלֹזִי

God inquires of His partner to the covenant, Israel: What has My beloved to do in My house, the Temple, where she is performing the wicked plots of the multitudes? Under such conditions, the sacred flesh of offerings will be passed from you and bring you no benefit. Alternatively, this sentence can be interpreted as follows: You come to the Temple in order to continue sinning, as you think that your deeds will be forgiven by means of the consecrated flesh of offerings (see 7:10). When it is your evil, then you delight. Your injustices are the source of your joy, and therefore I have no desire for you to approach My House and bring your offerings.

זַיִת רַעֲנָן יְפֵה פְרִי תֹאַר קָרָא ה' שְׁמֵךְ לְקוֹל הֲמוּלָּה גְדֹלָה הִצִּית אֵשׁ עָלֶיהָ וְרָעוּ דָּלִיּוֹתָיו

The Lord called your name a flourishing olive tree, fair of fruit and form, for at the time of your greatness and glory, your name and reputation were like fine olive oil. But now, to the sound of a great tumult of war, He has ignited fire upon it, that tree, and its branches have been broken.

וַה' צְבָאוֹת הַנּוֹטֵעַ אוֹתָךְ דִּבֶּר עָלַיִךְ רָעָה בִּגְלַל רָעַת בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵית יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לָהֶם לְהַכְעִסֵנִי לְקַטֵּר לַבָּעַל

The Lord of hosts, who planted you, He Himself spoke evil of you due to the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they performed for themselves to anger Me by burning incense to the Baal. The fruit for which he has waited is rotten, and there is no justification for the continued existence of the tree. This comparison of the people of Israel to a disappointing tree appears elsewhere as well.

וַה' הוֹדִיעַנִי וָאֵדָעָה אָז הִרְאִיתַנִי מַעַלְלֵיהֶם

The Lord informed me, and I knew; then You had shown me their actions, the deeds of the inhabitants of my city of Anatot. It was only later that I understood from You the nature of their plots against me. Not only did the residents of Jerusalem reject my prophecy, but in my own city, and even among my family members, my statements are unwanted.

וַאֲנִי כְּכֶבֶשׂ אַלּוּף יוּבַל לִטְבוֹחַ וְלֹא־יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־עָלַי חָשְׁבוּ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת נַשְׁחִיתָה עֵץ בְּלַחְמוֹ וְנִכְרְתֶנּוּ מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים וּשְׁמוֹ לֹא־יִזָּכֵר עוֹד

But I was like a tame lamb, which obeys every order given to it until it is led to the slaughter. Alternatively, this means a choice lamb, or a lamb and a bull, led to the slaughter. And likewise, I did not know that they devised designs against me, saying: Let us destroy the tree with its fruit. We will put an end to the prophet and his seed, or an end to him and his statements, his bleak prophecies, and let us eliminate him from the land of the living, and consequently his name will be remembered no more.

וַה' צְבָאוֹת שֹׁפֵט צֶדֶק בֹּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב – אֶרְאֶה נִקְמָתְךָ מֵהֶם כִּי אֵלֶיךָ גִּלִּיתִי אֶת־רִיבִי

But, Lord of hosts, You are the righteous Judge, who examines the kidneys and heart. May I see Your vengeance against them, as only to You I revealed my contention. You are the only one who will listen to me. Since they have not yet implemented their evil plots, these people cannot be convicted in an earthly court. But God is aware of the depth of their loathing of Jeremiah.

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' עַל־אַנְשֵׁי עֲנָתוֹת הַמְבַקְשִׁים אֶת־נַפְשְׁךָ לֵאמֹר לֹא תִנָּבֵא בְּשֵׁם ה' וְלֹא תָמוּת בְּיָדֵנוּ

Therefore, so said the Lord with regard to the men of Anatot, who are seeking your life and threatening you, saying: Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, and then you will not die by our hand, as you are harming our city’s reputation and damaging our livelihoods and security.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת הִנְנִי פֹקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם הַבַּחוּרִים יָמוּתוּ בַחֶרֶב בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם יָמֻתוּ בָּרָעָב

Therefore, so said the Lord of hosts: Behold, I am reckoning with them and punishing the people of Anatot for their sins. The young men shall die by the sword, and their sons and their daughters shall die by famine.

וּשְׁאֵרִית לֹא תִהְיֶה לָהֶם כִּי־אָבִיא רָעָה אֶל־אַנְשֵׁי עֲנָתוֹת שְׁנַת פְּקֻדָּתָם

There will be no remnant for them, for I will bring evil on the men of Anatot in the year of their reckoning, when they will receive their just retribution.