הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה' לֵאמֹר׃

The message that was to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:

קוּם וְיָרַדְתָּ בֵּית הַיּוֹצֵר וְשָׁמָּה אַשְׁמִיעֲךָ אֶת־דְּבָרָי

Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will have you hear My words. Observation of the potter’s work will be the foundation of the forthcoming prophecy.

וָאֵרֵד בֵּית הַיּוֹצֵר וְהִנֵּה־הוּא עֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה עַל־הָאָבְנָיִם

I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was performing labor on the potter’s wheel, a round, revolving, stone surface on which the potter fashions clay into a vessel.

וְנִשְׁחַת הַכְּלִי אֲשֶׁר הוּא עֹשֶׂה בַּחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר וְשָׁב וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ כְּלִי אַחֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינֵי הַיּוֹצֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת

After the potter began to shape a particular vessel, the vessel that he was crafting of the clay was ruined in the hand of the potter, so he kneaded the clay into a shapeless lump, and he again crafted it into another vessel, as it was proper in the eyes of the potter to craft a shape of his choice.

וַיְהִי דְבַר ה' אֵלַי לֵאמוֹר׃

The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

הֲכַיּוֹצֵר הַזֶּה לֹא־אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת לָכֶם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־ה'! הִנֵּה כַחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר כֵּן־אַתֶּם בְּיָדִי בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל

House of Israel, can I not do to you like this potter – the utterance of the Lord? Behold, like the clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, house of Israel. I can shape you as I wish; I can destroy one form and fashion another in its stead.

רֶגַע אֲדַבֵּר עַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָה לִנְתוֹשׁ וְלִנְתוֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִיד

Just as the potter can swiftly destroy his pottery, so too, in an instant I will speak of a nation and of a kingdom, issuing harsh decrees against them, to uproot and to smash and to eradicate,

וְשָׁב הַגּוֹי הַהוּא מֵרָעָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי עָלָיו – וְנִחַמְתִּי עַל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁבְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ

but if that nation repents its evil, that nation which I spoke against it, I will reconsider the evil that I thought to do to it; the punishment that I planned to bring upon them will not occur.

ורֶגַע אֲדַבֵּר עַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָה לִבְנוֹת וְלִנְטוֹעַ

And likewise, one instant I will speak with Myself of a nation and of a kingdom, to build and to plant,

וְעָשָׂה הָרַע בְּעֵינַי לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹלִי – וְנִחַמְתִּי עַל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי לְהֵיטִיב אוֹתוֹ

but if it, that nation, performs evil in My eyes, not to heed My voice, I will reconsider the good that I said to do them good.

וְעַתָּה אֱמָר־נָא אֶל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יוֹצֵר עֲלֵיכֶם רָעָה וְחֹשֵׁב עֲלֵיכֶם מַחֲשָׁבָה שׁוּבוּ נָא אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וְהֵיטִיבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶם

Now please speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: So said the Lord: Behold, I am preparing evil against you, and devising a design against you because of your sins; please repent, each man from his evil way, and improve your ways and your exploits. If you change your ways, I will change My decree.

וְאָמְרוּ נוֹאָשׁ כִּי־אַחֲרֵי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵינוּ נֵלֵךְ וְאִישׁ שְׁרִרוּת לִבּוֹ־הָרָע נַעֲשֶׂה

But those who hear this prophecy assume the opposite, and they will say: It is hopeless. Do not expect us to change our ways, for after our designs we will go, and each man will perform according to the desire of his evil heart. They do not believe that their actions will have any effect on the course of events.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' שַׁאֲלוּ־נָא בַּגּוֹיִם מִי שָׁמַע כָּאֵלֶּה – שַׁעֲרֻרִת עָשְׂתָה מְאֹד בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

Therefore, so said the Lord: Ask now among the nations: Who heard like these? The maiden of Israel has performed scandals often; she has sullied her reputation by performing despicable actions.

הֲיַעֲזֹב מִצּוּר שָׂדַי שֶׁלֶג לְבָנוֹן! אִם־יִנָּתְשׁוּ מַיִם זָרִים קָרִים נוֹזְלִים!

Will one forsake that of the rock of the field, the water that flows from it, the melted snow of Lebanon? This water brings life and blessing to the fields. Will the strange [zarim], untouched, cold, flowing waters be abandoned? Alternatively, the verse means: Will the waters that emerge [zarim] from the depths be abandoned?

כִּי־שְׁכֵחֻנִי עַמִּי לשָּׁוְא יְקַטֵּרוּ וַיַּכְשִׁלוּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם שְׁבִילֵי עוֹלָם לָלֶכֶת נְתִיבוֹת דֶּרֶךְ לֹא סְלוּלָה

For My people have forgotten Me, they burn and sacrifice to vanities, false gods, and they, the false gods, caused them to stumble in their evil ways, and abandon the ancient paths that were prepared for them from long ago, to walk instead on routes of an unpaved way.

לָשׂוּם אַרְצָם לְשַׁמָּה שְׁרִיקוֹת עוֹלָם כֹּל עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ יִשֹּׁם וְיָנִיד בְּרֹאשׁוֹ

Ultimately, their actions will lead Me to render their land an astonishment, a source of eternal whistling; all will whistle in shock at the desolation. Everyone passing over it will be astonished, and shake his head in bewilderment, or in pain.

כְּרוּחַ־קָדִים אֲפִיצֵם לִפְנֵי אוֹיֵב עֹרֶף וְלֹא־פָנִים אֶרְאֵם בְּיוֹם אֵידָם

Like a gale force east wind that overturns everything in its path, I will disperse them before an enemy; I will see the back and not the face of them, as they will flee on the day of their calamity. This concludes the harsh words of the prophet Jeremiah.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַחְשְׁבָה עַל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת כִּי לֹא־תֹאבַד תּוֹרָה מִכֹּהֵן וְעֵצָה מֵחָכָם וְדָבָר מִנָּבִיא לְכוּ וְנַכֵּהוּ בַלָּשׁוֹן וְאַל־נַקְשִׁיבָה אֶל־כָּל־דְּבָרָיו

They, the people of Judah, said: Let us go and devise designs against Jeremiah, let us plot against him, as we do not need him, for the law will not be lost from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor word from the prophet. There will always be among us a priest to teach Torah, a wise man to offer counsel, and a prophet to speak. Jeremiah is nothing but an obstacle and a nuisance. Therefore, let us go and smite him with the tongue, by informing against him to the authorities, and let us not heed any of his words.

הַקְשִׁיבָה ה' אֵלָי וּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל יְרִיבָי

In light of their schemes, Jeremiah prays: Listen, Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

הַיְשֻׁלַּם תַּחַת־טוֹבָה רָעָה! כִּי־כָרוּ שׁוּחָה לְנַפְשִׁי זְכֹר עָמְדִי לְפָנֶיךָ לְדַבֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם טוֹבָה לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ מֵהֶם

Will evil be unfairly repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for me, in which to cast me and kill me. Remember my standing before You to speak well of them. Although they are unaware of it, You remember how many times I prayed before You on their behalf to withdraw Your anger from them. Jeremiah has shared in the people’s misery, and he has beseeched God to be merciful with Israel; but the people hear only his harsh prophecies.

לָכֵן תֵּן אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם לָרָעָב וְהַגִּרֵם עַל־יְדֵי־חֶרֶב וְתִהְיֶנָה נְשֵׁיהֶם שַׁכֻּלוֹת וְאַלְמָנוֹת וְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם יִהְיוּ הֲרֻגֵי מָוֶת בַּחוּרֵיהֶם – מֻכֵּי־חֶרֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָה

Therefore, subject their children, those of the evil men who pursue me, to famine, and spill their blood by the sword; and their wives shall be bereaved and widows, and their men shall be killed by plague, their young men smitten by the sword in war.

תִּשָּׁמַע זְעָקָה מִבָּתֵּיהֶם כִּי־תָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם גְּדוּד פִּתְאֹם כִּי־כָרוּ שׁוּחָה לְלָכְדֵנִי וּפַחִים טָמְנוּ לְרַגְלָי

Let an outcry be heard from their houses when you bring an enemy troop upon them suddenly, as they dug a pit to ensnare me, and they concealed traps for my feet.

וְאַתָּה ה' יָדַעְתָּ אֶת־כָּל־עֲצָתָם עָלַי לַמָּוֶת אַל־תְּכַפֵּר עַל־עֲוֹנָם וְחַטָּאתָם מִלְּפָנֶיךָ אַל־תֶּמְחִי וְיִהְיוּ מֻכְשָׁלִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּעֵת אַפְּךָ עֲשֵׂה בָהֶם

And You, Lord, You know all their schemes against me for death. You know that their intention is not merely to trap me, but to kill me as well. Do not atone for their iniquity, and do not expunge their sin from before You. May they be caused to fail before You; at the time of Your wrath act against them in order to spare me. Jeremiah curses the men who seek his death, and beseeches God to bring suffering upon them before they can implement their evil plans.