הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה' לֵאמֹר

The message that was to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying. It is possible that the style of this opening sentence, which is unique to the book of Jeremiah, is an indication that the prophecy was written down by the prophet’s scribe, Barukh son of Neriya (see 36:4).

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר כְּתָב־לְךָ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ אֶל סֵפֶר

So said the Lord, God of Israel, saying: Write all the matters that I spoke to you, stated below, in a scroll. In contrast to prophecies that are addressed to a specific audience, this prophecy describes general events that will occur in the future, perhaps in the distant future. Therefore, it was to be recorded and preserved in writing, and was not necessarily delivered orally.

כִּי הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־ה' וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת־שְׁבוּת עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה אָמַר ה' וַהֲשִׁבֹתִים אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתִּי לַאֲבֹתָם וִירֵשׁוּהָ

For behold, days are coming – the utterance of the Lord – and I will restore the returnees of My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will restore them to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will take possession of it.

וְאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶל־יְהוּדָה

These are the matters that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר ה' קוֹל חֲרָדָה שָׁמָעְנוּ פַּחַד וְאֵין שָׁלוֹם

For so said the Lord: A sound of trembling we heard, a sound of fear, and there is no peace, no tranquility.

שַׁאֲלוּ נָא וּרְאוּ אִם־יֹלֵד זָכָר מַדּוּעַ רָאִיתִי כָל־גֶּבֶר יָדָיו עַל־חֲלָצָיו כַּיּוֹלֵדָה ונֶהֶפְכוּ כָל־ פָּנִים לְיֵרָקוֹן !

Ask now, investigate, and see if a man gives birth. Since men do not give birth, why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in childbirth, and why is it that every face has turned pale, like invalids and frightened people?

הוֹי כִּי גָדוֹל הַיּוֹם הַהוּא מֵאַיִן כָּמֹהוּ וְעֵת־צָרָה הִיא לְיַעֲקֹב — וּמִמֶּנָּה יִוָּשֵׁעַ

Alas, for that day is monumental, unparalleled, and it is a time of trouble for Jacob, and from it he will be saved. The metaphor of birth likely alludes to a process of pain and distress that will ultimately lead to salvation.

וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת אֶשְׁבֹּר עֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ וּמוֹסְרוֹתֶיךָ אֲנַתֵּק וְלֹא־יַעַבְדוּ־בוֹ עוֹד זָרִים

It shall be on that day – the utterance of the Lord of hosts – I will break his yoke, of the oppressor, from upon your neck, and your harness restraints I will snap, and strangers will no longer enslave him, Jacob.

וְעָבְדוּ אֵת ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֵת דָּוִד מַלְכָּם אֲשֶׁר אָקִים לָהֶם

They, the children of Israel, will serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will establish for them.

וְאַתָּה אַל־תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם־ה' וְאַל־תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק וְאֶת־זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם וְשָׁב יַעֲקֹב וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד

You, do not fear, My servant Jacob – the utterance of the Lord – and do not be dismayed, Israel, for behold, I am saving you from afar, and your descendants from the land of their captivity, and Jacob will return and be calm and tranquil, living in security, and there will be none to cause trembling.

כִּי־אִתְּךָ אֲנִי נְאֻם־ה' לְהוֹשִׁיעֶךָ כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הֲפִצוֹתִיךָ שָּׁם אַךְ אֹתְךָ לֹא־אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה וְיִסַּרְתִּיךָ לַמִּשְׁפָּט וְנַקֵּה לֹא אֲנַקֶּךָּ

For I am with you – the utterance of the Lord – to save you, for I will engender annihilation of all the nations where I dispersed you, but I will not engender annihilation of you. Nevertheless, this does not mean you will not have to pay for your sins, as I will chastise you with justice; you will receive the punishment you deserve. But I will not eradicate you; I will not destroy you, and your continued existence is assured.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אָנוּשׁ לְשִׁבְרֵךְ נַחְלָה מַכָּתֵךְ

For so said the Lord: Your injury is mortal, your tragedy is very severe, and your wound is grave and painful.

אֵין דָּן דִּינֵךְ לְמָזוֹר רְפֻאוֹת תְּעָלָה אֵין לָךְ

There is no one who judges your case curable, as there are no healing medicines available for you.

כָּל־מְאַהֲבַיִךְ שְׁכֵחוּךְ אוֹתָךְ לֹא יִדְרֹשׁוּ כִּי מַכַּת אוֹיֵב הִכִּיתִיךְ מוּסַר אַכְזָרִי עַל רֹב עֲוֹנֵךְ עָצְמוּ חַטֹּאתָיִךְ

All your lovers, the nations who previously favored you, have forgotten you, and they do not seek you anymore, which is typical of political relationships based on coinciding interests; for the blow of an enemy I have smitten you, a cruel chastisement, because of the magnitude of your iniquity, as your sins have intensified.

מַה־תִּזְעַק עַל־שִׁבְרֵךְ אָנוּשׁ מַכְאֹבֵךְ! עַל רֹב עֲוֹנֵךְ עָצְמוּ חַטֹּאתַיִךְ עָשִׂיתִי אֵלֶּה לָךְ

Why do you cry out over your injury, and over your mortal pain? It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity, as your sins have intensified, that I did these to you.

לָכֵן כָּל־אֹכְלַיִךְ יֵאָכֵלוּ וְכָל־צָרַיִךְ כֻּלָּם בַּשְּׁבִי יֵלֵכוּ וְהָיוּ שֹׁאסַיִךְ לִמְשִׁסָּה וְכָל־בֹּזְזַיִךְ אֶתֵּן לָבַז

Therefore, although you deserve to suffer because of your sins, nevertheless all who devour you will be devoured, and all your foes, all of them, will go into captivity, and your plunderers will become an object of plundering by others, and all those who loot you I will subject to looting. All those who harmed you will be punished for their deeds in the future, as they did not have the right to plunder and loot you.

כִּי אַעֲלֶה אֲרֻכָה לָךְ וּמִמַּכּוֹתַיִךְ אֶרְפָּאֵךְ נְאֻם־ה' כִּי נִדָּחָה קָרְאוּ לָךְ צִיּוֹן הִיא דֹּרֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ

For although they all think you will be destroyed, I will bring a remedy for you, and from your wounds I will heal you – the utterance of the Lord – for outcast they called you; it is Zion, or alternatively, this means: It is desolate and abandoned; there is no one who seeks it. They all spoke in this manner and allowed themselves to humiliate you, but they do not know that I will avenge your suffering and restore you to your former status.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי־שָׁב שְׁבוּת אָהֳלֵי יַעֲקוֹב ומִשְׁכְּנֹתָיו אֲרַחֵם וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל־תִּלָּהּ וְאַרְמוֹן עַל־מִשְׁפָּטוֹ יֵשֵׁב

So said the Lord: Behold, I am restoring the returnees of the tents of Jacob. Alternatively, God is saying: I, Myself, will return when I restore you to your place. And on his, Jacob’s, dwellings I will have compassion. And the city will be built on its tall mound, or on the mounds of its ruins, as was customary in ancient times, and the palace will be established in its rightful manner.

וְיָצָא מֵהֶם תּוֹדָה וְקוֹל מְשַׂחֲקִים וְהִרְבִּתִים וְלֹא יִמְעָטוּ וְהִכְבַּדְתִּים וְלֹא יִצְעָרוּ

The sounds of thanks will emanate from them, the cities and tents of Jacob, and the sound of revelers, playfulness. I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished; I will increase them in stature, and they will not dwindle and become poor and miserable.

וְהָיוּ בָנָיו כְּקֶדֶם וַעֲדָתוֹ לְפָנַי תִּכּוֹן וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל כָּל־לֹחֲצָיו

His children will be as before, and his congregation will be established before Me, and I will reckon with, punish, all his oppressors.

וְהָיָה אַדִּירוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ וּמֹשְׁלוֹ מִקִּרְבּוֹ יֵצֵא וְהִקְרַבְתִּיו וְנִגַּשׁ אֵלָי כִּי מִי הוּא־זֶה עָרַב אֶת־לִבּוֹ לָגֶשֶׁת אֵלַי נְאֻם־ה'!

His leader will be from among him, and his ruler will come out of his midst; they will not be ruled by foreigners. And I will bring him near, the leader of Israel, or Israel in general, and he will approach Me. For who is it whose heart dared to approach Me, unless I choose to draw him close to Me? – the utterance of the Lord.

וִהְיִיתֶם לִי לְעָם וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים

You will be My people, and I will be your God. This is the ultimate remedy for Israel’s woes.

הִנֵּה סַעֲרַת ה' חֵמָה יָצְאָה סַעַר מִתְגּוֹרֵר עַל רֹאשׁ רְשָׁעִים יָחוּל

Behold the storm of the Lord, fury has gone out, a storm is occurring that will sweep everything away. Others explain: A storm is shaking, rolling, or developing; it will rest on the head of the wicked.

לֹא יָשׁוּב חֲרוֹן אַף ה' עַד־עֲשֹׂתוֹ וְעַד־הֲקִימוֹ מְזִמּוֹת לִבּוֹ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים תִּתְבּוֹנְנוּ בָהּ

The enflamed wrath of the Lord will not be suppressed until He performs and until He fulfills the plans of His heart; at the end of days you will understand it. You will ultimately be able to see and understand My reckonings.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא נְאֻם־ה' אֶהְיֶה לֵאלֹהִים לְכֹל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵמָּה יִהְיוּ־לִי לְעָם

At that time – the utterance of the Lord – I will be the God of all the families of Israel; I will establish My covenant with all the tribes of Israel, and they will be My people.