1  The word which came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying

1  The word that came from the Lord to

2  'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words.'

2  Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there thou shalt hear my words.

2  “Rise up and descend into the house of the potter, and there you will hear my words.”

3  Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.

3  So I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.

3  And I descended into the house of the potter, and behold, he was making a work on the wheel.

4  And whensoever the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

4  And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make it.

4  And the vessel, which he was making with his hands out of clay, broke. And turning away, he made another vessel, for it had been pleasing in his eyes to make it.

5  Then the word of YHWH came to me, saying

5  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

6  'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith YHWH. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel.

6  Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are ye in my hands.

6  “Am I not able to do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done, says the Lord? Behold, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

7  At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

7  Suddenly, I will speak against a nation and against a kingdom, so that I may uproot, and destroy, and scatter it.

8  but if that nation turn from their evil, because of which I have spoken against it, I repent of the evil that I thought to do unto it.

8  and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.

8  If that nation, against which I have spoken, will repent from their evil, I too will repent from the evil that I have decided I would do to them.

9  And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

9  And if I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant it;

9  And soon, I will speak about a nation and about a kingdom, so that I may build and plant it.

10  but if it do evil in My sight, that it hearken not to My voice, then I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit it.

10  and they do evil before me, so as not to hearken to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.

10  If it does evil in my sight, so as not to listen to my voice, I will repent of the good that I have said I would do to it.

11  Now therefore do thou speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith YHWH: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you; return ye now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

11  And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.

11  Now, therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am forming an evil against you, and I am considering a plan against you. Let each one of you return from his evil way, and direct your ways and your intentions well.”

12  But they say: There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.'

12  And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.

12  And they said: “We have lost hope. And so we will follow our own thoughts, and each of us will act according to the depravity of his own evil heart.”

13  Therefore thus saith YHWH: Ask ye now among the nations, who hath heard such things; the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

13  For this reason, thus says the Lord: “Inquire among the Gentiles. Who has heard of such horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done to excess?

14  Doth the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? or are the strange cold flowing waters plucked up?

15  For My people hath forgotten Me, they offer unto vanity; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;

15  Yet my people have forgotten me, offering useless libations, and stumbling in their ways, in the paths of the world, so that they walk by these on an unmarked route.

15  Yet my people have forsaken me and have burned incense to vanity and have stumbled in their ways, and have departed from the ancient paths to walk in a way which was not trodden.

16  To make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

16  And so their land has been given over to desolation and to perpetual hissing. Each one who passes by will be astonished and will shake his head.

17  I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their face, in the day of their calamity.

17  Like a burning wind, I will disperse them in the sight the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their perdition.”

18  Then said they: 'Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.'

18  Then they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.

18  And they said: “Come, and let us devise a plan against Jeremiah. For the law will not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor a sermon from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us pay no attention to any of his words.”

19  Give heed to me, O YHWH, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

19  Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.

19  Attend to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

20  Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them, to turn away Thy wrath from them.

20  Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they meant for me; remember that I stood before thy face, to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

20  Should evil be rendered for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul! Remember that I have stood in your sight, so as to speak on their behalf for good, and to avert your indignation from them.

21  Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and hurl them to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.

21  Therefore do thou deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.

21  Because of this, give their sons over to famine, and bring them to the hand of the sword. Let their wives be widows without children. And let their husbands be slain by death. Let their youths be stabbed with the sword in battle.

22  Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

22  Let there be a cry in their houses: thou shalt bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.

22  Let an outcry be heard from their houses. For you will lead the robber upon them suddenly. For they have dug a pit, so that they may seize me, and they have hidden snares for my feet.

23  Yet, YHWH, Thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from Thy sight; but let them be made to stumble before Thee; Deal Thou with them in the time of Thine anger.

23  And thou, Lord, knowest all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before thee: let their weakness come before thee; deal with them in the time of thy wrath.

23  But you, O Lord, know all their plans against me unto death. May you not forgive their iniquity, and do not allow their sin be taken away from your face. Let them be thrown down in your sight, in the time of your fury, so that you may destroy them.

19:1  Thus said YHWH: Go, and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests;

1  Then said the Lord to me, Go and get an earthen bottle, the work of the potter, and thou shalt bring some of the elders of the people, and of the priests;

19:2  and go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee;

2  and thou shalt go forth to the burial-place of the sons of their children, which is at the entrance of the gate of Charsith; and do thou read there all these words which I shall speak to thee

19:3  and say: Hear ye the word of YHWH, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; thus saith the YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle;

3  and thou shalt say to them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda, and men of Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, and they that enter in by these gates; thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, so that the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle.

3  And you shall say: Listen to the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will lead an affliction over this place, so much so that it will ring in the ears of all who hear about it.

19:4  because they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have offered in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

4  Because they forsook me, and profaned this place, and burnt incense in it to strange gods, which they and their fathers knew not; and the kings of Juda have filled this place with innocent blood,

4  For they have abandoned me, and they have made this place foreign, and they have offered libations in it to foreign gods, whom neither they, nor their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known. And they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

19:5  and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal; which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into My mind.

5  and built high places for Baal, to burn their children in the fire, which things I commanded not, neither did I design them in my heart

5  And they have built the exalted places of Baal, in order to burn their children with fire as a holocaust to Baal, something that I did not instruct or speak of, nor did it enter into my heart.

19:6  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that this place shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter;

6  Because of this, behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when this place will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

19:7  and I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of them that seek their life; and their carcasses will I give to be food for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth;

19:8  and I will make this city an astonishment, and a hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof;

8  And I will bring this city to desolation and make it a hissing; every one that passes by it shall scowl, and hiss because of all her plague.

8  And I will set this city amid stupor and hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be stupefied, and they will hiss over all its wounds.

19:9  and I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend, in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their life, shall straiten them.

9  And they shall eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat every one the flesh of his neighbour in the blockade, and in the siege wherewith their enemies shall besiege them.

9  And I will feed them with the flesh of their sons and with the flesh of their daughters. And each one of them will eat the flesh of his friend during the blockade and the embargo by which their enemies, and those who seek their lives, will enclose them.

19:10  Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

10  And you shall crush the bottle in the sight of the men who will go with you.

10  Then you shall break a pot in the sight of the men who go with you,

19:11  and shalt say unto them: Thus saith YHWH of hosts: Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury in Topheth, for want of room to bury.

11  and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, Thus will I break in pieces this people, and this city, even as an earthen vessel is broken in pieces which cannot be mended again.

11  And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: In the same way, I will crush this people and this city, just as the potter’s vessel was crushed and cannot be made whole again. And they will be buried at Topheth, because there will be no other place for burial.

19:12  Thus will I do unto this place, saith YHWH, and to the inhabitants thereof, even making this city as Topheth;

12  Thus will I do, saith the Lord, to this place, and to the inhabitants of it, that this city may be given up, as one that is falling to ruin.

12  So will I do to this place and to its inhabitants, says the Lord. And I will make this city to be like Topheth.

19:13  and the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, shall be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses upon whose roofs they have offered unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink-offerings unto other gods.

19:14  Then came Jeremiah from Topheth, whither YHWH had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the YHWH'S house, and said to all the people

14  And Jeremias came from the place of the Fall, whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house: and said to all the people, Thus saith the Lord;

14  Then Jeremiah arrived from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the atrium of the house of the Lord, and he said to all the people

19:15  'Thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it; because they have made their neck stiff, that they might not hear My words.'

15  Behold I bring upon this city, and upon all the cities belonging to it, and upon the villages of it, all the evils which I have spoken against it, because they have hardened their neck, that they might not hearken to my commands.

15  “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will lead over this community, and over all its cities, all the evils that I have spoken against it. For they have hardened their necks, so that they would not heed my words.”

20:1  Now Pashhur the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the house of YHWH, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

1  Now Paschor the son of Emmer, the priest, who also had been appointed chief of the house of the Lord, heard Jeremias prophesying these words.

1  And Pashhur, the son of Immer, the priest who had been appointed leader in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these words.

20:2  Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of YHWH.

2  And he smote him, and cast him into the dungeon which was by the gate of the upper house that was set apart, which was by the house of the Lord.

2  And Pashhur struck the prophet Jeremiah, and he sent him to the stocks, which were at the upper gate of Benjamin at the house of the Lord.

20:3  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him: 'YHWH hath not called thy name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.

3  And Paschor brought Jeremias out of the dungeon: and Jeremias said to him, The Lord has not called thy name Paschor, but Exile.

3  And when it had become light on the next day, Pashhur led Jeremiah from the stocks. And Jeremiah said to him: “The Lord has not called your name: ‘Pashhur,’ but instead: ‘Fear all around.’ ”

20:4  For thus saith YHWH: Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

4  For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will give you over to fear, you and all your friends, and they will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. And I will give all of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will lead them away to Babylon, and he will strike them with the sword.

20:5  Moreover I will give all the store of this city, and all the gains thereof, and all the wealth thereof, yea, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, who shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

5  And I will give all the strength of this city, and all the labours of it, and all the treasures of the king of Juda, into the hands of his enemies, and they shall bring them to Babylon.

5  And I will give away the entire substance of this city, and all its labor, and every precious thing. And I will give all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hands of their enemies. And they will plunder them, and take them away, and lead them into Babylon.

20:6  And thou, Pashhur, and all that dwell in thy house shall go into captivity; and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and there shalt thou be buried, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied falsely.'

6  But you, Pashhur, and all the inhabitants of your house, will go into captivity. And you will go to Babylon. And there you shall die. And there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied a lie.”

20:7  O YHWH, Thou hast enticed me, and I was enticed, Thou hast overcome me, and hast prevailed; I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocketh me.

7  “You have led me away, O Lord, and I have been led away. You have been stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a derision all day long; everyone mocks me.

20:8  For as often as I speak, I cry out, I cry: 'Violence and spoil'; because the word of YHWH is made a reproach unto me, and a derision, all the day.

8  For I speak now as I have long spoken: crying out against iniquity and proclaiming devastation. And the word of the Lord has been made into a reproach against me and a derision, all day long.

8  For at the time when I spoke and cried out, I spoke against the extortioners and against the robbers; because the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision daily.

20:9  And if I say: 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name', then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I weary myself to hold it in, but cannot.

9  Then I said, I will by no means name the name of the Lord, and I will no more at all speak in his name. But it was a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am utterly weakened on all sides, and cannot bear up.

9  Then I said: I will not call him to mind, nor will I speak any longer in his name. And my heart became like a raging fire, enclosed within my bones. And I became weary of continuing to bear it.

20:10  For I have heard the whispering of many, terror on every side: 'Denounce, and we will denounce him'; even of all my familiar friends, them that watch for my halting: 'Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.'

10  For I heard the insults of many, and terror all around: ‘Persecute him!’ and, ‘Let us persecute him!’ from all the men who had been at peace with me and who had kept watch by my side. ‘If only there were some way that he might be deceived, and we might prevail against him and obtain vengeance from him!’

10  For I heard the evil intentions of many, who were gathering from every side inquiring of my peace with their mouth, but hating me in their heart, saying, Point him out to us; we will stand against him; perhaps we can win him over and we shall take our revenge on him.

20:11  But YHWH is with me as a mighty warrior; therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be greatly ashamed, because they have not prospered, even with an everlasting confusion which shall never be forgotten.

11  But the Lord is with me, like a strong warrior. For this reason, those who persecute me will fall, and they will be ineffective. They will be greatly confounded. For they have not understood the everlasting disgrace that will never be wiped away.

20:12  But, O YHWH of hosts, that triest the righteous, that seest the reins and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance on them; for unto Thee have I revealed my cause.

12  O Lord, that provest just deeds, understanding the reins and hearts, let me see thy vengeance upon them: for to thee I have revealed my cause.

12  And you, O Lord of hosts, the Tester of the just, who sees the temperament and the heart: I beg you to let me see your vengeance upon them. For I have revealed my case to you.

20:13  Sing unto YHWH, praise ye the YHWH; for He hath delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evil-doers.

13  Sing ye to the Lord, sing praise to him: for he has rescued the soul of the poor from the hand of evil-doers.

13  Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD; for he has delivered the life of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

20:14  Cursed be the day wherein I was born; the day wherein my mother bore me, let it not be blessed.

14  Cursed is the day on which I was born! The day on which my mother gave birth to me: let it not be blessed!

20:15  Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying: 'A man-child is born unto thee'; making him very glad.

15  Cursed is the man who announced it to my father, saying, ‘A male child has been born to you,’ causing him to rejoice with gladness.

20:16  And let that man be as the cities which YHWH overthrew, and repented not; and let him hear a cry in the morning, and an alarm at noontide;

16  Let that man rejoice as the cities which the Lord overthrew in wrath, and repented not: let him hear crying in the morning, and loud lamentation at noon;

20:17  Because He slew me not from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.

17  So let him be, who did not put me to death from the womb, so that my mother would have been my sepulcher, and her womb would have been my eternal resting place!

17  Because he did not slay me in the womb, so that my mother might have been my grave, and my conception would have remained in the womb for ever.

20:18  Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed in shame?

21:1  The word which came unto Jeremiah from YHWH, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying

1  THE WORD THAT CAME FROM THE LORD TO JEREMIAS, WHEN KING SEDEKIAS SENT TO HIM PASCHOR THE SON OF MELCHIAS, AND SOPHONIAS SON OF BASAEAS, THE PRIEST, SAYING,

21:2  'Inquire, I pray thee, of YHWH for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; peradventure the YHWH will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he may go up from us.'

2  Enquire of the Lord for us; for the king of Babylon has risen up against us; if the Lord will do according to all his wonderful works, and the king shall depart from us.

2  “Question the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, is fighting against us. Perhaps it may be that the Lord will act toward us according to all his wonders, and he may withdraw from us.”

21:3  Then said Jeremiah unto them: Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah

3  And Jeremias said to them, Thus shall ye say to Sedekias king of Juda,

21:4  Thus saith YHWH, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, that besiege you without the walls, and I will gather them into the midst of this city.

4  Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war wherewith ye fight against the Chaldeans that have besieged you from outside the wall, and I will gather them into the midst of this city.

21:5  And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

5  And I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, with wrath and great anger.

21:6  And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.

21:7  And afterward, saith YHWH, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life; and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have compassion.

7  And after this, thus saith the Lord; I will give Sedekias king of Juda, and his servants, and the people that is left in this city from the pestilence, and from the famine, and from the sword, into the hands of their enemies, that seek their lives: and they shall cut them in pieces with the edge of the sword: I will not spare them, and I will not have compassion upon them.

7  And afterward, thus says the Lord: I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and those who have been left behind in this city after pestilence and the sword and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And he will strike them with the edge of the sword. And he will not waver, and he will not be lenient, and he will not take pity.

21:8  And unto this people thou shalt say: Thus saith YHWH: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

21:9  He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out, and falleth away to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

9  Whoever lives in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will have departed and fled away to the Chaldeans, who besiege you, will live, and his life will be to him like a spoil.

9  He who abides in this city shall die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you, he shall live, and he shall save his life.

21:10  For I have set My face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith YHWH; it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

21:11  And unto the house of the king of Judah: Hear ye the word of YHWH;

11  And concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear the word of the LORD, O house of David; thus says the LORD

21:12  O house of David, thus saith YHWH: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

12  O house of David! Thus says the Lord: Judge with judgment from early morning, and rescue anyone who is oppressed by violence from the hand of a false accuser. Otherwise, my indignation may go forth like a fire, and may flare up, and there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the evil of your intentions.

12  Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

21:13  Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith YHWH; ye that say: 'Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?'

13  Behold, I am against you, O inhabitants of a valley with firm and level ground, says the Lord. And you say: ‘Who can strike us? And who can enter into our houses?’

21:14  And I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith YHWH; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is round about her.

14  And I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.

14  But I will visit against you according to the fruit of your intentions, says the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in its forest. And it shall devour everything around it.”

22:1  Thus said YHWH: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

1  Thus saith the Lord; Go thou, and go down to the house of the king of Juda, and thou shalt speak there this word,

1  Thus says the Lord: “Descend to the house of the king of Judah, and there you shall speak this word.

22:2  and say: Hear the word of YHWH, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates.

2  Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter by these gates;

22:3  Thus saith YHWH: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor; and do no wrong, do no violence, to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

3  thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgement and justice, and rescue the spoiled out of the hand of him that wrongs him: and oppress not the stranger, and orphan, and widow, and sin not, and shed no innocent blood in this place.

3  Thus says the Lord: Exercise judgment and justice, and free anyone who is oppressed by violence from the hand of a false accuser. And do not be willing to sadden the new arrival, or the orphan, or the widow, nor should you burden them unfairly. And you shall not shed innocent blood in this place.

22:4  For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

4  For if you will indeed accomplish this word, then there will enter through the gates of this house kings from the stock of David, sitting on his throne, and riding on chariots and on horses: they, and their servants, and their people.

22:5  But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by Myself, saith YHWH, that this house shall become a desolation.

22:6  For thus saith YHWH concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou art Gilead unto Me, the head of Lebanon; yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited.

6  For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are like Gilead, like the head of Lebanon; but I will surely make you a desert, like an uninhabited city.

22:7  And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

7  and I will bring upon thee a destroying man, and his axe: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

7  And I will sanctify over you the destroying man and his weapons. And they will cut down your select cedars and throw them violently into the fire.

22:8  And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour: 'Wherefore hath YHWH done thus unto this great city?'

22:9  Then they shall answer: 'Because they forsook the covenant of YHWH their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.'

9  And they will answer: ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God, and they adored strange gods and served them.’

22:10  Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

10  Weep not for the dead, nor lament for him: weep bitterly for him that goes away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native land.

10  You should not choose to weep for the dead, nor should you mourn over them with tears. Lament for him who is departing, for he will return no more, nor will he see his native land again.

22:11  For thus saith YHWH touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went forth out of this place: He shall not return thither any more;

11  For thus saith the Lord concerning Sellem the son of Josias, who reigns in the place of Josias his father, who has gone forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more

11  For thus says the Lord to Shallum, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, who reigned in place of his father, who has departed from this place: He will not return here again.

22:12  but in the place whither they have led him captive, there shall he die, and he shall see this land no more.

12  Instead, he will die in the place to which I have transferred him, and he will not see this land anymore.

22:13  Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not his hire;

13  He that builds his house not with justice, and his upper chambers not with judgement, who works by means of his neighbour for nothing, and will by no means give him his reward.

13  Woe to one who builds his house with injustice and his upper rooms without judgment, who oppresses his friend without cause and does not pay him his wages.

22:14  That saith: 'I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers', and cutteth him out windows, and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

14  And he says: ‘I will build a broad house for myself, with spacious upper rooms.’ He makes windows for himself, and he builds the roof out of cedar, and he paints it with red ocher.

22:15  Shalt thou reign, because thou strivest to excel in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.

15  Will you reign because you compare yourself to the cedar? Did your father not eat and drink, and act with judgment and justice, so that it would be well with him?

15  Shall you reign and rejoice by living in palaces built with cedar? Indeed, your father did eat and drink, but he also did justice and righteousness, therefore I did good to him.

22:16  He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know Me? saith YHWH.

16  They understood not, they judged not the cause of the afflicted, nor the cause of the poor: is not this thy not knowing me? saith the Lord.

16  He did justice to the cause of the poor and needy; and he did well; he who does these things, knows me, says the LORD.

22:17  But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

17  Behold, thine eyes are not good, nor thine heart, but they go after thy covetousness, and after the innocent blood to shed it, and after acts of injustice and slaughter, to commit them.

17  Yet truly, your eyes and your heart are toward avarice and the shedding of innocent blood, and toward false accusations and the pursuit of evil deeds.

22:18  Therefore thus saith YHWH concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: They shall not lament for him: 'Ah my brother!' or: 'Ah sister!' They shall not lament for him: 'Ah lord!' or: 'Ah his glory!'

18  Because of this, thus says the Lord toward Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not mourn for him by saying, ‘Alas,’ to a brother, or, ‘Alas,’ to a sister. They will not make a noise for him and say, ‘Alas,’ to a master, or, ‘Alas,’ to a nobleman.

22:19  He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

22:20  Go up to Lebanon, and cry, and lift up thy voice in Bashan; and cry from Abarim, for all thy lovers are destroyed.

20  Ascend to Lebanon and cry out! And utter your voice in Bashan, and cry out to those passing by. For all your lovers have been crushed.

22:21  I spoke unto thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst: 'I will not hear.' This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou hearkenedst not to My voice.

21  I spoke to thee on occasion of thy trespass, but thou saidst, I will not hearken. This has been thy way from thy youth, thou hast not hearkened to my voice.

21  I spoke to you in your abundance, and you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, for you have not listened to my voice.

22:22  The wind shall feed upon all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity; surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

22  The wind will feed all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. And then you will be confounded, and you will be ashamed of all your wickedness.

22  All of your shepherds shall be smitten by the east wind, and your lovers shall go into captivity; surely then you shall be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness.

22:23  O inhabitant of Lebanon, that art nestled in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!

23  O thou that dwellest in Libanus, making thy nest in the cedars, thou shalt groan heavily, when pangs as of a travailing woman are come upon thee.

23  You who sit in Lebanon, and who nest in the cedars, in what way did you mourn when suffering came to you, like the suffering of a woman giving birth?

22:24  As I live, saith YHWH, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon My right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

24  As I live, says the Lord, if Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a ring on my right hand, I would remove him from there.

22:25  and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them of whom thou art afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

25  and I will deliver thee into the hands of them that seek thy life, before whom thou art afraid, into the hands of the Chaldeans.

25  And I will deliver you into the hand of the men who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose presence you fear, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

22:26  And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bore thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.

26  And I will send you, and your mother who conceived you, into a foreign land, in which you were not born, and there you shall die.

22:27  But to the land whereunto they long to return, thither shall they not return.

27  But they shall by no means return to the land which they long for in their souls.

27  And to the land about which they lift up their mind, thinking to return there, they shall not return.

22:28  Is this man Coniah a despised, broken image? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not?

28  Jechonias is dishonoured as a good-for-nothing vessel; for he is thrown out and cast forth into a land which he knew not.

28  this Jecaniah is a little man and a fool, he is like a useless vessel; this is why he is carried away, he and his children, and cast into a land which he knows not.

22:29  O land, land, land, hear the word of YHWH.

29  Land, land, hear the word of the Lord.

29  O earth, O earth, O earth! Listen to the word of the Lord!

22:30  Thus saith YHWH: Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

30  Write ye this man an outcast: for there shall none of his seed at all grow up to sit on the throne of David, or as a prince yet in Juda.

30  Thus says the Lord: Write: this man is barren; he is a man who will not prosper in his days. For there will not be a man from among his offspring who will sit upon the throne of David, or have authority in Judah, anymore.”

23:1  Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! saith YHWH.

1  “Woe to the shepherds who scatter and tear apart the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord.

23:2  Therefore thus saith YHWH, the God of Israel, against the shepherds that feed My people: Ye have scattered My flock, and driven them away, and have not taken care of them; behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the YHWH.

2  Because of this, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to the shepherds who pasture my people: You have scattered my flock, and you have driven them away, and you have not visited them. Behold, I will visit upon you because of your evil pursuits, says the Lord.

23:3  And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.

3  And I will gather in the remnant of my people in every land, whither I have driven them out, and will set them in their pasture; and they shall increase and be multiplied.

3  And I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the entire earth, from the places to which I had cast them out. And I will return them to their own fields. And they will increase and be multiplied.

23:4  And I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith YHWH.

4  And I will raise up shepherds over them, and they will pasture them. They will no longer dread, and they will no longer fear. And no one among their number will be seeking more, says the Lord.

23:5  Behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that I will raise unto David a righteous shoot, and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

5  Behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch. And a king will reign, and he will be wise. And he will exercise judgment and justice upon the earth.

23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, YHWH is our righteousness.

6  In his days both Juda shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely: and this is his name, which the Lord shall call him, Josedec among the prophets.

6  In those days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in confidence. And this is the name that they will call him: ‘The Lord, our Just One.’

23:7  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that they shall no more say: 'As the YHWH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt';

7  Because of this, behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who led the sons of Israel away from the land of Egypt,’

7  Therefore, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it shall never be said again, The LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

23:8  but: 'As YHWH liveth, that brought up and that led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries whither I had driven them'; and they shall dwell in their own land.

8  but The Lord lives, who has gathered the whole seed of Israel from the north land, and from all the countries whither he had driven them out, and has restored them into their own land.

8  but instead, ‘As the Lord lives, who led away and brought back the offspring of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from the entire earth,’ from the places to which I had cast them out. And they will live in their own land.”

23:9  Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome; because of YHWH, and because of His holy words.

9  My heart is broken within me; all my bones are shaken: I am become as a broken-down man, and as a man overcome with wine, because of the Lord, and because of the excellence of his glory.

9  To the prophets: “My heart is crushed within me. All my bones are trembling. I have become like an inebriated man, and like a man maddened by wine, before the face of the Lord, and before the face of his holy words.

23:10  For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth, the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

10  For because of these things the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is become evil, and so also their strength.

10  For the earth is full of adulterers! And the earth has mourned before the face of evil talk. The plains of the desert have dried up, and their course has become hazardous, and their firmness has become uneven.”

23:11  For both prophet and priest are ungodly; yea, in My house have I found their wickedness, saith YHWH.

11  For priest and prophet are defiled; and I have seen their iniquities in my house.

11  “For both the prophet and the priest have become polluted, and I have found their wickedness within my own house, says the Lord.

23:12  Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery places in the darkness, they shall be thrust, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith YHWH.

12  Therefore let their way be to them slippery and dark: and they shall be tripped up and fall in it: for I will bring evils upon them, in the year of their visitation.

12  For this reason, their way will be like a slippery path in the dark. For they will be impelled forward, and they will fall in it. For I will bring evils over them, in the year of their visitation, says the Lord.

23:13  And I have seen unseemliness in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal, and caused My people Israel to err.

13  And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.

23:14  But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies, and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them become unto Me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

14  And in the prophets of Jerusalem, I have seen the likeness of adulterers and the path of falsehood. And they have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that each one would not convert from his malice. They have all become to me like Sodom, and its inhabitants have become like Gomorrah.”

14  I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem folly; they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen also the hands of their friends, so that no one turns from his evil way; they are all of them to me like Sodom, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.

23:15  Therefore thus saith YHWH of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.

15  Because of this, thus says the Lord of hosts to the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them absinthe, and I will give them gall to drink. For from the prophets of Jerusalem corruption has gone forth over the entire earth.”

23:16  Thus saith YHWH of hosts: Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you, they lead you unto vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the YHWH.

16  Thus saith the Lord Almighty, Hearken not to the words of the prophets: for they frame a vain vision for themselves; they speak from their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord.

16  Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not choose to listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you and deceive you. They speak a vision from their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord.

23:17  They say continually unto them that despise Me: 'YHWH hath said: Ye shall have peace'; and unto every one that walketh in the stubbornness of his own heart they say: 'No evil shall come upon you';

17  They say to them that reject the word of the Lord, There shall be peace to you; and to all that walk after their own lusts, and to everyone that walks in the error of his heart, they have said, No evil shall come upon thee.

23:18  For who hath stood in the council of YHWH, that he should perceive and hear His word? Who hath attended to His word, and heard it?

18  For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has hearkened, and heard?

18  For who has been present in the counsel of the Lord, and who has seen and heard his word? Who has considered his word and heard it?

23:19  Behold, a storm of YHWH is gone forth in fury, yea, a whirling storm; it shall whirl upon the head of the wicked.

19  Behold, there is an earthquake from the Lord, and anger proceeds to a convulsion, it shall come violently upon the ungodly.

19  Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord’s indignation will go forth, and a tempest will break out; it will overwhelm the head of the impious.

23:20  The anger of YHWH shall not return, until He have executed, and till He have performed the purposes of His heart; in the end of days ye shall consider it perfectly.

20  And the Lord’s wrath shall return no more, until he have accomplished it, and until he have established it, according to the purpose of his heart: at the end of the days they shall understand it.

20  The fury of the Lord will not return until it succeeds, and until it completes the plan of his heart. In the last days, you will understand this counsel.

23:21  I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

21  I sent not the prophets, yet they ran: neither spoke I to them, yet they prophesied.

21  “I did not send these prophets, yet they hurry forward. I was not speaking to them, yet they were prophesying.

23:22  But if they have stood in My council, then let them cause My people to hear My words, and turn them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

22  If they had stood in my counsel, and if I had made my words known to my people, certainly I would have turned them away from their evil ways and from their most wicked plans.

23:23  Am I a God near at hand, saith YHWH, and not a God afar off?

23  I am a God nigh at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off.

23  Do you not realize that I am a God close by, says the Lord, and not a God far away?

23:24  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith YHWH. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the YHWH.

24  If a man is hidden in concealed places, do I not see him, says the Lord? Do I not fill up heaven and earth, says the Lord?

24  If any man should hide himself in secret places, I will see him, says the LORD; behold, heaven and earth are filled with me, says the LORD of hosts.

23:25  I have heard what the prophets have said, that prophesy lies in My name, saying: 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'

23:26  How long shall this be? Is it in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, and the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?

23:27  That think to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.

27  who devise that men may forget my law by their dreams, which they have told every one to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot my name in the worship of Baal.

23:28  The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word; let him speak My word faithfully. What hath the straw to do with the wheat? saith YHWH.

28  The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; and he in whom is my word spoken to him, let him tell my word truly: what is the chaff to the corn? so are my words, saith the Lord.

28  The prophet who sees a dream, let him tell a dream; but he who has my words, let him speak my words faithfully. Why do you mix chaff with the wheat? says the LORD.

23:29  Is not My word like as fire? saith YHWH; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

29  Behold, are not my words as fire? saith the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?

23:30  Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith YHWH, that steal My words every one from his neighbour.

30  Behold, I am therefore against the prophets, saith the Lord God, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

23:31  Behold, I am against the prophets, saith YHWH, that use their tongues and say: 'He saith.'

23:32  Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith YHWH, and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies, and by their wantonness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither can they profit this people at all, saith the YHWH.

32  Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets that prophesy false dreams, and have not told them truly, and have caused my people to err by their lies, and by their errors; yet I sent them not, and commanded them not; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all.

32  Behold, I am against the prophets, who dream what is false, says the Lord; who explain and so seduce my people with their falsehoods and with their miracles, though I did not send them, nor did I command them. They have offer nothing beneficial to this people, says the Lord.

23:33  And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying: 'What is the burden of YHWH?' then shalt thou say unto them: 'What burden! I will cast you off, saith the YHWH.'

33  Therefore, if this people, or a prophet, or a priest questions you, saying, ‘What is the burden of the Lord?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden. And certainly I will cast you away, says the Lord.’

33  land when this people, or a prophet or a priest, shall ask you, and say to you, What is the word of the LORD? you shall say to them, This is the word of the LORD: I will utterly uproot you, says the LORD.

23:34  And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say: 'The burden of YHWH', I will even punish that man and his house.

34  As for the prophet, and the priests, and the people, who shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even take vengeance on that man, and on his house.

23:35  Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother: 'What hath YHWH answered?' and: 'What hath the YHWH spoken?'

35  And then you will speak in this way, each one to his neighbor and to his brother: ‘What has the Lord answered? And what has the Lord said?’

23:36  And the burden of YHWH shall ye mention no more; for every man's own word shall be his burden; and would ye pervert the words of the living God, of the YHWH of hosts our God?

36  And do ye name no more the burden of the Lord; for his own word shall be a man’s burden.

23:37  Thus shalt thou say to the prophet: 'What hath YHWH answered thee?' and: 'What hath the YHWH spoken?'

37  But wherefore, say ye, has the Lord our God spoken?

37  And then you will speak in this way to the prophet: ‘What has the Lord answered you? And what has the Lord spoken?’

23:38  But if ye say: 'The burden of YHWH'; therefore thus saith the YHWH: Because ye say this word: 'The burden of the LORD', and I have sent unto you, saying: 'Ye shall not say: The burden of the LORD';

38  Therefore thus saith the Lord our God; Because ye have spoken this word, The burden of the Lord, and I sent to you, saying, ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord;

38  But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord!’ then because of this, thus says the Lord: Since you have spoken this word, ‘The burden of the Lord!’ though I sent to you telling you not to say: ‘The burden of the Lord,’

23:39  therefore, behold, I will utterly tear you out, and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave unto you and to your fathers, away from My presence;

39  therefore, behold, I will seize, and dash down you and the city which I gave to you and your fathers.

39  because of this, behold, I will take you away, like a burden, and I will forsake you, as well as the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, before my face.

23:40  and I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

40  And I will give you over to an everlasting reproach and an eternal disgrace, which shall never be wiped away into oblivion.”