1 T he word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

هَذِهِ هِيَ رِسالَةُ اللهِ الَّتِي جاءَتْ إلَى إرْمِيا مِنَ اللهِ بِخُصُوصِ القَحطِ:

2 J udah mourns and her gates languish; sit in black upon the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.

«يَهُوذا تَنُوحُ، وَأبوابُها ذَبُلَتْ. وَالأرْضُ يَكسُوها السَّوادُ، وَالقُدسُ تَصِيحُ بِحُزنٍ شَدِيدٍ.

3 A nd their nobles send their little ones and their inferiors for water; they come to the cisterns and find no water. They return with empty vessels; they are put to shame and confounded and cover their heads.

أشرافُهُمْ يُرسِلُونَ صِغارَهُمْ إلَى الماءِ، يَأتُونَ إلَى الآبارِ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لا يَجِدُونَ ماءً. خَزُوا وَذَلُّوا، لِذَلِكَ غَطُّوا رُؤُوسَهُمْ.

4 B ecause the ground is cracked and the tillers are dismayed, since there has been no rain on the land, the plowmen are put to shame, and they cover their heads.

لأنَّ الأرْضَ مُشَقَّقَةٌ إذْ لَمْ يَأتِ مَطَرٌ عَلَى الأرْضِ. خَزِيَ الفَلّاحُونَ وَغَطُّوا رُؤُوسَهُمْ.

5 Y es, even the hind gives birth to her calf in the field and forsakes it, because there is no grass or herbage.

حَتَّى الإيَلَةُ تَلِدُ فِي الحَقلِ، وَمِنْ ثُمَّ تَترُكُ صَغِيرَها.

6 A nd the wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals or crocodiles; their eyesight fails because there is no grass.

تَقِفُ الحَمِيرُ الوَحشِيَّةُ عَلَى المُرتَفَعاتِ الجَرداءِ، لِتَستَنشِقَ الهَواءَ كَبَناتِ آوَى. كَلَّتْ عُيُونُهُمْ إذْ لا عُشبَ هُناكَ.»

7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, deal and work with us for Your own name’s sake! For our backslidings are many; we have sinned against You.

«يا اللهُ ، وَإنْ كانَتْ آثامُنا تَشهَدُ ضِدَّنا، لَكِنِ اعمَلْ شَيئاً لأجلِ سُمعَتِكَ وَاسْمِكَ. لأنَّنا ابتَعَدنا عَنكَ مَرّاتٍ كَثِيرَةً، وَأخطَأنا ضِدَّكَ.

8 O Hope of Israel, her Savior in time of trouble, why should You be like a sojourner in the land and like a wayfaring man who turns aside and spreads his tent to tarry for a night?

يا رَجاءَ إسْرائِيلَ، أنتَ تُنْقِذُهُمْ فِي وَقتِ الضِّيقِ. فَلِماذا أنتَ كَالغَرِيبِ فِي هَذِهِ الأرْضِ، كَمُسافِرٍ سَيَقضِي لَيلَتَهُ وَيَذْهَبُ؟

9 W hy should You be like a man stunned and confused, like a mighty man who cannot save? Yet You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by Your name; do not leave us!

فَلِماذا تَتَصَرَّفُ كَرَجُلٍ مُتَحَيِّرٍ، وَكَمُحارِبٍ عاجِزٍ عَنِ الإنقاذِ؟ يا اللهُ ، أنتَ فِي وَسَطِنا، وَنَحنُ نُدعَى باسمِكَ، لِذا لا تَترُكْنا.»

10 T hus says the Lord to this people: In the manner and to the degree already pointed out have they loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins.

هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ عَنْ هَذا الشَّعبِ: «أحَبَّتْ أرجُلُهُمُ أنْ تَضِلَّ بَعِيداً، وَلَمْ يَضبُطُوا أنفُسَهُمْ. وَلِهَذا فَاللهُ غَيرُ راضٍ عَنهُمْ، وَسَيَتَعامَلُ مَعَهُمْ بِحَسَبِ آثامِهِمْ، وَسَيُعاقِبُ خَطاياهُمْ.»

11 T he Lord said to me, Do not pray for this people for their good.

ثُمَّ قالَ اللهُ لِي: «لا تُصَلِّ لأجلِ خَيرِ هَذا الشَّعبِ.

12 T hough they fast, I will not hear their cry; and though they offer burnt offering and cereal offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.

وَإنْ صامُوا فَلَنْ أستَمِعَ إلَى تَضَرُّعاتِهِمْ. وَإنْ قَدَّمُوا ذَبائِحَ وَتَقدِماتٍ، فَلَنْ أرْضَى عَنْهُمْ. لأنِّي سَأُبِيدُهُمْ فِي المَعرَكَةِ وَبِالجُوعِ وَالمَرَضِ.»

13 T hen said I, Alas, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say to them, You will not see the sword, nor will you have famine; but I will give you assured peace (peace that lasts, the peace of truth) in this place.

فَقُلْتُ: «يا اللهُ ، الأنبِياءُ يَقُولُونَ لَهُمْ: ‹لا تَخافُوا السَّيفَ وَالمَجاعَةَ، فَلَنْ تَأتِيَ عَلَيكُمْ، لأنَّكَ سَتُعطِيهِمْ سَلاماً فِي هَذا المَكانِ.›»

14 T hen the Lord said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, nor have I spoken to them. They prophesy to you a false or pretended vision, a worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.

فَقالَ اللهُ لِي: «الأنبِياءُ يَتَنَبَّأُونَ بِالكَذِبِ بِاسمِي. وَأنا لَمْ أُرسِلْهُمْ وَلَمْ آمُرْهُمْ، وَلَمْ أتَكَلَّمْ إلَيهِمْ. كانُوا يَتَنَبَّأُونَ لَكُمْ بِرُؤيا كاذِبَةٍ، وَعِرافَةٍ باطِلَةٍ، وَبِأفكارِهِمِ الخادِعَةِ.

15 T herefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name—although I did not send them—and who say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

لِذَلِكَ، هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ عَنِ الأنبِياءِ الَّذِينَ يَتَنَبَّأُونَ بِاسْمِي، مَعَ أنِّي لَمْ أُرسِلْهُمْ، الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ: ‹لَنْ يَأتِيَ السَّيفُ وَالجُوعُ عَلَى هَذِهِ الأرْضِ.› هُمْ سَيُقتَلُونَ بِالسَّيفِ وَالجُوعِ.

16 A nd the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword; and they shall have none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their wickedness upon them.

حِينَئِذٍ، سَيُطرَحُ الشَّعبُ الَّذِي كانُوا يَتَنَبَّأُونَ لَهُ فِي شَوارِعِ القُدْسِ بِسَبَبِ المَجاعَةِ وَالسَّيفِ. وَلَنْ يَكُونَ هُناكَ أحَدٌ لِيَدفِنَهُمْ. سَأسْكُبُ عَلَى الأنبِياءِ الكَذَبَةِ وَعَلَى نِسائِهِمْ وَعَلَى أولادِهِمْ وَعَلَى بَناتِهِمِ الشَّرَّ الَّذِي عَمِلُوهُ.

17 T herefore you shall say to them, Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people has been smitten with a great wound, with a very grievous blow.

«حِينَئِذٍ، سَتُخبِرُهُمْ يا إرْمِيا بِهَذِهِ الرِّسالَةِ: «‹أذْرِفُ الدُّمُوعَ لَيلاً وَنَهاراً بِلا تَوَقُّفٍ، بِسَبَبِ الخَرابِ العَظِيمِ الَّذِي أتَى عَلَى شَعبِي، وَبِسَبَبِ الجُرحِ الألِيمِ الَّذِي يُعانُونَ مِنهُ.

18 I f I go out into the field, then behold, those slain with the sword! And if I enter the city, then behold, those tormented with the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest go about not knowing what to do or as beggars in a land that they know not, and they have no knowledge.

إنْ ذَهَبتُ إلَى الحَقلِ، أرَى المَطعُونِينَ فِي المَعرَكَةِ. وَإنْ دَخَلْتُ إلَى المَدِينَةِ، أرَى المُنهَكِينَ مِنَ الجُوعِ. لأنَّ الأنبياءَ وَالكَهَنَةَ يَتجُولُونَ فِي أرْضٍ لا يَعرِفُونَ شَيئاً عَنها.›»

19 h ave You utterly rejected Judah? Do You loathe Zion? Why have You smitten us so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace and completeness, but no good came, and for a time of healing, but behold, dismay, disaster, and terror!

هَلْ رَفَضْتَ يَهُوذا تَماماً؟ هَلْ كَرِهْتَ صِهْيَوْنَ؟ لِماذا تَضرِبُنا هَكَذا، فَلا يَعُودُ لنا شِفاءٌ؟ نَنتَظِرُ السَّلامَ، وَلَكِنْ لا خَيرَ هُناكَ. انتَظَرْنا وَقتَ الشِّفاءِ، فَجاءَ الرُّعبُ.

20 W e know and acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against You.

يا اللهُ ، نَعرِفُ خَطايانا، وَنَعرِفُ إثمَ آبائِنا. نَعرِفُ أنَّنا أخطَأنا ضِدَّكَ.

21 D o not abhor, condemn, and spurn us, for Your name’s sake; do not dishonor, debase, and lightly esteem Your glorious throne; remember, break not Your covenant or solemn pledge with us.

لا تَرفُضْنا، لِكَي تَعظُمَ سُمعَتُكَ. لا تُهِنْ عَرشَكَ المَجِيدَ. تَذَكَّرْ عَهدَكَ مَعَنا، وَلا تَنقُضْهُ.

22 A re there any among the false gods of the nations who can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait for You, for You have made all these things.

هَلْ بَينَ الآلِهَةِ الباطِلَةِ الّتِي تَعْبُدُها الأُمَمُ إلَهٌ يُرسِلُ المَطَرَ؟ أمْ هَلْ تُعطِي السَّماواتُ مَطَراً مِنْ ذاتِها؟ ألَستَ أنتَ هُوَ إلَهَنا ؟ لِذا نَتَّكِلُ عَلَيكَ، لأنَّكَ أنتَ عَمِلْتَ كُلّ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ.