1 ي ا اللهُ ، سَتَكُونُ أنتَ عَلَى حَقٍّ دائِماً، لَوْ دَخَلْتُ فِي مُخاصَمَةٍ ضِدَّكَ. لَكِنِ اسْمَحْ لِي فَأعْرِضَ عَلَيكَ أسئِلَتِي: لِماذا يَزدَهِرُ طَرِيقُ الأشرارِ؟ لِماذا يَعِيشُ غَيرُ الصّادِقِينَ بِراحَةٍ؟

Righteous are You, O Lord, that I would plead my case with You; Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?

2 ز َرَعْتَهُمْ فَصارَتْ لَهُمْ جُذُورٌ، ازدَهَرُوا وَحَمَلُوا ثَمَراً. يَتَكَلَّمُونَ عَنكَ بِشَكلٍ مُستَمِرٍّ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لَيسُوا صادِقِينَ.

You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their mind.

3 ل َكِنْ يا اللهُ ، أنتَ تَعرِفُنِي أنتَ رَأيتَنِي، وَقَدِ اختَبَرتَ قَلبِي بِنَفسِكَ. اسحَبهُمْ كَغَنَمٍ لِلذَّبحِ، أفرِزْهُمْ لِيَومِ القَتلِ.

But You know me, O Lord; You see me; And You examine my heart’s attitude toward You. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage!

4 إ لَى مَتَى سَتَبقَى الأرْضُ جافَّةً، وَعُشبُ كُلِّ الحُقُولِ ذابِلاً؟ بِسَبَبِ شَرِّ سُكّانِها. وَوُحُوشُ الأرْضِ وَالطُّيُورُ فَنِيَتْ. أعرِفُ أنَّهُمْ أشرارٌ لأنَّهُمْ يُقُولُونَ: «لَنْ يَرَى ما سَيَحدُثُ لَنا فِي المُستَقبَلِ.» جَوابُ اللهِ لإرْمِيا

How long is the land to mourn And the vegetation of the countryside to wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, Animals and birds have been snatched away, Because men have said, “He will not see our latter ending.”

5 ف َقالَ اللهُ: «إنْ تَسابَقْتَ مَعَ النّاسِ فَأنهَكُوكَ، فَكَيفَ سَتُنافِسُ الخَيلَ. وَإنْ كُنتَ تَسْقُطُ فِي الأرْضِ الآمِنَةِ، فَماذا سَتَفعَلُ فِي الغاباتِ المُحِيطَةِ بِنَهرِ الأُردُنِّ.

“If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

6 ح َتَّى أقرِباؤُكَ كانُوا كاذِبِينَ مَعَكَ، وَهُمْ أنفُسُهُمْ صَرَخُوا عَلَيكَ. لا تَثِقْ بِهِمْ، حَتَّى وَإنْ قالُوا لَكَ كَلاماً جَميلاً. رَفضُ اللهِ لِشَعبِهِ يَهُوذا

“For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.” God’s Answer

7 « تَرَكتُ بَيتِي، هَجَرتُ مِيراثِي. سَلَّمتُ حَبِيبَةَ قَلبِي لِيَدِ أعدائِها.

“I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies.

8 ص ارَ مِيراثِي لِي كَأسَدٍ فِي الغابَةِ. رَفَعْتْ عَلَيَّ صَوتَها، فَرَفَضْتُها.

“My inheritance has become to Me Like a lion in the forest; She has roared against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her.

9 ه َلِ الضَّبعُ جائِعٌ لأرْضِي وَشَعبِي؟ أحاطَتْ بِهِمُ الطُّيُورُ الجارِحَةُ. تَعالَي أيَّتُها الحَيواناتُ البَرِّيَّةُ، تَعالَي وَكُلِي.

“Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side? Go, gather all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour!

10 ر ُعاةٌ كَثِيرُونَ خَرَّبُوا كَرمِي، داسُوا نَصِيبِيَ الغالِي، وَحَوَّلُوهُ إلَى صَحراءَ خَرِبَةٍ.

“Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard, They have trampled down My field; They have made My pleasant field A desolate wilderness.

11 ح َوَّلُوها إلَى خَرابٍ يَنُوحُ لِي وَهُوَ خَرِبٌ. خَرِبَتْ كُلُّ الأرْضِ، لأنَّهُ لا أحَدَ يَهْتَمُّ.

“ It has been made a desolation, Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made desolate, Because no man lays it to heart.

12 ل ِذَلِكَ أتَى المُخَرِّبُونَ مِنَ الأماكِنِ القاحِلَةِ فِي الصَّحراءِ، لأنَّ سَيفَ اللهِ يَأكُلُ مِنْ أقصَى الأرْضِ إلَى أقصاها الآخَرِ. لا يُوجَدُ أمانٌ لأيِّ حَيٍّ فِيها.

“On all the bare heights in the wilderness Destroyers have come, For a sword of the Lord is devouring From one end of the land even to the other; There is no peace for anyone.

13 ز َرَعُوا قَمحاً، لَكِنَّهُمْ حَصَدُوا أشواكاً. عَمِلُوا بِقُوَّةٍ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَنجَحُوا. سَيَخجَلُونَ مِنْ مَحاصِيلِهِمْ، بِسَبَبِ غَضَبِ اللهِ عَلَيهِمْ.» وَعدُ اللهِ لِجِيرانِ إسْرائِيل

“They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns, They have strained themselves to no profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

14 ه َذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «بِالنِّسبَةِ لِلسُّكّانِ الأشرارِ فِي الأراضِي المُجاوِرَةِ لِمِيراثِي الَّذِي أعطَيتُهُ لِشَعبِيَ إسْرائِيلَ: سَأنزَعُهُمْ مِنْ أرْضِهِمْ، وَسَأنزَعُ بَنِي يَهُوذا مِنْ وَسَطِهِمْ.

Thus says the Lord concerning all My wicked neighbors who strike at the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel, “Behold I am about to uproot them from their land and will uproot the house of Judah from among them.

15 و َبَعدَ نَزعِي لَهُمْ، سَأرحَمُهُمْ ثانِيَةً. سَأُرجِعُ كُلَّ واحِدٍ مِنهُمْ إلَى مِيراثِهِ، وَإلَى أرْضِهِ.

And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.

16 و َإنْ تَعَلَّمُوا فِعلاً طُرُقَ شَعبِي، بِأًنْ يَحلِفُوا بِاسْمِي وَيَقُولوا: ‹نُقْسِمُ باللهِ الحَيِّ› حِينَئِذٍ، سَيُثمِرُونَ وَسَطَ شَعبِي.

Then if they will really learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught My people to swear by Baal, they will be built up in the midst of My people.

17 و َلَكِنْ إنْ لَمْ يَفعَلُوا، فَإنِّي سَأنزِعُ تِلكَ الأُمَّةَ وَأُدَمِّرُها،» يَقُولُ اللهُ.

But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.