1 ه َذِهِ رِسالَةٌ نَبَوِيَّةٌ أعطاها اللهُ لإرْمِيا:

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying,

2 ق ُمْ وَانزِلْ إلَى بَيتِ الفَخّارِيِّ، وَبَينَما أنتَ هُناكَ سَأُخبِرُكَ بِكَلامِي لِهَذا الشَّعبِ.»

“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.”

3 ف َنَزَلتُ إلَى بَيتِ الفَخّارِيِّ، بَينَما كانَ يَصنَعُ شَيئاً عَلَى دُولابِهِ.

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.

4 ف َتَلِفَ الإناءُ الَّذِي كانَ الفَخّارِيُّ يُشَكِّلُهُ بِيَدَيهِ. فَابتَدَأ مِنْ جَدِيدٍ، وَصَنَعَ وِعاءً آخَرَ كَما أرادَهُ الفَخّارِيُّ أنْ يَكُونَ.

But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

5 ه َذا هُوَ ما قالَهُ اللهُ لِي.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,

6 ي َقُولُ اللهُ: «يا بَني إسْرائِيلَ، ألا أستَطِيعُ أنْ أُفعَلَ بِكُمْ كَما فَعَلَ هَذا الفَخّارِيُّ؟ كَالفَخّارِ فِي يَدِ الفَخّارِيِّ، هَكَذا أنتُمْ فِي يَدَي يا بَني إسْرائِيلَ.

“Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does ?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

7 ق َدْ أُعلِنُ، فِي وَقتٍ ما، أنِّي سَأقتَلِعُ أُمَّةً أوْ مَملَكَةً، وَأكسِرُها وَأُدَمِّرُها.

At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;

8 و َلَكِنْ إنْ تابَتْ تِلكَ الأُمَّةُ نَفسُها عَنْ شَرِّها، فَإنِّي سَأتَراجَعُ عَنِ الدَّمارِ الَّذِي كُنْتُ سَأُنِزِلُهُ بِها.

if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.

9 و َقَدْ أُعلِنُ، فِي وَقتٍ آخَرَ، أنِّي سَأبنِي أوْ أغرِسُ أُمَّةً أوْ مَملَكَةً.

Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;

10 و َلَكِنْ إنْ صَنَعَتِ الشَّرَّ أمامِي، وَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ صَوتِي، فَإنِّي سَأتَراجَعُ عَنِ الخَيرِ الَّذِي كُنتُ سَأفعَلُهُ بِها.

if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.

11 « وَالآنَ، قُلْ لِبَنِي يَهُوذا وَلِسُكّانِ القُدْسِ: ‹هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: ها أنا أُشَكِّلُ الشَّرَّ ضِدَّكُمْ، وَأُخَطِّطُ ضِدَّكُمْ. فَتُوبُوا عَنْ طُرُقِكُمُ الشِّرِّيرَةِ، وَأصلِحُوا طُرُقَكُمْ وَأعمالَكُمْ.›

So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’

12 و َلَكِنَّهُمْ سَيَقُولُونَ: ‹وَلِماذا نَهتَمُّ بِهَذا؟ سَنَسِيرُ وَراءَ خُطَطِنا. وَكُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنّا سَيَعمَلُ الشَّرَّ الَّذِي يُرِيدُهُ بِعِنادٍ.›»

But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

13 ل ِذَلِكَ هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «اسألُوا بَينَ الأُمَمِ: ‹مَنْ سَمِعَ بِشَعبٍ كَهَذا؟› العَزِيزَةُ إسْرائِيلُ عَمِلَتْ شَيئاً كَرِيهاً جِدّاً.

“Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘ Ask now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of this? The virgin of Israel Has done a most appalling thing.

14 ه َلْ يُمكِنُ لِثَلجِ لُبنانَ أنْ يَترُكَ قِمَّتَهُ الصَّخرِيَّةَ؟ هَلْ يُمكِنُ لِلمِياهِ البارِدَةِ المُتَدَفِّقَةِ أنْ تَجِفَّ؟

‘Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?

15 أ مّا شَعبِيَ فَنَسِيَنِي، أحرَقُوا بَخُوراً لِلأوثانِ الباطِلَةِ الَّتِي جَعَلَتْهُمْ يَتَعَثَّرُونَ فِي طُرُقِهِمْ، فِي السُّبُلِ القَدِيمَةِ.

‘For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway,

16 س َتَصِيرُ أرْضُهُمْ خَراباً وَمَوضِعَ استِهزاءٍ أبَدِيٍّ. كُلُّ مَنْ يَمُرُّ فِيها سَيَرتَعِبُ، وَسَيَهُزُّونَ رُؤُوسَهُمْ فِي حُزنٍ عَلَيها.

To make their land a desolation, An object of perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head.

17 م ِثلَ رِيحٍ شَرقِيَّةٍ سَأُبَدِّدُهُمْ أمامَ عَدُوِّهُمْ. وَسَأبتَعِدُ عَنهُمْ فِي يَومِ ضِيقِهِمْ.» شَكوَى إرْمِيا الرّابِعَة

‘Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.’”

18 ث ُمَّ قالَوا: «تَعالَوْا نَتَآمَرْ عَلَى إرْمِيا، لأنَّ الكَهَنَةَ سَيَستَمِرُّونَ فِي تَعلِيمِ الشَّرِيعَةِ، وَالحُكَماءَ فِي تَقدِيمِ النَّصِيحَةِ، وَالأنبِياءَ فِي التَّكَلُّمِ بِكَلامِ اللهِ. تَعالَوْا نَستَهزِئْ بِهِ، وَنَسْتَهِنْ بِكُلِّ كَلامِهِ.»

Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words.”

19 ي ا اللهُ ، أصغِ إلَيَّ، وَاسمَعْ صَوتَ شَكوايَ.

Do give heed to me, O Lord, And listen to what my opponents are saying!

20 ه َلْ يُجازَى أحَدٌ بِشَرٍّ مُقابِلَ الخَيرِ؟ أمّا خُصُومِي فَقَدْ حَفَرُوا حُفرَةً لِقَتلِي. تَذَكَّرْ كَيفَ وَقَفْتُ أمامَكَ لأُدافِعَ عَنهُمْ حَتَّى أُبعِدَ غَضَبَكَ عَنهُمْ.

Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away Your wrath from them.

21 ل ِذَلِكَ سَلِّمْ بَنِيهِمْ لِلجُوعِ، وَلْيُقتَلُوا بِالسُّيُوفِ. لِتُحْرَمْ نِساؤُهُمْ مِنَ الأبْناءِ وَالأزْواجِ، وَليَقتُلِ الوباءُ رِجالَهُمْ، وَليُضرَبْ شَبابُهُمْ بِالسُّيُوفِ فِي المَعرَكَةِ.

Therefore, give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

22 ل ِتُسمَعْ صَرخَةُ ضِيقٍ فِي بُيُوتِهِمْ، عِندَما تَأتِي جُيُوشٌ عَلَيهِمْ فَجأةً، لأنَّهُمْ حَفَرُوا حُفَراً لِلإيقاعِ بِي، وَوَضَعُوا فِخاخاً لِقَدَمَيَّ.

May an outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; For they have dug a pit to capture me And hidden snares for my feet.

23 ل َكِنَّكَ تَعرِفُ يا اللهُ خُطَطَهُمْ لِقَتلِي. فَلا تَستُرْ إثمَهُمْ، وَلا تَمْحُ خَطِيَّتَهُمْ مِنْ أمامِ عَينَيكَ. دَعْهُمْ يَتَعَثَّرُوا أمامَكَ. عَاقِبْهُمْ فِي غَضَبِكَ!

Yet You, O Lord, know All their deadly designs against me; Do not forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be overthrown before You; Deal with them in the time of Your anger!