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 cause you to hear My words.”

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 at the wheel.

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

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to 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.

“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is 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.

The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and 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 whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.

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

And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and 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 so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit 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.›

“Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.”’” God’s Warning Rejected

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

And they said, “That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates 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 Gentiles, Who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

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

Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, Which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters?

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

“Because My people have forgotten Me, They have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in pathways and 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 desolate and a 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

I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back and not the face In the day of their calamity.” Jeremiah Persecuted

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; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”

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

Give heed to me, O Lord, And listen to the voice of those who contend with me!

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

Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You To speak good for them, 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 deliver up their children to the famine, And pour out their blood By the force of the sword; Let their wives become widows And bereaved of their children. Let their men be put to death, Their young men be slain 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.

Let a cry be heard from their houses, When You bring a troop suddenly upon them; For they have dug a pit to take 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, Lord, You know all their counsel Which is against me, to slay me. Provide no atonement for their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from Your sight; But let them be overthrown before You. Deal thus with them In the time of Your anger.