1 ¶ The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

هَذِهِ رِسالَةٌ نَبَوِيَّةٌ أعطاها اللهُ لإرْمِيا:

2 A rise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

قُمْ وَانزِلْ إلَى بَيتِ الفَخّارِيِّ، وَبَينَما أنتَ هُناكَ سَأُخبِرُكَ بِكَلامِي لِهَذا الشَّعبِ.»

3 T hen I went down to the potter’s house; and, behold, he wrought a work upon a wheel.

فَنَزَلتُ إلَى بَيتِ الفَخّارِيِّ، بَينَما كانَ يَصنَعُ شَيئاً عَلَى دُولابِهِ.

4 A nd the vessel that he made of clay was broken in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

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

5 T hen the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

هَذا هُوَ ما قالَهُ اللهُ لِي.

6 O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.

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

7 I n an instant I shall speak against Gentiles and against kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy.

قَدْ أُعلِنُ، فِي وَقتٍ ما، أنِّي سَأقتَلِعُ أُمَّةً أوْ مَملَكَةً، وَأكسِرُها وَأُدَمِّرُها.

8 B ut if these Gentiles shall turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

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

9 A nd in an instant I shall speak concerning the nation and concerning the kingdom, to build and to plant it;

وَقَدْ أُعلِنُ، فِي وَقتٍ آخَرَ، أنِّي سَأبنِي أوْ أغرِسُ أُمَّةً أوْ مَملَكَةً.

10 b ut if it should do evil in my sight, not hearing my voice, then I will repent of the good that I had determined to do unto them.

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

11 ¶ Now therefore, speak to every man of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus hath the LORD said: Behold, I ordain evil against you and devise plans against you; return ye now each one from his evil way, and better your ways and your doings.

«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.›

12 A nd they said, This is useless, for we must walk after our own devices, and we must each one do the imagination of his evil heart.

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

13 T herefore thus hath the LORD said; Ask now among the Gentiles, who has heard such things: the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

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

14 W ill anyone leave the snow of the rock of the field that flows from Lebanon? or shall they forsake the singular, cold, flowing waters?

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

15 B ecause my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not trodden;

أمّا شَعبِيَ فَنَسِيَنِي، أحرَقُوا بَخُوراً لِلأوثانِ الباطِلَةِ الَّتِي جَعَلَتْهُمْ يَتَعَثَّرُونَ فِي طُرُقِهِمْ، فِي السُّبُلِ القَدِيمَةِ.

16 t o make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passes thereby shall be astonished and wag his head.

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

17 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 perdition.

مِثلَ رِيحٍ شَرقِيَّةٍ سَأُبَدِّدُهُمْ أمامَ عَدُوِّهُمْ. وَسَأبتَعِدُ عَنهُمْ فِي يَومِ ضِيقِهِمْ.» شَكوَى إرْمِيا الرّابِعَة

18 ¶ Then they said, Come, and let us devise devices 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 smite him with the tongue, and let us not consider any of his words.

ثُمَّ 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.»

19 C onsider me, O LORD, and hear the voice of those that contend with me.

يا اللهُ ، أصغِ إلَيَّ، وَاسمَعْ صَوتَ شَكوايَ.

20 S hall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them.

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

21 T herefore deliver up their sons to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.

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

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

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

23 Y et, LORD, thou dost know all their counsel against me to slay me; do not forgive their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.

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