1 “ Flee for safety, you children of Benjamin, out of the middle of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth Haccherem; for evil looks out from the north, and a great destruction.

«يا بَنِي بَنْيامِيْنَ، اهرُبُوا مِنَ القُدْسِ إلَى مَكانٍ آمِنٍ. اضرِبُوا بِالبُوقِ فِي تَقُوعَ، وَارْفَعُوا رايَةً لِلتَّحذِيرِ فِي بَيتِ هَكّارِيمَ. لأنَّ شَّرّاً وَخَراباً عَظِيماً آتيانِ مِنَ الشَّمالِ،

2 I will cut off the comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion.

عَلَى العَزِيزَةِ صِهْيَوْنَ الجَمِيلَةِ وَالرَّقِيقَةِ.

3 S hepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch their tents against her all around; they shall feed everyone in his place.”

رُعاةٌ وَقُطعانُهُمْ سَيأتُونَ عَلَيها. نَصَبُوا خِيامَهُمْ حَولَها، كُلُّ واحِدٍ يَرعَى قَطِيعَهُ.»

4 “ Prepare war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! For the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

يَقُولُ العُدُوُّ: «استَعِدُّوا لِشَنِّ مَعرَكَةٍ عَلَيها. قُومُوا، وَسَنُهاجِمُ عِندَ الظَّهِيرَةِ.» فَقالَ الشَّعبُ: «وَيلٌ لَنا، لأنَّ نِهايَةَ هَذا اليَومِ تَقتَرِبُ، وَلأنَّ ظِلالَ المَساءِ تَزدادُ امتِداداً.»

5 A rise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.”

يَقُولُ العَدُوُّ: «قُومُوا، سَنُهاجِمُها لَيلاً، وَنُدَمِّرُ تَحصِيناتِها.»

6 F or Yahweh of Armies said, “Cut down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression within her.

وَهَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ: «اقْطَعُوا الأشجارَ، أقِيمُوا أبراجَ حِصارٍ عَلَى القُدْسِ. هَذِهِ هِيَ المَدِينَةُ المُعاقَبَةُ، إنَّها مَلِيئَةٌ بِالظُّلمِ.

7 A s a well produces its waters, so she produces her wickedness: violence and destruction is heard in her; before me continually is sickness and wounds.

كَما تَحفَظُ البِئرُ ماءَها جَدِيداً، هَكَذا تَحفَظُ هِيَ شَرَّها جَدِيداً. العُنفُ وَالدَّمارُ يُسمَعانِ فِيها، مَرَضٌ وَضَربٌ أمامِي دائِماً.

8 B e instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from you; lest I make you a desolation, a land not inhabited.”

تَعَلَّمِي دَرساً يا قُدسُ، حَتَّى لا أهجُرَكِ، وَحَتَّى لا أُحَوِّلَكِ إلَى أرْضٍ خَرِبَةٍ وَمَهجُورَةً.»

9 Y ahweh of Armies says, “They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like a vine. Turn again your hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets.”

هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ: «سَيَجمَعُ الأعداءُ جَميعَ الباقِينَ فِي القُدْسِ، مِثلَما يَجمَعُ أحَدُهُمْ بَقايا العِنَبِ. تَفَحَّصْ كُلَّ غُصنٍ مِنْ جَدِيدٍ، كَما يَعمَلُ قاطِفُ العِنَبِ.»

10 T o whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can’t listen. Behold, Yahweh’s word has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it.

إلَى مَنْ أتَكَلَّمُ وَمَنْ أُحَذِّرُ؟ وَمَنِ الَّذِينَ سَيَسمَعُونَ؟ يُغلِقُونَ آذانَهُمْ، فَلا يَسمَعُونَ. صارَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ مَوضُوعاً لِلسُخرِيَةِ عِندَهُمْ، وَلا يُرِيدُونَ سَماعَها.

11 T herefore I am full of Yahweh’s wrath. I am weary with holding in. “Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him who is full of days.

أنا مَملُوءٌ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللهِ ، وَمُتعَبٌ مِنْ حَجزِهِ فِي داخِلِي. «اسكُبْ هَذا الغَضَبَ عَلَى الأطفالِ فِي الشّارِعِ، وَعَلَى الفِتيانِ المُجَتَمِعِينَ. لأنَّ الرَّجُلَ سَيُمسَكُ مَعَ زَوجَتِهِ، وَالشَّيخَ مَعَ المُسِنِّ.

12 T heir houses shall be turned to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand on the inhabitants of the land, says Yahweh.”

سَتُعطَى خُيُولُهُمْ لآخَرِينَ، مَعَ حُقُولِهِمْ وَنِسائِهِمْ، لأنِّي سَأُهاجِمُ سُكّانَ الأرْضِ،» يَقُولُ اللهُ.

13 “ For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.

«لأنَّ كُلَّ واحِدٍ مِنهُمْ، مِنْ أفقَرِهِمْ إلَى أغناهُمْ، يَمِيلُونَ إلَى الكَسبِ غَيرِ الشَّرِيفِ. وَمِنَ الأنبِياءِ إلَى الكَهَنَةِ، كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنهُمْ مُخادِعٌ.

14 T hey have healed also the hurt of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.

يُعالِجُونَ كَسرَ شَعبِي بِاستِخفافٍ، يَقُولُونَ: ‹سَلامٌ لَكُمْ، سَلامٌ لَكُمْ،› وَما مِنْ سَلامٍ.

15 W ere they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I visit them, they shall be cast down,” says Yahweh.

فَهَلْ خَجِلُوا بِسَبِبِ أعمالِهِمُ النَّجِسَةِ؟ لَمْ يَخْجلُوا وَلَمْ يَعْرِفُوا الحياءَ. لِذَلِكَ سَيَسقُطُونَ مَعَ السّاقِطِينَ. فِي وَقتِ عِقابِي لَهُمْ سَيَتَعَثَّرُونَ،» يَقُولُ اللهُ.

16 Y ahweh says, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, ‘Where is the good way?’ and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «قِفُوا عَلَى الطُّرُقِ، انظُرُوا وَاسألُوا عَنِ المَسالِكِ القَدِيمَةِ، حَيثُ طَرِيقُ الخَيرِ. ثُمَّ سِيرُوا فِيها لِتَجِدُوا راحَةً لأنفُسِكُمْ. لَكِنَّهُمْ قالُوا: ‹لَنْ نَسِيرَ فِي تِلكَ الطَّرِيقِ.›

17 I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen!’

وَوَضَعْتُ حُرّاساً عَلَيهِمْ لِيَقُولُوا: ‹انتَبِهُوا إلَى صَوتِ البُوقِ،› فَقالُوا: ‹لَنْ نَنتَبِهَ!›

18 T herefore hear, you nations, and know, congregation, what is among them.

لِذَلِكَ اسْمَعِي أيَّتُها الأُمَمُ، وَاعرِفِي أيَّتُها الشُّعُوبُ ما سَيَحدُثُ لَهُمْ.

19 H ear, earth! Behold, I will bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

يا أرْضُ، اسْمَعِي هَذا! ها أنا آتِي بِالألَمِ إلَى هَذا الشَّعبِ، سَآتِي بِما يَستَحِقُّونَهُ بِسَبَبِ أفكارِهِمِ الشِّرِّيرَةِ. لأنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُصغُوا لِكَلامِي، كَما رَفَضُوا شَرِيعَتِي.

20 T o what purpose comes there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.”

«لِماذا أفرَحُ بِالبَخُورِ الَّذِي يَأتِي مِنْ شَبا، وَبِالقَصَبِ ذِي الرّائِحَةِ الجَمِيلَةِ مِنْ أرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ؟ تَقدِماتُكُمْ غَيرُ مَقبُولَةٍ، وَذَبائِحُكُمْ لا تَسُرُّنِي.»

21 T herefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people. The fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish.”

لِذَلِكَ هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «سَأضَعُ أمامَ هَذا الشَّعبِ حِجارَةً تُعثِرُهُمْ. الآباءُ وَالأبناءُ مَعاً وَالجارُ وَالصَّدِيقُ، سَيَهلِكُونَ جَمِيعاً.»

22 Y ahweh says, “Behold, a people comes from the north country. A great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «ها شَعبٌ قادِمٌ مِنْ أرْضٍ فِي الشَّمالِ، وَأُمَّةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ آتِيَةٌ مِنْ أرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ.

23 T hey take hold of bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Zion.”

أمسَكُوا بِالقَوسِ وَبِالرُّمحِ، وَهُمْ قُساةٌ وَبِلا رَحمَةٍ. صَوتُهُمْ كَالبَحرِ العَظِيمِ، حِينَ يَركَبُونَ عَلَى خَيلِهِمْ. ها هُمْ مُصطَفُّونَ لِمُحارَبَتِكِ كَرَجُلٍ واحِدٍ، أيَّتُها العَزِيزَةُ صِهْيَوْنُ.»

24 W e have heard its report; our hands become feeble: anguish has taken hold of us, and pains as of a woman in labor.

سَمِعنا الأخبارَ عَنها، فَارتَخَتْ أيدِينا، وَأمسَكَنا الضِّيقُ وَالوَجَعُ مِثلَ امْرأةٍ تَتَمَخَّضُ.

25 D on’t go out into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and terror, are on every side.

لا تَخرُجُوا إلَى الحَقلِ، وَلا تَسِيرُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ، لأنَّ العَدُوَّ يُمسِكُ سَيفاً، وَالرُّعبَ يُحِيطُ بِنا.

26 D aughter of my people, clothe yourself with sackcloth, and wallow in ashes! Mourn, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the destroyer shall suddenly come on us.

البَسُوا الخَيشَ يا شَعبِيَ العَزِيزَ، تَمَرَّغُوا بِالرَّمادِ. نُوحُوا بِمَرارَةٍ كَمَنْ فَقَدَتِ ابْنَها الوَحِيدَ، لأنَّ المُدَّمِرَ سَيَأتِي عَلَينا فَجأةً.

27 “ I have made you a tester of metals and a fortress among my people; that you may know and try their way.

«يا إرْمِيا، أنا اللهَ جَعَلْتُكَ فاحِصاً مُنَقِّياً وَسَطَ شَعبِي، لِكَي تَعرِفَ وَتَمتَحِنَ سُلُوكَهُمْ.

28 T hey are all grievous rebels, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly.

كُلُّهُمْ عُصاةٌ مُتَمَرِّدُونَ، يَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِالوِشايَةِ. كُلُّهُمْ مِثلُ البُرونْزِ وَالحَدِيدِ، مَلِيئُونَ بالفَسادِ وَالشَّوائِبِ.

29 T he bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away.

المِنفاخُ يَزِيدُ قُوَّةَ النّارِ، وَالرَّصاصُ يَخرُجُ بِفِعلِ النّارِ. وَلَكِنَّ تَنْقِيَتَهُمْ بِلا فائِدَةٍ، لأنَّ الشَّرَّ لا يَزُولُ مِنهُمْ.

30 M en will call them rejected silver, because Yahweh has rejected them.”

فَيُدعَونَ: ‹فِضَّةً مَرفُوضَةً،› لأنَّ اللهَ رَفَضَهُمْ.»