וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יהוה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
The word of GOD came to me:
בְּטֶ֨רֶם (אצורך)[אֶצׇּרְךָ֤] בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם תֵּצֵ֥א מֵרֶ֖חֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ נָבִ֥יא לַגּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃
Before I created you in the womb, I selected you;Before you were born, I consecrated you;I appointed you a prophet concerning the nations.
וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אדני יהוה הִנֵּ֥ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי דַּבֵּ֑ר כִּי־נַ֖עַר אָנֹֽכִי׃ {ס}
I replied:Ah, my Sovereign GOD !
I don’t know how to speak,For I am still a boy.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יהוה אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי כִּ֠י עַֽל־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר׃
And GOD said to me:
Do not say, “I am still a boy,”But go wherever I send youAnd speak whatever I command you.
אַל־תִּירָ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יהוה׃
Have no fear of them,For I am with you to deliver you—declares GOD.
רְאֵ֞ה הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד וְלַהֲר֑וֹס לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃ {פ}
See, I appoint you this dayOver nations and kingdoms:To uproot and to pull down,To destroy and to overthrow,To build and to plant.
וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י נְאֻם־יהוה לְהַצִּילֶֽךָ׃ {פ}
They will attack you,But they shall not overcome you;For I am with you—declares GOD —to save you.
שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יהוה בֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְכׇֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Hear the word of GOD, O House of Jacob,
Every clan of the House of Israel!
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יהוה מַה־מָּצְא֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֥ם בִּי֙ עָ֔וֶל כִּ֥י רָחֲק֖וּ מֵעָלָ֑י וַיֵּ֥לְכ֛וּ אַחֲרֵ֥י הַהֶ֖בֶל וַיֶּהְבָּֽלוּ׃
Thus said GOD:
What wrong did your ancestors find in MeThat they abandoned MeAnd went after delusion and were deluded?
וְלֹ֣א אָֽמְר֔וּ אַיֵּ֣ה יהוה הַמַּעֲלֶ֥ה אֹתָ֖נוּ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַמּוֹלִ֨יךְ אֹתָ֜נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר בְּאֶ֨רֶץ עֲרָבָ֤ה וְשׁוּחָה֙ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ צִיָּ֣ה וְצַלְמָ֔וֶת בְּאֶ֗רֶץ לֹא־עָ֤בַר בָּהּ֙ אִ֔ישׁ וְלֹא־יָשַׁ֥ב אָדָ֖ם שָֽׁם׃
They never asked themselves, “Where is GOD,
Who brought us up from the land of Egypt,Who led us through the wilderness,A land of deserts and pits,A land of drought and darkness,A land nobody had traversed,Where no human being had dwelt?”
וָאָבִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַכַּרְמֶ֔ל לֶאֱכֹ֥ל פִּרְיָ֖הּ וְטוּבָ֑הּ וַתָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ וַתְּטַמְּא֣וּ אֶת־אַרְצִ֔י וְנַחֲלָתִ֥י שַׂמְתֶּ֖ם לְתוֹעֵבָֽה׃
I brought you to this country of farmlandTo enjoy its fruit and its bounty;But you came and defiled My land,You made My possession abhorrent.
לָכֵ֗ן עֹ֛ד אָרִ֥יב אִתְּכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יהוה וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י בְנֵיכֶ֖ם אָרִֽיב׃
Oh, I will go on accusing you—declares GOD —
And I will accuse your children’s children!
אֹמְרִ֨ים לָעֵ֜ץ אָ֣בִי אַ֗תָּה וְלָאֶ֙בֶן֙ אַ֣תְּ (ילדתני)[יְלִדְתָּ֔נוּ] כִּֽי־פָנ֥וּ אֵלַ֛י עֹ֖רֶף וְלֹ֣א פָנִ֑ים וּבְעֵ֤ת רָעָתָם֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ ק֖וּמָה וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ׃
They said to wood, “You are my father,”To stone, “You gave birth to me,”While to Me they turned their backsAnd not their faces.But in their hour of calamity they cry,“Arise and save us!”
שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְהַאֲזִ֣ינִי אֶ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י יהוה דִּבֵּ֑ר בָּנִים֙ גִּדַּ֣לְתִּי וְרוֹמַ֔מְתִּי וְהֵ֖ם פָּ֥שְׁעוּ בִֽי׃
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,For GOD has spoken:
“I reared children and brought them up—And they have rebelled against Me!
ה֣וֹי ׀ גּ֣וֹי חֹטֵ֗א עַ֚ם כֶּ֣בֶד עָוֺ֔ן זֶ֣רַע מְרֵעִ֔ים בָּנִ֖ים מַשְׁחִיתִ֑ים עָזְב֣וּ אֶת־יהוה נִֽאֲצ֛וּ אֶת־קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נָזֹ֥רוּ אָחֽוֹר׃
Ah, sinful nation!People laden with iniquity!Brood of evildoers!Depraved children!They have forsaken GOD,
Spurned the Holy One of Israel,Turned their backs.
עַ֣ל מֶ֥ה תֻכּ֛וּ ע֖וֹד תּוֹסִ֣יפוּ סָרָ֑ה כׇּל־רֹ֣אשׁ לׇֽחֳלִ֔י וְכׇל־לֵבָ֖ב דַּוָּֽי׃
Why do you seek further beatings,That you continue to offend?Every head is ailing,And every heart is sick.
לָמָּה־לִּ֤י רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם֙ יֹאמַ֣ר יהוה שָׂבַ֛עְתִּי עֹל֥וֹת אֵילִ֖ים וְחֵ֣לֶב מְרִיאִ֑ים וְדַ֨ם פָּרִ֧ים וּכְבָשִׂ֛ים וְעַתּוּדִ֖ים לֹ֥א חָפָֽצְתִּי׃
“What need have I of all your sacrifices?”Says GOD.
“I am sated with burnt offerings of rams,And suet of fatlings,And blood of bulls;And I have no delightIn lambs and he-goats.
וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶ֣ם כַּפֵּיכֶ֗ם אַעְלִ֤ים עֵינַי֙ מִכֶּ֔ם גַּ֛ם כִּֽי־תַרְבּ֥וּ תְפִלָּ֖ה אֵינֶ֣נִּי שֹׁמֵ֑עַ יְדֵיכֶ֖ם דָּמִ֥ים מָלֵֽאוּ׃
And when you lift up your hands,I will turn My eyes away from you;Though you pray at length,I will not listen.Your hands are stained with crime—
רַֽחֲצוּ֙ הִזַּכּ֔וּ הָסִ֛ירוּ רֹ֥עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינָ֑י חִדְל֖וּ הָרֵֽעַ׃
Wash yourselves clean;Put your evil doingsAway from My sight.Cease to do evil;
לִמְד֥וּ הֵיטֵ֛ב דִּרְשׁ֥וּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט אַשְּׁר֣וּ חָמ֑וֹץ שִׁפְט֣וּ יָת֔וֹם רִ֖יבוּ אַלְמָנָֽה׃ {ס}
Learn to do good.Devote yourselves to justice;Aid the wronged.Uphold the rights of the orphan;Defend the cause of the widow.
לְכוּ־נָ֛א וְנִוָּכְחָ֖ה יֹאמַ֣ר יהוה אִם־יִהְי֨וּ חֲטָאֵיכֶ֤ם כַּשָּׁנִים֙ כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ אִם־יַאְדִּ֥ימוּ כַתּוֹלָ֖ע כַּצֶּ֥מֶר יִֽהְיֽוּ׃
“Come, let us reach an understanding,—says GOD.
Be your sins like crimson,They can turn snow-white;Be they red as dyed wool,They can become like fleece.”
אִם־תֹּאב֖וּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם ט֥וּב הָאָ֖רֶץ תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃
If, then, you agree and give heed,You will eat the good things of the earth;
וְאִם־תְּמָאֲנ֖וּ וּמְרִיתֶ֑ם חֶ֣רֶב תְּאֻכְּל֔וּ כִּ֛י פִּ֥י יהוה דִּבֵּֽר׃ {פ}
But if you refuse and disobey,You will be devoured [by] the sword. —
For it was GOD who spoke.