1. Opening Question
Is it alright to be angry at God?
Please note that Lamentations chapter 2 is more painful to read than chapter 1.
2. In the eyes of the artist
Francesco Hayez (Italian, 1791-1882), The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, 1867
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:(Venice)_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme_-Francesco_Hayez_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg
3. Guiding Questions
- What structures do you see here--in the chapter as a whole, and in individual verses? How do these structures compare to those in chapter 1?
- Who is speaking in this chapter--who is/are the voice(s)? What pronouns are used?
- Do you see new themes in this chapter? Are there themes in chapter 1 that are missing here?
- What kind of imagery is used? What metaphors? What similes?
- Please pay close attention to references to people (individuals, social roles, groupings), physical structures, and times.
- Please note examples of irony in this chapter.
4. Our Text: Lamentations Chapter 2
(א) אֵיכָה֩ יָעִ֨יב בְּאַפּ֤וֹ ׀ אדושם אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן הִשְׁלִ֤יךְ מִשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔רֶץ תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹא־זָכַ֥ר הֲדֹם־רַגְלָ֖יו בְּי֥וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃ {ס}
(ב) בִּלַּ֨ע אדושם (לא) [וְלֹ֣א] חָמַ֗ל אֵ֚ת כׇּל־נְא֣וֹת יַעֲקֹ֔ב הָרַ֧ס בְּעֶבְרָת֛וֹ מִבְצְרֵ֥י בַת־יְהוּדָ֖ה הִגִּ֣יעַ לָאָ֑רֶץ חִלֵּ֥ל מַמְלָכָ֖ה וְשָׂרֶֽיהָ׃ {ס}
(ג) גָּדַ֣ע בׇּֽחֳרִי־אַ֗ף כֹּ֚ל קֶ֣רֶן יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֵשִׁ֥יב אָח֛וֹר יְמִינ֖וֹ מִפְּנֵ֣י אוֹיֵ֑ב וַיִּבְעַ֤ר בְּיַעֲקֹב֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ לֶֽהָבָ֔ה אָכְלָ֖ה סָבִֽיב׃ {ס}
(ד) דָּרַ֨ךְ קַשְׁתּ֜וֹ כְּאוֹיֵ֗ב נִצָּ֤ב יְמִינוֹ֙ כְּצָ֔ר וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֔ג כֹּ֖ל מַחֲמַדֵּי־עָ֑יִן בְּאֹ֙הֶל֙ בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן שָׁפַ֥ךְ כָּאֵ֖שׁ חֲמָתֽוֹ׃ {ס}
(1) Alas!
The Lord in His wrath
Has shamed Fair Zion,
Has cast down from heaven to earth
The majesty of Israel.
He did not remember His Footstool.
On His day of wrath. (2) The Lord has laid waste without pity
All the habitations of Jacob;
He has razed in His anger
Fair Judah’s strongholds.
He has brought low in dishonor
The kingdom and its leaders. (3) In blazing anger He has cut down
All the might of Israel;
He has withdrawn His right hand
In the presence of the foe;
He has ravaged Jacob like flaming fire,
Consuming on all sides. (4) He bent His bow like an enemy,
Poised His right hand like a foe;
He slew all who delighted the eye.
He poured out His wrath like fire
In the Tent of Fair Zion.
(ה) הָיָ֨ה אדושם ׀ כְּאוֹיֵב֙ בִּלַּ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּלַּע֙ כׇּל־אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ שִׁחֵ֖ת מִבְצָרָ֑יו וַיֶּ֙רֶב֙ בְּבַת־יְהוּדָ֔ה תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה וַאֲנִיָּֽה׃ {ס}
(ו) וַיַּחְמֹ֤ס כַּגַּן֙ שֻׂכּ֔וֹ שִׁחֵ֖ת מֹעֲד֑וֹ שִׁכַּ֨ח ה' ׀ בְּצִיּוֹן֙ מוֹעֵ֣ד וְשַׁבָּ֔ת וַיִּנְאַ֥ץ בְּזַֽעַם־אַפּ֖וֹ מֶ֥לֶךְ וְכֹהֵֽן׃ {ס}
(ז) זָנַ֨ח אדושם ׀ מִזְבְּחוֹ֙ נִאֵ֣ר מִקְדָּשׁ֔וֹ הִסְגִּיר֙ בְּיַד־אוֹיֵ֔ב חוֹמֹ֖ת אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ ק֛וֹל נָתְנ֥וּ בְּבֵית־ה' כְּי֥וֹם מוֹעֵֽד׃ {ס}
(ח) חָשַׁ֨ב ה' ׀ לְהַשְׁחִית֙ חוֹמַ֣ת בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן נָ֣טָה קָ֔ו לֹא־הֵשִׁ֥יב יָד֖וֹ מִבַּלֵּ֑עַ וַיַּֽאֲבֶל־חֵ֥ל וְחוֹמָ֖ה יַחְדָּ֥ו אֻמְלָֽלוּ׃ {ס}
(ט) טָבְע֤וּ בָאָ֙רֶץ֙ שְׁעָרֶ֔יהָ אִבַּ֥ד וְשִׁבַּ֖ר בְּרִיחֶ֑יהָ מַלְכָּ֨הּ וְשָׂרֶ֤יהָ בַגּוֹיִם֙ אֵ֣ין תּוֹרָ֔ה גַּם־נְבִיאֶ֕יהָ לֹא־מָצְא֥וּ חָז֖וֹן מֵה'׃ {ס}
(י) יֵשְׁב֨וּ לָאָ֤רֶץ יִדְּמוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י בַת־צִיּ֔וֹן הֶֽעֱל֤וּ עָפָר֙ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם חָגְר֖וּ שַׂקִּ֑ים הוֹרִ֤ידוּ לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ רֹאשָׁ֔ן בְּתוּלֹ֖ת יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {ס}
(5) The Lord has acted like a foe,
He has laid waste Israel,
Laid waste all her citadels,
Destroyed her strongholds.
He has increased within Fair Judah
Mourning and moaning. (6) He has stripped His Booth [sukko, compare sukkah] like a garden,
He has destroyed His Tabernacle
The LORD has ended in Zion
Festival and sabbath;
In His raging anger He has spurned
King and priest.
(7) The Lord has rejected His altar,
Disdained His Sanctuary.
He has handed over to the foe
The walls of its citadels;
They raised a shout in the House of the LORD
As on a festival day. (8) The LORD resolved to destroy
The wall of Fair Zion; He measured with a line, refrained not
From bringing destruction.
He has made wall and rampart to mourn,
Together they languish. (9) Her gates have sunk into the ground,
He has smashed her bars to bits;
Her king and her leaders are in exile,
Instruction is no more;
Her prophets, too, receive
No vision from the LORD. (10) Silent sit on the ground
The elders of Fair Zion;
They have strewn dust on their heads
And girded themselves with sackcloth;
The maidens of Jerusalem have bowed
Their heads to the ground.
(יא) כָּל֨וּ בַדְּמָע֤וֹת עֵינַי֙ חֳמַרְמְר֣וּ מֵעַ֔י נִשְׁפַּ֤ךְ לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ כְּבֵדִ֔י עַל־שֶׁ֖בֶר בַּת־עַמִּ֑י בֵּֽעָטֵ֤ף עוֹלֵל֙ וְיוֹנֵ֔ק בִּרְחֹב֖וֹת קִרְיָֽה׃ {ס}
(יב) לְאִמֹּתָם֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ אַיֵּ֖ה דָּגָ֣ן וָיָ֑יִן בְּהִֽתְעַטְּפָ֤ם כֶּֽחָלָל֙ בִּרְחֹב֣וֹת עִ֔יר בְּהִשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשָׁ֔ם אֶל־חֵ֖יק אִמֹּתָֽם׃ {ס}
(יג) מָֽה־אֲעִידֵ֞ךְ מָ֣ה אֲדַמֶּה־לָּ֗ךְ הַבַּת֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם מָ֤ה אַשְׁוֶה־לָּךְ֙ וַאֲנַֽחֲמֵ֔ךְ בְּתוּלַ֖ת בַּת־צִיּ֑וֹן כִּֽי־גָד֥וֹל כַּיָּ֛ם שִׁבְרֵ֖ךְ מִ֥י יִרְפָּא־לָֽךְ׃ {ס}
(יד) נְבִיאַ֗יִךְ חָ֤זוּ לָךְ֙ שָׁ֣וְא וְתָפֵ֔ל וְלֹֽא־גִלּ֥וּ עַל־עֲוֺנֵ֖ךְ לְהָשִׁ֣יב (שביתך) [שְׁבוּתֵ֑ךְ] וַיֶּ֣חֱזוּ לָ֔ךְ מַשְׂא֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא וּמַדּוּחִֽים׃ {ס}
(טו) סָֽפְק֨וּ עָלַ֤יִךְ כַּפַּ֙יִם֙ כׇּל־עֹ֣בְרֵי דֶ֔רֶךְ שָֽׁרְקוּ֙ וַיָּנִ֣עוּ רֹאשָׁ֔ם עַל־בַּ֖ת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם הֲזֹ֣את הָעִ֗יר שֶׁיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ כְּלִ֣ילַת יֹ֔פִי מָשׂ֖וֹשׂ לְכׇל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}
(טז) פָּצ֨וּ עָלַ֤יִךְ פִּיהֶם֙ כׇּל־אֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְ שָֽׁרְקוּ֙ וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־שֵׁ֔ן אָמְר֖וּ בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ אַ֣ךְ זֶ֥ה הַיּ֛וֹם שֶׁקִּוִּינֻ֖הוּ מָצָ֥אנוּ רָאִֽינוּ׃ {ס}
(11) My eyes are spent with tears,
My heart is in tumult,
My being melts away
Over the ruin of my poor people.
As babes and sucklings languish
In the squares of the city. (12) They keep asking their mothers,
“Where is bread and wine?”
As they languish like battle-wounded
In the squares of the town,
As their life runs out
In their mothers’ bosoms. (13) What can I take as witness or liken
To you, O Fair Jerusalem?
What can I match with you to console you,
O Fair Maiden Zion?
For your ruin is vast as the sea:
Who can heal you? (14) Your seers prophesied to you
Delusion and folly.
They did not expose your iniquity
So as to restore your fortunes,
But prophesied to you oracles
Of delusion and deception. (15) All who pass your way
Clap their hands at you;
They hiss and wag their head
At Fair Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that was called
Perfect in Beauty,
Joy of All the Earth?” (16) All your enemies
Jeer at you;
They hiss and gnash their teeth,
And cry: “We’ve ruined her!
Ah, this is the day we hoped for;
We have lived to see it!”
(יז) עָשָׂ֨ה ה' אֲשֶׁ֣ר זָמָ֗ם בִּצַּ֤ע אֶמְרָתוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֣ה מִֽימֵי־קֶ֔דֶם הָרַ֖ס וְלֹ֣א חָמָ֑ל וַיְשַׂמַּ֤ח עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ אוֹיֵ֔ב הֵרִ֖ים קֶ֥רֶן צָרָֽיִךְ׃ {ס}
(יח) צָעַ֥ק לִבָּ֖ם אֶל־אדושם חוֹמַ֣ת בַּת־צִ֠יּ֠וֹן הוֹרִ֨ידִי כַנַּ֤חַל דִּמְעָה֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אַֽל־תִּתְּנִ֤י פוּגַת֙ לָ֔ךְ אַל־תִּדֹּ֖ם בַּת־עֵינֵֽךְ׃ {ס}
(יט) ק֣וּמִי ׀ רֹ֣נִּי (בליל) [בַלַּ֗יְלָה] לְרֹאשׁ֙ אַשְׁמֻר֔וֹת שִׁפְכִ֤י כַמַּ֙יִם֙ לִבֵּ֔ךְ נֹ֖כַח פְּנֵ֣י אדושם שְׂאִ֧י אֵלָ֣יו כַּפַּ֗יִךְ עַל־נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ עֽוֹלָלַ֔יִךְ הָעֲטוּפִ֥ים בְּרָעָ֖ב בְּרֹ֥אשׁ כׇּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃ {ס}
(כ) רְאֵ֤ה ה' וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה לְמִ֖י עוֹלַ֣לְתָּ כֹּ֑ה אִם־תֹּאכַ֨לְנָה נָשִׁ֤ים פִּרְיָם֙ עֹלְלֵ֣י טִפֻּחִ֔ים אִם־יֵהָרֵ֛ג בְּמִקְדַּ֥שׁ אדושם כֹּהֵ֥ן וְנָבִֽיא׃ {ס}
(כא) שָׁכְב֨וּ לָאָ֤רֶץ חוּצוֹת֙ נַ֣עַר וְזָקֵ֔ן בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י וּבַחוּרַ֖י נָפְל֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב הָרַ֙גְתָּ֙ בְּי֣וֹם אַפֶּ֔ךָ טָבַ֖חְתָּ לֹ֥א חָמָֽלְתָּ׃ {ס}
(כב) תִּקְרָא֩ כְי֨וֹם מוֹעֵ֤ד מְגוּרַי֙ מִסָּבִ֔יב וְלֹ֥א הָיָ֛ה בְּי֥וֹם אַף־ה' פָּלִ֣יט וְשָׂרִ֑יד אֲשֶׁר־טִפַּ֥חְתִּי וְרִבִּ֖יתִי אֹיְבִ֥י כִלָּֽם׃ {פ}
(17) The LORD has done what He purposed,
Has carried out the decree
That He ordained long ago;
He has torn down without pity.
He has let the foe rejoice over you,
Has exalted the might of your enemies. (18) Their heart cried out-l to the Lord.
O wall of Fair Zion,
Shed tears like a torrent
Day and night!
Give yourself no respite,
Your eyes no rest.
(19) Arise, cry out in the night
At the beginning of the watches,
Pour out your heart like water
In the presence of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to Him
For the life of your infants,
Who faint for hunger
At every street corner.
(20) See, O LORD, and behold,
To whom You have done this!
Alas, women eat their own fruit,
Their new-born babes!
Alas, priest and prophet are slain
In the Sanctuary of the Lord! (21) Prostrate in the streets lie
Both young and old.
My maidens and youths
Are fallen by the sword;
You slew them on Your day of wrath,
You slaughtered without pity. (22) You summoned, as on a festival,
My neighbors from round about.
On the day of the wrath of the LORD,
None survived or escaped;
Those whom I bore and reared
My foe has consumed.
5. Commentaries
5a. Anger in chapter 2
Adele Berlin, Jewish Study Bible, Comment to Lamentations 2:1-22
The angry tone of chapter 2 contrasts with the despair of chapter 1, and the focus is on God, the perpetrator, rather than on the victim.
Werner E. Lemke / Kathleen O'Connor Harper Collins Study Bible, Comment to chapter 2
The narrator describes the enormity of Zion's suffering but now shows sympathy for her pain and accuses God of being merciless and cruel in punishing Zion. This poem suggests the narrator has changed and protests the divine treatment of Zion.
(6) When a ram’s horn is sounded in a town,
Do the people not take alarm?
Can misfortune come to a town
If GOD/ה׳ has not caused it?
5b God's Day of Wrath in chapters 1 and 2
(יב) ל֣וֹא אֲלֵיכֶם֮ כׇּל־עֹ֣בְרֵי דֶ֒רֶךְ֒ הַבִּ֣יטוּ וּרְא֔וּ אִם־יֵ֤שׁ מַכְאוֹב֙ כְּמַכְאֹבִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עוֹלַ֖ל לִ֑י אֲשֶׁר֙ הוֹגָ֣ה ה' בְּי֖וֹם חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃ {ס}
(12) May it never befall you,
All who pass along the road—
Look about and see:
Is there any agony like mine,
Which was dealt out to me
When the LORD afflicted me
On His day of wrath?
(א) אֵיכָה֩ יָעִ֨יב בְּאַפּ֤וֹ ׀ אדושם אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן הִשְׁלִ֤יךְ מִשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔רֶץ תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹא־זָכַ֥ר הֲדֹם־רַגְלָ֖יו בְּי֥וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃ {ס}
(1) Alas!
The Lord in His wrath
Has shamed Fair Zion,
Has cast down from heaven to earth
The majesty of Israel.
He did not remember His Footstool
On His day of wrath.
(יג) עַל־כֵּן֙ שָׁמַ֣יִם אַרְגִּ֔יז וְתִרְעַ֥שׁ הָאָ֖רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ בְּעֶבְרַת֙ ה' צְבָא֔וֹת וּבְי֖וֹם חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃ (יד) וְהָיָה֙ כִּצְבִ֣י מֻדָּ֔ח וּכְצֹ֖אן וְאֵ֣ין מְקַבֵּ֑ץ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ֙ יִפְנ֔וּ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אַרְצ֖וֹ יָנֽוּסוּ׃
(13) Therefore shall heaven be shaken,
And earth leap out of its place,
At the fury of GOD of Hosts
On the day of God’s burning wrath. (14) Then like gazelles that are chased,
And like sheep that no one gathers,
Each man shall turn back to his people,
They shall flee every one to his land.
5c. Plumb line (verse 8). Measured with a line.
Adele Berlin, Jewish Study Bible
Instead of using the plumbline to calculate how to erect a building, God is using it to calculate how to destroy it.
(ח) חָשַׁ֨ב ה' ׀ לְהַשְׁחִית֙ חוֹמַ֣ת בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן נָ֣טָה קָ֔ו לֹא־הֵשִׁ֥יב יָד֖וֹ מִבַּלֵּ֑עַ וַיַּֽאֲבֶל־חֵ֥ל וְחוֹמָ֖ה יַחְדָּ֥ו אֻמְלָֽלוּ׃ {ס}
(8) The LORD resolved to destroy
The wall of Fair Zion;
He measured with a line,-refrained not
From bringing destruction.
He has made wall and rampart to mourn,
Together they languish.
The prophet Amos was active in the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th c. BCE. The book of Amos may have been written in the 8th c. or later.
(7) This is what I was shown: [God] was standing on a wall checked with a plumb line while holding a plumb line.. (8) And GOD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. And my Sovereign declared, “I am going to apply a plumb line to My people Israel; I will pardon them no more. (9) The shrines of Isaac shall be laid waste, and the sanctuaries of Israel reduced to ruins; and I will turn upon the House of Jeroboam with the sword.”
(טז) לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר ה' שַׁ֤בְתִּי לִירוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ בְּֽרַחֲמִ֔ים בֵּיתִי֙ יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֔הּ נְאֻ֖ם ה' צְבָא֑וֹת (וקוה) [וְקָ֥ו] יִנָּטֶ֖ה עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
The prophet Zechariah was active in Jerusalem during the late 6th c. BCE, during the early period of building the Second Temple.
(16) Assuredly, thus said GOD: I graciously return to Jerusalem. My House shall be built in her—declares GOD of Hosts—the measuring line is being applied to Jerusalem.
5d Verse 9. Breakdown of meaning
(9) Her gates have sunk into the ground,
He has smashed her bars to bits;
Her king and her leaders are in exile,
Instruction/torah is no more;
Her prophets, too, receive
No vision from the LORD.
(יח) וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לְכ֨וּ וְנַחְשְׁבָ֥ה עַֽל־יִרְמְיָ֘הוּ֮ מַֽחֲשָׁבוֹת֒ כִּי֩ לֹא־תֹאבַ֨ד תּוֹרָ֜ה מִכֹּהֵ֗ן וְעֵצָה֙ מֵחָכָ֔ם וְדָבָ֖ר מִנָּבִ֑יא לְכוּ֙ וְנַכֵּ֣הוּ בַלָּשׁ֔וֹן וְאַל־נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה אֶל־כׇּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃
(18) They said, “Come let us devise a plot against Jeremiah—for instruction/Torah shall not fail from the priest, nor counsel/eitzah from the wise, nor oracle/davar from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and we shall no longer have to listen to all those words of his.”
5e Verse 10. Mourning practices
Adele Berlin, New Oxford Annotated Bible, Introduction to Lamentations.
Lamentations 'fulfills [the] function...of public mourning which both relives and commemorates a catastrophe of incomprehensible proportion. p. 1164
(10) Silent sit on the ground
The elders of Fair Zion;
They have strewn dust on their heads
And girded themselves with sackcloth;
The maidens of Jerusalem have bowed
Their heads to the ground.
(30) They shall raise their voices over you
And cry out bitterly;
They shall cast dust on their heads
And strew ashes on themselves. (31) On your account, they shall make
Bald patches on their heads,
And shall gird themselves with sackcloth.
They shall weep over you, brokenhearted,
With bitter lamenting;
5f verse 14 Prophecies of delusion and folly (tafel)
(14) Your seers prophesied to you
Delusion and folly/tafel.
They did not expose your iniquity
So as to restore your fortunes,
But prophesied to you oracles
Of delusion and deception.
(י) יַ֣עַן וּבְיַ֜עַן הִטְע֧וּ אֶת־עַמִּ֛י לֵאמֹ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם וְאֵ֣ין שָׁל֑וֹם וְהוּא֙ בֹּ֣נֶה חַ֔יִץ וְהִנָּ֛ם טָחִ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ תָּפֵֽל׃ (יא) אֱמֹ֛ר אֶל־טָחֵ֥י תָפֵ֖ל וְיִפֹּ֑ל הָיָ֣ה ׀ גֶּ֣שֶׁם שׁוֹטֵ֗ף וְאַתֵּ֜נָה אַבְנֵ֤י אֶלְגָּבִישׁ֙ תִּפֹּ֔לְנָה וְר֥וּחַ סְעָר֖וֹת תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃ (יב) וְהִנֵּ֖ה נָפַ֣ל הַקִּ֑יר הֲלוֹא֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אַיֵּ֥ה הַטִּ֖יחַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר טַחְתֶּֽם׃ {ס} (יג) לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אדושם ה' וּבִקַּעְתִּ֥י רוּחַ־סְעָר֖וֹת בַּחֲמָתִ֑י וְגֶ֤שֶׁם שֹׁטֵף֙ בְּאַפִּ֣י יִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְאַבְנֵ֥י אֶלְגָּבִ֖ישׁ בְּחֵמָ֥ה לְכָלָֽה׃ (יד) וְהָ֨רַסְתִּ֜י אֶת־הַקִּ֨יר אֲשֶׁר־טַחְתֶּ֥ם תָּפֵ֛ל וְהִגַּעְתִּ֥יהוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְנִגְלָ֣ה יְסֹד֑וֹ וְנָֽפְלָה֙ וּכְלִיתֶ֣ם בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ וִידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י ה'׃ (טו) וְכִלֵּיתִ֤י אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ בַּקִּ֔יר וּבַטָּחִ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ תָּפֵ֑ל וְאֹמַ֤ר לָכֶם֙ אֵ֣ין הַקִּ֔יר וְאֵ֖ין הַטָּחִ֥ים אֹתֽוֹ׃ (טז) נְבִיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַֽנִּבְּאִים֙ אֶל־יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וְהַֽחֹזִ֥ים לָ֖הּ חֲז֣וֹן שָׁלֹ֑ם וְאֵ֣ין שָׁלֹ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אדושם ה'׃ {פ}
(10) Inasmuch as they have misled My people, saying, “It is well,” when nothing is well, daubing with plaster (or 'whitewash') /tafel the flimsy wall that the people were building, (11) say to those daubers of plaster: It shall collapse; a driving rain shall descend—and you, O great hailstones, shall fall—and a hurricane wind shall rend it. (12) Then, when the wall collapses, you will be asked, “What became of the plaster you daubed on?” (13) Assuredly, thus said the Sovereign GOD: In My fury I will let loose hurricane winds; in My anger a driving rain shall descend, and great hailstones in destructive fury. (14) I will throw down the wall that you daubed with plaster, and I will raze it to the ground so that its foundation is exposed; and when it falls, you shall perish in its midst; then you shall know that I am GOD. (15) And when I have spent My fury upon the wall and upon those who daubed it with plaster, I will say to you: Gone is the wall and gone are its daubers, (16) the prophets of Israel who prophesy about Jerusalem and see a vision of well-being for her when there is no well-being—declares the Sovereign GOD.
5g v 17. The decree that He ordained long ago
(17) The LORD has done what He purposed,
Has carried out the decree
That He ordained long ago;
He has torn down without pity.
He has let the foe rejoice over you,
Has exalted the might of your enemies.
God's warning to King Solomon after the dedication of the Temple
(6) [But] if you and your descendants turn away from Me and do not keep the commandments [and] the laws that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, (7) then I will sweep Israel off the land that I gave them; I will rejectd the House that I have consecrated to My name; and Israel shall become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. (8) And as for this House, once so exalted, everyone passing by it shall be appalled and shall hiss. And when they ask, ‘Why did GOD do thus to the land and to this House?’ (9) they shall be told, ‘It is because they forsook the ETERNAL their God who freed them from the land of Egypt, and they embraced other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore GOD has brought all this calamity upon them.’”