1 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah when there was no water.

1 אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ עַל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַבַּצָּרֹֽות׃

2 Judah is weeping and its doors are dark with sorrow, and people are seated on the earth clothed in black; and the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.

2 אָבְלָ֣ה יְהוּדָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֥יהָ אֻמְלְל֖וּ קָדְר֣וּ לָאָ֑רֶץ וְצִוְחַ֥ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם עָלָֽתָה׃

3 Their great men have sent their servants for water: they come to the holes and there is no water to be seen; they come back with nothing in their vessels; they are overcome with shame and fear, covering their heads.

3 וְאַדִּ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם שָׁלְח֥וּ צְעֹורֵיהֶם צְעִירֵיהֶ֖ם לַמָּ֑יִם בָּ֣אוּ עַל־גֵּבִ֞ים לֹא־מָ֣צְאוּ מַ֗יִם שָׁ֤בוּ כְלֵיהֶם֙ רֵיקָ֔ם בֹּ֥שׁוּ וְהָכְלְמ֖וּ וְחָפ֥וּ רֹאשָֽׁם׃

4 Those who do work on the land are in fear, for there has been no rain on the land, and the farmers are shamed, covering their heads.

4 בַּעֲב֤וּר הָאֲדָמָה֙ חַ֔תָּה כִּ֛י לֹא־הָיָ֥ה גֶ֖שֶׁם בָּאָ֑רֶץ בֹּ֥שׁוּ אִכָּרִ֖ים חָפ֥וּ רֹאשָֽׁם׃

5 And the roe, giving birth in the field, lets her young one be uncared for, because there is no grass.

5 כִּ֤י גַם־אַיֶּ֙לֶת֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה יָלְדָ֖ה וְעָזֹ֑וב כִּ֥י לֹֽא־הָיָ֖ה דֶּֽשֶׁא׃

6 And the asses of the field on the open hilltops are opening their mouths wide like jackals to get air; their eyes are hollow because there is no grass.

6 וּפְרָאִים֙ עָמְד֣וּ עַל־שְׁפָיִ֔ם שָׁאֲפ֥וּ ר֖וּחַ כַּתַּנִּ֑ים כָּל֥וּ עֵינֵיהֶ֖ם כִּי־אֵ֥ין עֵֽשֶׂב׃

7 Though our sins give witness against us, do something, O Lord, for the honour of your name: for again and again we have been turned away from you, we have done evil against you.

7 אִם־עֲוֹנֵ֙ינוּ֙ עָ֣נוּ בָ֔נוּ יְהוָ֕ה עֲשֵׂ֖ה לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־רַבּ֥וּ מְשׁוּבֹתֵ֖ינוּ לְךָ֥ חָטָֽאנוּ׃

8 O you hope of Israel, its saviour in time of trouble, why are you like one who is strange in the land, and like a traveller putting up his tent for a night?

8 מִקְוֵה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֹֽושִׁיעֹ֖ו בְּעֵ֣ת צָרָ֑ה לָ֤מָּה תִֽהְיֶה֙ כְּגֵ֣ר בָּאָ֔רֶץ וּכְאֹרֵ֖חַ נָטָ֥ה לָלֽוּן׃

9 Why are you like a man surprised, like a man of war who is not able to give help? but you, O Lord, are with us, and we are named by your name; do not go away from us.

9 לָ֤מָּה תִֽהְיֶה֙ כְּאִ֣ישׁ נִדְהָ֔ם כְּגִבֹּ֖ור לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל לְהֹושִׁ֑יעַ וְאַתָּ֧ה בְקִרְבֵּ֣נוּ יְהוָ֗ה וְשִׁמְךָ֛ עָלֵ֥ינוּ נִקְרָ֖א אַל־תַּנִּחֵֽנוּ׃

10 This is what the Lord has said about this people: Even so they have been glad to go from the right way; they have not kept their feet from wandering, so the Lord has no pleasure in them; now he will keep their wrongdoing in mind and send punishment for their sins.

10 כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה כֵּ֤ן אָֽהֲבוּ֙ לָנ֔וּעַ רַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֣א חָשָׂ֑כוּ וַיהוָה֙ לֹ֣א רָצָ֔ם עַתָּה֙ יִזְכֹּ֣ר עֲוֹנָ֔ם וְיִפְקֹ֖ד חַטֹּאתָֽם׃

11 And the Lord said to me, Make no prayer for this people for their good.

11 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י אַל־תִּתְפַּלֵּ֛ל בְּעַד־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה לְטֹובָֽה׃

12 When they go without food, I will not give ear to their cry; when they give burned offerings and meal offerings, I will not take pleasure in them: but I will put an end to them by the sword and by need of food and by disease.

12 כִּ֣י יָצֻ֗מוּ אֵינֶ֤נִּי שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ אֶל־רִנָּתָ֔ם וְכִ֧י יַעֲל֛וּ עֹלָ֥ה וּמִנְחָ֖ה אֵינֶ֣נִּי רֹצָ֑ם כִּ֗י בַּחֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבָרָעָ֣ב וּבַדֶּ֔בֶר אָנֹכִ֖י מְכַלֶּ֥ה אֹותָֽם׃

13 Then I said, Ah, Lord God! see, the prophets say to them, You will not see the sword or be short of food; but I will give you certain peace in this place.

13 וָאֹמַ֞ר אֲהָ֣הּ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה הַנְּבִאִ֜ים אֹמְרִ֤ים לָהֶם֙ לֹֽא־תִרְא֣וּ חֶ֔רֶב וְרָעָ֖ב לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־שְׁלֹ֤ום אֱמֶת֙ אֶתֵּ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם בַּמָּקֹ֖ום הַזֶּֽה׃

14 Then the Lord said to me, The prophets say false words in my name, and I gave them no orders, and I said nothing to them: what they say to you is a false vision and wonder-working words without substance, the deceit of their hearts.

14 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י קֶר הַנְּבִאִים֙ נִבְּאִ֣ים בִּשְׁמִ֔י לֹ֤א שְׁלַחְתִּים֙ וְלֹ֣א צִוִּיתִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א דִבַּ֖רְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם חֲזֹ֨ון שֶׁ֜קֶר וְקֶ֤סֶם וֶאֱלוּל וֶֽאֱלִיל֙ וְתַרְמוּת וְתַרְמִ֣ית לִבָּ֔ם הֵ֖מָּה מִֽתְנַבְּאִ֥ים לָכֶֽם׃

15 So this is what the Lord has said about the prophets who make use of my name, though I sent them not, and say, The sword and need of food will not be in this land: the sword and need of food will put an end to those prophets.

15 לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה עַֽל־הַנְּבִאִ֞ים הַנִּבְּאִ֣ים בִּשְׁמִי֮ וַאֲנִ֣י לֹֽא־שְׁלַחְתִּים֒ וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים חֶ֣רֶב וְרָעָ֔ב לֹ֥א יִהְיֶ֖ה בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את בַּחֶ֤רֶב וּבָֽרָעָב֙ יִתַּ֔מּוּ הַנְּבִאִ֖ים הָהֵֽמָּה׃

16 And the people to whom they are prophets will be pushed out dead into the streets of Jerusalem, because there is no food, and because of the sword; and they will have no one to put their bodies into the earth, them or their wives or their sons or their daughters: for I will let loose their evil-doing on them.

16 וְהָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣מָּה נִבְּאִ֣ים לָהֶ֡ם יִֽהְי֣וּ מֻשְׁלָכִים֩ בְּחֻצֹ֨ות יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם מִפְּנֵ֣י׀ הָרָעָ֣ב וְהַחֶ֗רֶב וְאֵ֤ין מְקַבֵּר֙ לָהֵ֔מָּה הֵ֣מָּה נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם וּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם וְשָׁפַכְתִּ֥י עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אֶת־רָעָתָֽם׃

17 And you are to say this word to them, Let my eyes be streaming with water night and day, and let it not be stopped; for the virgin daughter of my people is wounded with a great wound, with a very bitter blow.

17 וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה תֵּרַ֨דְנָה עֵינַ֥י דִּמְעָ֛ה לַ֥יְלָה וְיֹומָ֖ם וְאַל־תִּדְמֶ֑ינָה כִּי֩ שֶׁ֨בֶר גָּדֹ֜ול נִשְׁבְּרָ֗ה בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־עַמִּ֔י מַכָּ֖ה נַחְלָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

18 If I go out into the open country, there are those put to death by the sword! and if I go into the town, there are those who are diseased from need of food! for the prophet and the priest go about in the land and have no knowledge.

18 אִם־יָצָ֣אתִי הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב וְאִם֙ בָּ֣אתִי הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּ֖ה תַּחֲלוּאֵ֣י רָעָ֑ב כִּֽי־גַם־נָבִ֧יא גַם־כֹּהֵ֛ן סָחֲר֥וּ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃

19 Have you completely given up Judah? is your soul turned in disgust from Zion? why have you given us blows from which there is no one to make us well? we were looking for peace, but no good came; and for a time of well-being, but there was only a great fear.

19 הֲמָאֹ֨ס מָאַ֜סְתָּ אֶת־יְהוּדָ֗ה אִם־בְּצִיֹּון֙ גָּעֲלָ֣ה נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ הִכִּיתָ֔נוּ וְאֵ֥ין לָ֖נוּ מַרְפֵּ֑א קַוֵּ֤ה לְשָׁלֹום֙ וְאֵ֣ין טֹ֔וב וּלְעֵ֥ת מַרְפֵּ֖א וְהִנֵּ֥ה בְעָתָֽה׃

20 We are conscious, O Lord, of our sin and of the wrongdoing of our fathers: we have done evil against you.

20 יָדַ֧עְנוּ יְהוָ֛ה רִשְׁעֵ֖נוּ עֲוֹ֣ן אֲבֹותֵ֑ינוּ כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לָֽךְ׃

21 Do not be turned from us in disgust, because of your name; do not put shame on the seat of your glory: keep us in mind, let not your agreement with us be broken.

21 אַל־תִּנְאַץ֙ לְמַ֣עַן שִׁמְךָ֔ אַל־תְּנַבֵּ֖ל כִּסֵּ֣א כְבֹודֶ֑ךָ זְכֹ֕ר אַל־תָּפֵ֥ר בְּרִֽיתְךָ֖ אִתָּֽנוּ׃

22 Are any of the false gods of the nations able to make rain come? are the heavens able to give showers? are you not he, O Lord our God? so we will go on waiting for you, for you have done all these things.

22 הֲיֵ֨שׁ בְּהַבְלֵ֤י הַגֹּויִם֙ מַגְשִׁמִ֔ים וְאִם־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם יִתְּנ֣וּ רְבִבִ֑ים הֲלֹ֨א אַתָּה־ה֜וּא יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּ֨נְקַוֶּה־לָּ֔ךְ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֵֽלֶּה׃