The Burden against Damascus
(Jeremiah 49:23–27)

1  מַשָּׂ֖א (The burden) דַּמָּ֑שֶׂק (of Damascus):

הִנֵּ֤ה (Behold), דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ (Damascus) מוּסָ֣ר (is being turned aside) מֵעִ֔יר (as a city),

וְהָיְתָ֖ה (and it has become) מְעִ֥י (a heap)— מַפָּלָֽה׃ (of a ruins).

2  עֲזֻב֖וֹת (Are forsaken) עָרֵ֣י (the cities) עֲרֹעֵ֑ר (of Aroer);

לַעֲדָרִ֣ים (for flocks) תִּֽהְיֶ֔ינָה (they will be), וְרָבְצ֖וּ (to lie down),

וְאֵ֥ין (and no one) מַחֲרִֽיד׃ (will frighten them).

3  וְנִשְׁבַּ֤ת (And will cease) מִבְצָר֙ (The fortress) מֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִם (from Ephraim)

וּמַמְלָכָ֥ה (and the kingdom) מִדַּמֶּ֖שֶׂק (from Damascus)

וּשְׁאָ֣ר (and the remnant) אֲרָ֑ם (of Aram); כִּכְב֤וֹד (like the glory)

בְּנֵֽי־ (of the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (of Israel) יִֽהְי֔וּ (will become),

נְאֻ֖ם (a declaration) יְהוָ֥ה (of YHWH) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ס (of Hosts).

4  וְהָיָה֙ (And it will come to pass) בַּיּ֣וֹם (in day) הַה֔וּא (that), יִדַּ֖ל (will hang low) כְּב֣וֹד (that the glory) יַעֲקֹ֑ב (of Jacob)

וּמִשְׁמַ֥ן (and the fatness) בְּשָׂר֖וֹ (of his flesh) יֵרָזֶֽה׃ (will become lean).

5  וְהָיָ֗ה (And it will be) כֶּֽאֱסֹף֙ (as the gathering) קָצִ֣יר (of the harvester) קָמָ֔ה (of the standing grain),

וּזְרֹע֖וֹ (when his arm) שִׁבֳּלִ֣ים (the ears) יִקְצ֑וֹר (harvests),

וְהָיָ֛ה (and it will be) כִּמְלַקֵּ֥ט (as the gathering) שִׁבֳּלִ֖ים (of the ears)

בְּעֵ֥מֶק (in the Valley) רְפָאִֽים׃ (of Rephaim).

6  וְנִשְׁאַר־ (And there will be left over) בּ֤וֹ (in it) עֽוֹלֵלֹת֙ (gleanings)

כְּנֹ֣קֶף (like the shaking) זַ֔יִת (of an olive tree),

שְׁנַ֧יִם (two) שְׁלֹשָׁ֛ה (or three) גַּרְגְּרִ֖ים (berries) בְּרֹ֣אשׁ (at the top) אָמִ֑יר (of the bough),

אַרְבָּעָ֣ה (four) חֲמִשָּׁ֗ה (or five) בִּסְעִפֶ֙יהָ֙ (in its branches) פֹּֽרִיָּ֔ה (bearing fruit),

נְאֻם־ (a declaration) יְהוָ֖ה (of YHWH) אֱלֹהֵ֥י (God) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס (of Israel).

7  בַּיּ֣וֹם (In the day) הַה֔וּא (that) יִשְׁעֶ֥ה (will gaze) הָאָדָ֖ם (man) עַל־ (upon) עֹשֵׂ֑הוּ (his Maker),

וְעֵינָ֕יו (and his eyes) אֶל־ (unto) קְד֥וֹשׁ (the Holy One) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (of Israel) תִּרְאֶֽינָה׃ (will look).

8  וְלֹ֣א (And not) יִשְׁעֶ֔ה (will he look) אֶל־ (to) הַֽמִּזְבְּח֖וֹת (the altars),

מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה (the work) יָדָ֑יו (of his hands),

וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר (and that which) עָשׂ֤וּ (have made) אֶצְבְּעֹתָיו֙ (his fingers)

לֹ֣א (not) יִרְאֶ֔ה (will he see)—

וְהָאֲשֵׁרִ֖ים (the Asherahs) וְהָחַמָּנִֽים׃ (and incense altars).

9  בַּיּ֨וֹם (In the day) הַה֜וּא (that) יִהְי֣וּ׀ (will be) עָרֵ֣י (the cities) מָעֻזּ֗וֹ (of his strength)

כַּעֲזוּבַ֤ת (like the abandoned) הַחֹ֙רֶשׁ֙ (forest) וְהָ֣אָמִ֔יר (and summit)

אֲשֶׁ֣ר (which) עָזְב֔וּ (they abandoned) מִפְּנֵ֖י (before the faces) בְּנֵ֣י (of the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (of Israel);

וְהָיְתָ֖ה (and it will be) שְׁמָמָֽה׃ (a desolation).

10  כִּ֤י (For) שָׁכַ֙חַתְּ֙ (you have forgotten) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (the God) יִשְׁעֵ֔ךְ (of your salvation),

וְצ֥וּר (and the Rock) מָעֻזֵּ֖ךְ (of your refuge) לֹ֣א (not) זָכָ֑רְתְּ (have you remembered).

עַל־ (For) כֵּ֗ן (thus) תִּטְּעִי֙ (you may plant) נִטְעֵ֣י (plants) נַעֲמָנִ֔ים (of pleasantness),

וּזְמֹ֥רַת (vines) זָ֖ר (of a stranger) תִּזְרָעֶֽנּוּ׃ (you may sow).

11  בְּי֤וֹם (On the day) נִטְעֵךְ֙ (you plant)

תְּשַׂגְשֵׂ֔גִי (you make it grow),

וּבַבֹּ֖קֶר (and in the morning) זַרְעֵ֣ךְ (of your sowing)

תַּפְרִ֑יחִי (you make it sprout);

נֵ֥ד (will flee) קָצִ֛יר (the harvest)

בְּי֥וֹם (on the day) נַחֲלָ֖ה (of the coming of sickness) וּכְאֵ֥ב (and pain) אָנֽוּשׁ׃ס (that cannot be cured).

12  ה֗וֹי (Woe) הֲמוֹן֙ (to the multitude) עַמִּ֣ים (of peoples) רַבִּ֔ים (many);

כַּהֲמ֥וֹת (like the roaring) יַמִּ֖ים (of seas) יֶהֱמָי֑וּן (they roar), וּשְׁא֣וֹן (and the rumble) לְאֻמִּ֔ים (of nations)—

כִּשְׁא֛וֹן (like the rumbling) מַ֥יִם (of waters) כַּבִּירִ֖ים (mighty) יִשָּׁאֽוּן׃ (they are crashing).

13  לְאֻמִּ֗ים (The peoples) כִּשְׁא֞וֹן (like the rumbling) מַ֤יִם (of waters) רַבִּים֙ (many) יִשָּׁא֔וּן (they are crashing),

וְגָ֥עַר (and He will rebuke) בּ֖וֹ (them), וְנָ֣ס (and they will flee) מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק (far away)

וְרֻדַּ֗ף (and they will be chased) כְּמֹ֤ץ (like chaff) הָרִים֙ (on the mountains) לִפְנֵי־ (before the face) ר֔וּחַ (of the wind),

וּכְגַלְגַּ֖ל (and like a wheel of dust) לִפְנֵ֥י (before the face) סוּפָֽה׃ (of the whirlwind).

14  לְעֵ֥ת (At the time) עֶ֙רֶב֙ (of evening), וְהִנֵּ֣ה (behold), בַלָּהָ֔ה (the terror)!

בְּטֶ֥רֶם (Before) בֹּ֖קֶר (the morning) אֵינֶ֑נּוּ (he is no more)!

זֶ֚ה (This is) חֵ֣לֶק (the portion) שׁוֹסֵ֔ינוּ (of those plundering us)

וְגוֹרָ֖ל (and the lot) לְבֹזְזֵֽינוּ׃ס (of those preying on us).