The Broken Jar

1  כֹּ֚ה (Thus) אָמַ֣ר (says) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH), הָל֛וֹךְ (Go) וְקָנִ֥יתָ (and acquire) בַקְבֻּ֖ק (jar), יוֹצֵ֣ר (from a potter) חָ֑רֶשׂ (a clay) וּמִזִּקְנֵ֣י (and take some of the elders) הָעָ֔ם (of the people), וּמִזִּקְנֵ֖י (and some of the elders) הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃ (of the priests); 2  וְיָצָ֙אתָ֙ (and go out) אֶל־ (to) גֵּ֣יא (the Valley) בֶן־ (of Ben-) הִנֹּ֔ם (hinnom), אֲשֶׁ֕ר (which is) פֶּ֖תַח (by the entrance) שַׁ֣עַר (of the Gate), הַחֲרָסוּת (of the Potsherd)

וְקָרָ֣אתָ (and proclaim) שָּׁ֔ם (there) אֶת־ (-) הַדְּבָרִ֖ים (the words) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) אֲדַבֵּ֥ר (I speak) אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (to you). 3  וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ (And you shall say), שִׁמְע֣וּ (Hear) דְבַר־ (the word) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH), מַלְכֵ֣י (O kings) יְהוּדָ֔ה (of Judah), וְיֹשְׁבֵ֖י (and dwellers) יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (of Jerusalem); כֹּֽה־ (thus) אָמַר֩ (says) יְהוָ֨ה (YHWH) צְבָא֜וֹת (of Hosts), אֱלֹהֵ֣י (the God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (of Israel); הִנְנִ֨י (behold) מֵבִ֤יא (I am bringing) רָעָה֙ (such disaster) עַל־ (on) הַמָּק֣וֹם (the place), הַזֶּ֔ה (this) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) כָּל־ (whoever) שֹׁמְעָ֖הּ (hears of it), תִּצַּ֥לְנָה (will tingle) אָזְנָֽיו׃ (his ears). 4  יַ֣עַן׀ (Because) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) עֲזָבֻ֗נִי (they have forsaken Me) וַֽיְנַכְּר֞וּ (and made foreign) אֶת־ (-) הַמָּק֤וֹם (the place), הַזֶּה֙ (this) וַיְקַטְּרוּ־ (and burned incense) בוֹ֙ (in it) לֵאלֹהִ֣ים (gods), אֲחֵרִ֔ים (to other) אֲשֶׁ֧ר (whom) לֹֽא־ (they have not) יְדָע֛וּם (known), הֵ֥מָּה (they) וַאֲבֽוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם (and not their fathers) וּמַלְכֵ֣י (and not the kings) יְהוּדָ֑ה (of Judah), וּמָֽלְא֛וּ (and they have filled) אֶת־ (-) הַמָּק֥וֹם (place) הַזֶּ֖ה (this) דַּ֥ם (with the blood of) נְקִיִּֽם׃ (innocents); 5  וּבָנ֞וּ (and they have built) אֶת־ (-) בָּמ֣וֹת (the high places) הַבַּ֗עַל (of Baal), לִשְׂרֹ֧ף (to burn) אֶת־ (-) בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם (their sons) בָּאֵ֖שׁ (in the fire) עֹל֣וֹת (as burnt offerings) לַבָּ֑עַל (to Baal), אֲשֶׁ֤ר (which) לֹֽא־ (I did not), צִוִּ֙יתִי֙ (command) וְלֹ֣א (and not) דִבַּ֔רְתִּי (speak) וְלֹ֥א (and not) עָלְתָ֖ה (did it come) עַל־ (upon) לִבִּֽי׃פ (My heart).

6  לָכֵ֞ן (Therefore), הִנֵּֽה־ (behold), יָמִ֤ים (the days) בָּאִים֙ (are coming), נְאֻם־ (a declaration) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH), וְלֹא־ (no) יִקָּרֵא֩ (be called) לַמָּק֨וֹם (place) הַזֶּ֥ה (that this) ע֛וֹד (longer) הַתֹּ֖פֶת (Tophet), וְגֵ֣יא (or the Valley) בֶן־ (of Ben-) הִנֹּ֑ם (hinnom), כִּ֖י (but) אִם־ (instead) גֵּ֥יא (the Valley) הַהֲרֵגָֽה׃ (of the Slaughter). 7  וּ֠בַקֹּתִי (And I will ruin) אֶת־ (-) עֲצַ֨ת (the counsel) יְהוּדָ֤ה (of Judah) וִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ (and Jerusalem) בַּמָּק֣וֹם (in the place); הַזֶּ֔ה (this) וְהִפַּלְתִּ֤ים (and I will cause them to fall) בַּחֶ֙רֶב֙ (by the sword) לִפְנֵ֣י (before the face) אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם (of their enemies), וּבְיַ֖ד (and by the hands) מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י (of those seeking) נַפְשָׁ֑ם (their soul); וְנָתַתִּ֤י (and I will give) אֶת־ (-) נִבְלָתָם֙ (their carcass) לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל (as food) לְע֥וֹף (for the bird) הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם (of the heavens), וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת (and for the beast) הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (of the earth).

8  וְשַׂמְתִּי֙ (And I will set) אֶת־ (-) הָעִ֣יר (the city) הַזֹּ֔את (this) לְשַׁמָּ֖ה (as a desolation), וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֑ה (and a hissing); כֹּ֚ל (every) עֹבֵ֣ר (one passing) עָלֶ֔יהָ (by her) יִשֹּׁ֥ם (will be astonished) וְיִשְׁרֹ֖ק (and will hiss) עַל־ (over) כָּל־ (all) מַכֹּתֶֽהָ׃ (her wounds). 9  וְהַֽאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים (And I will make them eat) אֶת־ (-) בְּשַׂ֣ר (the flesh) בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם (of their sons) וְאֵת֙ (and) בְּשַׂ֣ר (the flesh) בְּנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם (of their daughters), וְאִ֥ישׁ (and each man) בְּשַׂר־ (the flesh) רֵעֵ֖הוּ (of his neighbor) יֹאכֵ֑לוּ (shall eat) בְּמָצוֹר֙ (in the siege) וּבְמָצ֔וֹק (and in the distress), אֲשֶׁ֨ר (with which) יָצִ֧יקוּ (shall press) לָהֶ֛ם (against them) אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם (their enemies), וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י (and those seeking) נַפְשָֽׁם׃ (their soul).

10  וְשָׁבַרְתָּ֖ (And you shall break) הַבַּקְבֻּ֑ק (the flask) לְעֵינֵי֙ (before the eyes) הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים (of the men) הַהֹלְכִ֖ים (who go) אוֹתָֽךְ׃ (with you). 11  וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ (And you shall say) אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם (to them) כֹּה־ (thus) אָמַ֣ר׀ (says) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH of) צְבָא֗וֹת (Hosts); כָּ֣כָה (Like this) אֶשְׁבֹּ֞ר (I will break) אֶת־ (-) הָעָ֤ם (the people) הַזֶּה֙ (this) וְאֶת־ (and) הָעִ֣יר (the city), הַזֹּ֔את (this) כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר (just like) יִשְׁבֹּר֙ (one breaks) אֶת־ (-) כְּלִ֣י (a vessel), הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר (of the potter) אֲשֶׁ֛ר (which) לֹֽא־ (is not) יוּכַ֥ל (able) לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה (to be made whole) ע֑וֹד (again); וּבְתֹ֣פֶת (and in Tophet), יִקְבְּר֔וּ (they shall bury them) מֵאֵ֥ין (until there is no) מָק֖וֹם (place) לִקְבּֽוֹר׃ (to bury).

12  כֵּֽן־ (Thus) אֶעֱשֶׂ֞ה (I will do) לַמָּק֥וֹם (to the place), הַזֶּ֛ה (this) נְאֻם־ (a declaration) יְהוָ֖ה (of YHWH), וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבָ֑יו (and to its dwellers) וְלָתֵ֛ת (so as to give) אֶת־ (-) הָעִ֥יר (the city) הַזֹּ֖את (this) כְּתֹֽפֶת׃ (to be like Tophet). 13  וְהָי֞וּ (Will be) בָּתֵּ֣י (and the houses) יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם (of Jerusalem), וּבָתֵּי֙ (and the houses) מַלְכֵ֣י (of the kings) יְהוּדָ֔ה (of Judah), כִּמְק֥וֹם (like the place) הַתֹּ֖פֶת (of Tophet), הַטְּמֵאִ֑ים (the defiled place) לְכֹ֣ל (even all) הַבָּתִּ֗ים (the houses) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (-) קִטְּר֜וּ (they burned incense) עַל־ (on) גַּגֹּֽתֵיהֶם֙ (whose roofs) לְכֹל֙ (to all) צְבָ֣א (the host) הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם (of the heavens), וְהַסֵּ֥ךְ (and poured out) נְסָכִ֖ים (drink offerings) לֵאלֹהִ֥ים (gods) אֲחֵרִֽים׃פ (to other).

14  וַיָּבֹ֤א (And came) יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ (Jeremiah) מֵֽהַתֹּ֔פֶת (from Tophet) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (where) שְׁלָח֧וֹ (had sent him) יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) שָׁ֖ם (there) לְהִנָּבֵ֑א (to prophesy); וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ (and he stood) בַּחֲצַ֣ר (in the court) בֵּית־ (of the house); יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (and said) אֶל־ (to) כָּל־ (all) הָעָֽם׃ס (the people), 15  כֹּֽה־ (Thus) אָמַ֞ר (says) יְהוָ֤ה (YHWH of) צְבָאוֹת֙ (Hosts), אֱלֹהֵ֣י (the God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel); הִנְנִ֨י (Behold, I) מֵבִי (am bringing) אֶל־ (on) הָעִ֤יר (the city) הַזֹּאת֙ (this) וְעַל־ (and on) כָּל־ (all) עָרֶ֔יהָ (her towns) אֵ֚ת (-) כָּל־ (all) הָ֣רָעָ֔ה (the disastrous evil) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי (I have spoken) עָלֶ֑יהָ (against her) כִּ֤י (because) הִקְשׁוּ֙ (they have stiffened) אֶת־ (-) עָרְפָּ֔ם (their necks), לְבִלְתִּ֖י (that they might not) שְׁמ֥וֹעַ (hear) אֶת־ (-) דְּבָרָֽי׃ (My words).