Jeremiah 8

 

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֣יא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה (וְיֹצִיאוּ) [יֹוצִ֣יאוּ] אֶת־עַצְמֹ֣ות מַלְכֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־עַצְמֹות־שָׂרָיו וְאֶת־עַצְמֹ֨ות֩   8:1 הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת עַצְמֹ֣ות הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת עַצְמֹ֥ות יֹושְׁבֵֽי־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֖ם מִקִּבְרֵיהֶֽם׃

Jere. 8:1   “At that time,” declares the Lord, “they shall remove the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of its princes and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets and the bones of the residents of Jerusalem from their graves,

The word in parentheses has an inappropriate vav prefix, signifying that the conjunction and would precede the translation they shall remove.  The correction is in the brackets.

וּשְׁטָחוּם֩ לַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵ֜חַ וּלְכֹ֣ל צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲהֵב֜וּם וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר עֲבָדוּם֙ וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ הָלְכ֣וּ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם   8:2      וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר דְּרָשׁ֔וּם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם לֹ֤א יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ לְדֹ֛מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ׃

Jere. 8:2   and spread them toward the sun and toward the moon and toward the whole host of heaven, whom they loved and whom they served and whom they walked after and whom they sought and whom they worshipped; they shall not be gathered and they shall not be buried, for they shall be dung upon the surface of the earth.”

וְנִבְחַ֥ר מָ֙וֶת֙ מֵֽחַיִּי֔ם לְכֹ֗ל הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֔ים מִן־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה הָֽרָעָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את בְּכָל־הַמְּקֹמֹ֤ות הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙   8:3 אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִדַּחְתִּ֣ים שָׁ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹֽות׃

Jere. 8:3   “And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains from this evil people, in all the places that they remain, where I have driven them,” declares the Lord of hosts.

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲיִפְּל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יָק֑וּמוּ אִם־יָשׁ֖וּב וְלֹ֥א יָשֽׁוּב׃   8:4

Jere. 8:4   “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord.’

                   Will they fall and not rise up again?

                             If one turns away, then can he not turn back?’”

מַדּ֨וּעַ שֹׁובְבָ֜ה הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֛ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם מְשֻׁבָ֣ה נִצַּ֑חַת הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙ בַּתַּרְמִ֔ית מֵאֲנ֖וּ לָשֽׁוּב׃   8:5

Jere. 8:5   “’Why is the sliding back

                            of this people of Jerusalem

                   a perpetual backsliding?

                            They cling fast to deceit,

                   they refuse to return.’”

הִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּי וָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙ לֹוא־כֵ֣ן יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ אֵ֣ין אִ֗ישׁ נִחָם֙ עַל־רָ֣עָתֹ֔ו לֵאמֹ֖ר מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתִי כֻּלֹּ֗ה שָב (בִּמְרֻצֹותָם)   8:6 [בִּמְר֣וּצָתָ֔ם] כְּס֥וּס שֹׁוטֵ֖ף בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

Jere. 8:6   “I attend and listen;

                             they will not speak aright.

                   There is not one repenting

                             over his wickedness,

                    saying, ‘What have I done?’

                             Every one is turning aside in their course

                     like a horse running to battle.”

גַּם־חֲסִידָ֣ה בַשָּׁמַ֗יִם יָֽדְעָה֙ מֹֽועֲדֶ֔יהָ וְתֹ֤ר (וְסוּס) [וְסִיס] וְעָג֗וּר שָׁמְר֖וּ אֶת־עֵ֣ת בֹּאָ֑נָה וְעַמִּ֕י לֹ֣א   8:7        יָֽדְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יְהוָֽה׃

Jere. 8:7   “Even a stork in the sky

                             knows her appointed times,

                   and turtle dove and swallow and crane

                             observe the time of their arrival.

                   Yet My people do not understand

                             the divine law of the Lord.”

The word in parentheses is misspelled.  The vav should be a yad.  As spelled, the word translates as and horse instead of and swallow.  The correct spelling is in the brackets.  However, I should add that there is little reason to assume that horse must be wrong other than that three of the four words for animals in this verse are birds.  Still, it’s possible that the word translated as and turtle dove could simply be and turtle.  Then only two of the animals would be birds. I left the correction stand, though.  Thinking about it, my head began to hurt.  It’s very hard to do this alone.  What a dilemma!  This is hard to do alone -- but it must have been even harder to do in a committee.

אֵיכָ֤ה תֹֽאמְרוּ֙ חֲכָמִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ וְתֹורַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה אִתָּ֑נוּ אָכֵן֙ הִנֵּ֣ה לַשֶּׁ֣קֶר עָשָׂ֔ה עֵ֖ט שֶׁ֥קֶר סֹפְרִֽים׃   8:8

Jere. 8:8   “How can you say,

                             ‘We are wise men,

                   and the law of the Lord is with us?’

                            Certainly, behold, the vain pen

                   of the scribes has wrought in vain.”

הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ חֲכָמִ֔ים חַ֖תּוּ וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ הִנֵּ֤ה בִדְבַר־יְהוָה֙ מָאָ֔סוּ וְחָכְמַֽת־מֶ֖ה לָהֶֽ   8:9

Jere. 8:9   “Confounded are the wise men,

                              dismayed and snared.

                   Behold, they are contemptuous of the word of the Lord;

                              so of what good is wisdom to them?”

לָכֵן֩ אֶתֵּ֨ן אֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶ֜ם לַאֲחֵרִ֗ים שְׂדֹֽותֵיהֶם֙ לְיֹ֣ורְשִׁ֔ים כִּ֤י מִקָּטֹן֙ וְעַד־גָּדֹ֔ול כֻּלֹּ֖ה בֹּצֵ֣עַ בָּ֑צַע מִנָּבִיא   8:10        וְעַד־כֹּהֵ֔ן כֻּלֹּ֖ה עֹ֥שֶׂה שָּֽׁקֶר׃

Jere. 8:10   “Therefore, I will give their wives to others,

                               their fields to destroyers,

                      for from the least and up to the greatest

                               every one is very greedy;

                      from the prophet and up to the priest,

                               every one deals falsely.”

וַיְרַפּ֞וּ אֶת־שֶׁ֤בֶר בַּת־עַמִּי֙ עַל־נְקַלָּ֔ה לֵאמֹ֖ר שָׁלֹ֣ום שָׁלֹ֑ום וְאֵ֖ין שָׁלֹֽום׃   8:11

Jere. 8:11   “And they have treated the affliction

                               of the daughter of My people lightly,

                      saying, ‘Peace, peace,’

                                though there is no peace.”

הֹבִ֕שׁוּ כִּ֥י תֹועֵבָ֖ה עָשׂ֑וּ גַּם־בֹּ֣ושׁ לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ וְהִכָּלֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ לָכֵ֞ן יִפְּל֣וּ בַנֹּפְלִ֗ים בְּעֵ֧ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֛ם יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ   8:12   אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃

Jere. 8:12   “Are they ashamed because

                                they have committed abomination?

                     But confounded, they would not be ashamed.

                                and confused, they could not understand.

                     Therefore they shall fall with the fallen;

                                at the time of their reckoning

                      they shall stumble,” says the Lord.

אָסֹ֥ף אֲסִיפֵ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה אֵין֩ עֲנָבִ֨ים בַּגֶּ֜פֶן וְאֵ֧ין תְּאֵנִ֣ים בַּתְּאֵנָ֗ה וְהֶֽעָלֶה֙ נָבֵ֔ל וָאֶתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם יַעַבְרֽוּם׃   8:13

Jere. 8:13   “Utterly will I consume them,”

                                declares the Lord.

                      “There are no grapes on the vine,

                                and there are no figs on the fig-tree,

                      and the leaf is wilted;

                               what I have given to them shall perish.”

עַל־מָה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ יֹֽשְׁבִ֔ים הֵֽאָסְפ֗וּ וְנָבֹ֛וא אֶל־עָרֵ֥י הַמִּבְצָ֖ר וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁ֑ם כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ הֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙ וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּ   8:14     מֵי־רֹ֔אשׁ כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לַיהוָֽה׃

Jere. 8:14   Why are we tarrying?

                                Be assembled, and let us go

                       to the cities of fortification

                                and let us be cut off there,

                       for the Lord, our God, has cut us off,

                                and given us poisoned water to drink

                       because we have sinned against the Lord.

קַוֵּ֥ה לְשָׁלֹ֖ום וְאֵ֣ין טֹ֑וב לְעֵ֥ת מַרְפֵּ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה בְעָתָֽה׃   8:15

Jere. 8:15   He waited for peace but there was no favor,

                                for a time of healing but, behold, trouble.

מִדָּ֤ן נִשְׁמַע֙ נַחְרַ֣ת סוּסָ֗יו מִקֹּול֙ מִצְהֲלֹ֣ות אַבִּירָ֔יו רָעֲשָׁ֖ה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּבֹ֗ואוּ וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלֹואָ֔הּ   8:16   עִ֖יר וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃

Jere. 8:16   From Dan we can hear the snorting of His horses;

                                from the sound of the neighing

                     of His strong ones the whole earth trembles,

                                and they come and devour the earth

                     and all its fullness,

                                the city and those dwelling in it.

כִּי֩ הִנְנִ֨י מְשַׁלֵּ֜חַ בָּכֶ֗ם נְחָשִׁים֙ צִפְעֹנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם לָ֑חַשׁ וְנִשְּׁכ֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃   8:17

Jere. 8:17   “For, behold, I am sending among you serpents,

                                vipers that it is not for them to be charmed,

                      and they will bite you,” declares the Lord.

מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י עֲלֵ֣י יָגֹ֑ון עָלַ֖י לִבִּ֥י דַוָּֽי׃   8:18

Jere. 8:18   Restraining myself over my grief,

                                my heart becomes faint.

הִנֵּה־קֹ֞ול שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת בַּת־עַמִּ֗י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ מַרְחַקִּ֔ים הַֽיהוָה֙ אֵ֣ין בְּצִיֹּ֔ון אִם־מַלְכָּ֖הּ אֵ֣ין בָּ֑הּ מַדּ֗וּעַ הִכְעִס֛וּנִיּ   8:19     בִּפְסִלֵיהֶ֖ם בְּהַבְלֵ֥י נֵכָֽר׃

Jere. 8:19   Behold the sound of the cry

                                of the daughter of my people

                      from a land of distant places!

                                 Is the Lord not with Zion?

                      Is her King not with her?

                                 “Why have they vexed Me with their idols,

                      with the vanities of denial?”

עָבַ֥ר קָצִ֖יר כָּ֣לָה קָ֑יִץ וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ לֹ֥וא נֹושָֽׁעְנוּ׃   8:20

Jere. 8:20   Passed is the harvest,

                                 ended is the summer,

                      and we are not delivered.

עַל־שֶׁ֥בֶר בַּת־עַמִּ֖י הָשְׁבָּ֑רְתִּי קָדַ֕רְתִּי שַׁמָּ֖ה הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי׃   8:21

Jere. 8:21   Because of the ruin

                                 of the daughter of my people

                      I am shattered. I mourn;

                                 horror has overcome me.

הַצֳרִי֙ אֵ֣ין בְּגִלְעָ֔ד אִם־רֹפֵ֖א אֵ֣ין שָׁ֑ם כִּ֗י מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א עָֽלְתָ֔ה אֲרֻכַ֖ת בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃   8:22

Jere. 8:22   Is there no balm in Gilead?

                                 Is there no healing there?

                     Then why is not the health

                                of the daughter of my people improved?

מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן רֹאשִׁי֙ מַ֔יִם וְעֵינִ֖י מְקֹ֣ור דִּמְעָ֑ה וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ יֹומָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֵ֖ת חַֽלְלֵ֥י בַת־עַמִּֽי׃   8:23

Jere. 8:23   Oh that my head would give water

                                and my eyes were a fountain of tears

                      that I might bewail day and night

                                the slain of the daughter of my people!

 

[Return to Jeremiah Chapters]   [Prev.:  Jere. 7]   [Next:  Jere. 9]