Jeremiah 19

כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה הָלֹ֛ךְ וְקָנִ֥יתָ בַקְבֻּ֖ק יוֹצֵ֣ר חָ֑רֶשׂ וּמִזִּקְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם וּמִזִּקְנֵ֖י הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃

Thus said G OD : Go buy a jug of potter’s ware. And [take] some of the elders of the people and the priests,

וְיָצָ֙אתָ֙ אֶל־גֵּ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֕ר פֶּ֖תַח שַׁ֣עַר (החרסות) [הַחַרְסִ֑ית] וְקָרָ֣אתָ שָּׁ֔ם אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

and go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom—at the entrance of the Harsith Gate—and proclaim there the words that I will speak to you.

וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ שִׁמְע֣וּ דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְיֹשְׁבֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כֹּֽה־אָמַר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִ֤יא רָעָה֙ עַל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר כׇּל־שֹׁמְעָ֖הּ תִּצַּ֥לְנָה אׇזְנָֽיו׃

Say: “Hear the word of G OD , O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Thus said G OD of Hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to bring such disaster upon this place that the ears of all who hear about it will tingle.

יַ֣עַן׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָבֻ֗נִי וַֽיְנַכְּר֞וּ אֶת־הַמָּק֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ וַיְקַטְּרוּ־בוֹ֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יְדָע֛וּם הֵ֥מָּה וַאֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם וּמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וּמָ֥לְא֛וּ אֶת־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה דַּ֥ם נְקִיִּֽם׃

For they and their ancestors and the kings of Judah have forsaken Me, and have made this place alien [to Me]; they have sacrificed in it to other gods whom they have not experienced, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

וּבָנ֞וּ אֶת־בָּמ֣וֹת הַבַּ֗עַל לִשְׂרֹ֧ף אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם בָּאֵ֖שׁ עֹל֣וֹת לַבָּ֑עַל אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־צִוִּ֙יתִי֙ וְלֹ֣א דִבַּ֔רְתִּי וְלֹ֥א עָלְתָ֖ה עַל־לִבִּֽי׃ {פ}

They have built shrines to Baal, to put their children to the fire as burnt offerings to Baal—which I never commanded, never decreed, and which never came to My mind.

לָכֵ֞ן הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵא֩ לַמָּק֨וֹם הַזֶּ֥ה ע֛וֹד הַתֹּ֖פֶת וְגֵ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֑ם כִּ֖י אִם־גֵּ֥יא הַהֲרֵגָֽה׃

Assuredly, a time is coming—declares G OD —when this place shall no longer be called Topheth or Valley of Ben-hinnom, but Valley of Slaughter.

וּ֠בַקֹּתִ֠י אֶת־עֲצַ֨ת יְהוּדָ֤ה וִירוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ בַּמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִפַּלְתִּ֤ים בַּחֶ֙רֶב֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֤י אֶת־נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

“And I will frustrate, a play on baqbuq , “jug” in v. 1. the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of those who seek their lives; and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

וְשַׂמְתִּי֙ אֶת־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את לְשַׁמָּ֖ה וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֑ה כֹּ֚ל עֹבֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשֹּׁ֥ם וְיִשְׁרֹ֖ק עַל־כׇּל־מַכֹּתֶֽהָ׃

And I will make this city an object of horror and hissing; everyone who passes by it will be appalled and will hiss over all its wounds.

וְהַאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם וְאֵת֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ בְּשַׂר־רֵעֵ֖הוּ יֹאכֵ֑לוּ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֧יקוּ לָהֶ֛ם אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשָֽׁם׃

And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall devour one another’s flesh—because of the desperate straits to which they will be reduced by their enemies, who seek their life.”

וְשָׁבַרְתָּ֖ הַבַּקְבֻּ֑ק לְעֵינֵי֙ הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים הַהֹלְכִ֖ים אוֹתָֽךְ׃

Then you shall smash the jug in the sight of those who go with you,

וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת כָּ֣כָה אֶשְׁבֹּ֞ר אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ וְאֶת־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁבֹּר֙ אֶת־כְּלִ֣י הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה ע֑וֹד וּבְתֹ֣פֶת יִקְבְּר֔וּ מֵאֵ֥ין מָק֖וֹם לִקְבּֽוֹר׃

and say to them: “Thus said G OD of Hosts: So will I smash this people and this city, as one smashes a potter’s vessel, which can never be mended. And they shall bury in Topheth until no room is left for burying.

כֵּֽן־אֶעֱשֶׂ֞ה לַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֖ה וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבָ֑יו וְלָתֵ֛ת אֶת־הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֖את כְּתֹֽפֶת׃

That is what I will do to this place and its inhabitants—declares G OD . I will make this city like Topheth:

וְהָי֞וּ בָּתֵּ֣י יְרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם וּבָתֵּי֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כִּמְק֥וֹם הַתֹּ֖פֶת הַטְּמֵאִ֑ים לְכֹ֣ל הַבָּתִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר קִטְּר֜וּ עַל־גַּגֹּֽתֵיהֶם֙ לְכֹל֙ צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְהַסֵּ֥ךְ נְסָכִ֖ים לֵאלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃ {פ}

the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be impure, like that place Topheth—all the houses on the roofs of which offerings were made to the whole host of heaven and libations were poured out to other gods.”

וַיָּבֹ֤א יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ מֵֽהַתֹּ֔פֶת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שְׁלָח֧וֹ יְהֹוָ֛ה שָׁ֖ם לְהִנָּבֵ֑א וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ בַּחֲצַ֣ר בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָֽם׃ {ס}

When Jeremiah returned from Topheth, where G OD had sent him to prophesy, he stood in the court of the House of G OD and said to all the people:

כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר יְהֹוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִ֜י אֶל־הָעִ֤יר הַזֹּאת֙ וְעַל־כׇּל־עָרֶ֔יהָ אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּ֤י הִקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־עׇרְפָּ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמ֥וֹעַ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃

“Thus said G OD of Hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to bring upon this city and upon all its villages all the disaster that I have decreed against it, for they have stiffened their necks and refused to heed My words.”