Chapter 12

1You will win, Hashem, if I make claim against You, Yet I shall present charges against You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are the workers of treachery at ease?

אצַדִּיק אַתָּה יְהֹוָה כִּי אָרִיב אֵלֶיךָ אַךְ מִשְׁפָּטִים אֲדַבֵּר אוֹתָךְ מַדּוּעַ דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים צָלֵחָה שָׁלוּ כָּל־בֹּגְדֵי בָגֶד׃

2You have planted them, and they have taken root, They spread, they even bear fruit. You are present in their mouths, But far from their thoughts.

בנְטַעְתָּם גַּם־שֹׁרָשׁוּ יֵלְכוּ גַּם־עָשׂוּ פֶרִי קָרוֹב אַתָּה בְּפִיהֶם וְרָחוֹק מִכִּלְיוֹתֵיהֶם׃

3Yet You, Hashem, have noted and observed me; You have tested my heart, and found it with You. Drive them out like sheep to the slaughter, Prepare them for the day of slaying!

גוְאַתָּה יְהֹוָה יְדַעְתָּנִי תִּרְאֵנִי וּבָחַנְתָּ לִבִּי אִתָּךְ הַתִּקֵם כְּצֹאן לְטִבְחָה וְהַקְדִּשֵׁם לְיוֹם הֲרֵגָה׃

4How long must the land languish, And the grass of all the countryside dry up? Must beasts and birds perish, Because of the evil of its inhabitants, Who say, “He will not look upon our future”?

דעַד־מָתַי תֶּאֱבַל הָאָרֶץ וְעֵשֶׂב כָּל־הַשָּׂדֶה יִיבָשׁ מֵרָעַת יֹשְׁבֵי־בָהּ סָפְתָה בְהֵמוֹת וָעוֹף כִּי אָמְרוּ לֹא יִרְאֶה אֶת־אַחֲרִיתֵנוּ׃

5If you race with the foot-runners and they exhaust you, How then can you compete with horses? If you are secure only in a tranquil land, How will you fare in the jungle of the Yarden?

הכִּי אֶת־רַגְלִים רַצְתָּה וַיַּלְאוּךָ וְאֵיךְ תְּתַחֲרֶה אֶת־הַסּוּסִים וּבְאֶרֶץ שָׁלוֹם אַתָּה בוֹטֵחַ וְאֵיךְ תַּעֲשֶׂה בִּגְאוֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן׃

6For even your kinsmen and your father's house, Even they are treacherous toward you, They cry after you as a mob. Do not believe them When they speak cordially to you.

וכִּי גַם־אַחֶיךָ וּבֵית־אָבִיךָ גַּם־הֵמָּה בָּגְדוּ בָךְ גַּם־הֵמָּה קָרְאוּ אַחֲרֶיךָ מָלֵא אַל־תַּאֲמֵן בָּם כִּי־יְדַבְּרוּ אֵלֶיךָ טוֹבוֹת׃

7I have abandoned My House, I have deserted My possession, I have given over My dearly beloved Into the hands of her enemies.

זעָזַבְתִּי אֶת־בֵּיתִי נָטַשְׁתִּי אֶת־נַחֲלָתִי נָתַתִּי אֶת־יְדִדוּת נַפְשִׁי בְּכַף אֹיְבֶיהָ׃

8My own people acted toward Me Like a lion in the forest; She raised her voice against Me— Therefore I have rejected her.

חהָיְתָה־לִּי נַחֲלָתִי כְּאַרְיֵה בַיָּעַר נָתְנָה עָלַי בְּקוֹלָהּ עַל־כֵּן שְׂנֵאתִיהָ׃

9My own people acts toward Me Like a bird of prey [or] a hyena; Let the birds of prey surround her! Go, gather all the wild beasts, Bring them to devour!

טהַעַיִט צָבוּעַ נַחֲלָתִי לִי הַעַיִט סָבִיב עָלֶיהָ לְכוּ אִסְפוּ כָּל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה הֵתָיוּ לְאָכְלָה׃

10Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard, Have trampled My field, Have made My delightful field A desolate wilderness.

ירֹעִים רַבִּים שִׁחֲתוּ כַרְמִי בֹּסְסוּ אֶת־חֶלְקָתִי נָתְנוּ אֶת־חֶלְקַת חֶמְדָּתִי לְמִדְבַּר שְׁמָמָה׃

11They have made her a desolation; Desolate, she pours out grief to Me. The whole land is laid desolate, But no man gives it thought.

יאשָׂמָהּ לִשְׁמָמָה אָבְלָה עָלַי שְׁמֵמָה נָשַׁמָּה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ כִּי אֵין אִישׁ שָׂם עַל־לֵב׃

12Spoilers have come Upon all the bare heights of the wilderness. For a sword of Hashem devours From one end of the land to the other; No flesh is safe.

יבעַל־כָּל־שְׁפָיִם בַּמִּדְבָּר בָּאוּ שֹׁדְדִים כִּי חֶרֶב לַיהֹוָה אֹכְלָה מִקְצֵה־אֶרֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ אֵין שָׁלוֹם לְכָל־בָּשָׂר׃

13They have sown wheat and reaped thorns, They have endured pain to no avail. Be shamed, then, by your harvest— By the blazing wrath of Hashem!

יגזָרְעוּ חִטִּים וְקֹצִים קָצָרוּ נֶחְלוּ לֹא יוֹעִלוּ וּבֹשׁוּ מִתְּבוּאֹתֵיכֶם מֵחֲרוֹן אַף־יְהֹוָה׃

14Thus said Hashem: As for My wicked neighbors who encroach on the heritage that I gave to My people Yisrael—I am going to uproot them from their soil, and I will uproot the House of Yehuda out of the midst of them.

KOH a-MAR a-do-NAI al kol sh'-khay-NAI ha-ra-EEM ha-no-g'-EEM ba-na-kha-LAH a-sher hin-KHAL-tee et a-MEE et yis-ra-AYL hi-n'-NEE no-t'-SHAM may-AL ad-ma-TAM v'-et BAYT y'-hu-DAH e-TOSH mi-to-KHAM

ידכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה עַל־כָּל־שְׁכֵנַי הָרָעִים הַנֹּגְעִים בַּנַּחֲלָה אֲשֶׁר־הִנְחַלְתִּי אֶת־עַמִּי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי נֹתְשָׁם מֵעַל אַדְמָתָם וְאֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה אֶתּוֹשׁ מִתּוֹכָם׃

15Then, after I have uprooted them, I will take them back into favor, and restore them each to his own inheritance and his own land.

טווְהָיָה אַחֲרֵי נָתְשִׁי אוֹתָם אָשׁוּב וְרִחַמְתִּים וַהֲשִׁבֹתִים אִישׁ לְנַחֲלָתוֹ וְאִישׁ לְאַרְצוֹ׃

16And if they learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name—“As Hashem lives”—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of My people.

טזוְהָיָה אִם־לָמֹד יִלְמְדוּ אֶת־דַּרְכֵי עַמִּי לְהִשָּׁבֵעַ בִּשְׁמִי חַי־יְהֹוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר לִמְּדוּ אֶת־עַמִּי לְהִשָּׁבֵעַ בַּבָּעַל וְנִבְנוּ בְּתוֹךְ עַמִּי׃

17But if they do not give heed, I will tear out that nation, tear it out and destroy it—declares Hashem.

יזוְאִם לֹא יִשְׁמָעוּ וְנָתַשְׁתִּי אֶת־הַגּוֹי הַהוּא נָתוֹשׁ וְאַבֵּד נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃