TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 20
Translation and Transliteration of
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1Pashhur son of Immer, the Kohen who was chief officer of the House of Hashem, heard Yirmiyahu prophesy these things.
אוַיִּשְׁמַע פַּשְׁחוּר בֶּן־אִמֵּר הַכֹּהֵן וְהוּא־פָקִיד נָגִיד בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה אֶת־יִרְמְיָהוּ נִבָּא אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה׃
2Pashhur thereupon had Yirmiyahu flogged and put in the cell at the Upper Binyamin Gate in the House of Hashem.
בוַיַּכֶּה פַשְׁחוּר אֵת יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא וַיִּתֵּן אֹתוֹ עַל־הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת אֲשֶׁר בְּשַׁעַר בִּנְיָמִן הָעֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה׃
3The next day, Pashhur released Yirmiyahu from the cell. But Yirmiyahu said to him, “Hashem has named you not Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.
vai-HEE mi-ma-kho-RAT va-yo-TZAY fash-KHUR et yir-m'-YA-hu min ha-mah-PA-khet va-YO-mer ay-LAV yir-m'-YA-hu LO fash-KHUR ka-RA a-do-NAI sh'-ME-kha KEE im ma-GOR mi-sa-VEEV
גוַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיֹּצֵא פַשְׁחוּר אֶת־יִרְמְיָהוּ מִן־הַמַּהְפָּכֶת וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יִרְמְיָהוּ לֹא פַשְׁחוּר קָרָא יְהֹוָה שְׁמֶךָ כִּי אִם־מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב׃
20:3 Hashem has named you not Pashhur, but Magor-missabib
In a failed attempt to silence Yirmiyahu, Pashhur, an official in the Beit Hamikdash, places the prophet in jail. Yirmiyahu is not deterred, and defiantly tells Pashhur that his name is magor-misaviv (מגור מסביב), ‘terror from all sides’ (verse 3). This insult has two layers of meaning. It describes the fate that awaits Pashhur, his family and the entire corrupt bureaucracy as described in this verse. But it also describes the tragedy of the situation. The Beit Hamikdash is Hashem’s home, where peace and tranquility are to dwell. Yet they have turned it into a place of terror, where disagreement is stifled and people live in fear of offending the authorities.
4For thus said Hashem: I am going to deliver you and all your friends over to terror: they will fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. I will deliver all Yehuda into the hands of the king of Babylon; he will exile them to Babylon or put them to the sword.
דכִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנְנִי נֹתֶנְךָ לְמָגוֹר לְךָ וּלְכָל־אֹהֲבֶיךָ וְנָפְלוּ בְּחֶרֶב אֹיְבֵיהֶם וְעֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת וְאֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָה אֶתֵּן בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְהִגְלָם בָּבֶלָה וְהִכָּם בֶּחָרֶב׃
5And I will deliver all the wealth, all the riches, and all the prized possessions of this city, and I will also deliver all the treasures of the kings of Yehuda into the hands of their enemies: they shall seize them as plunder and carry them off to Babylon.
הוְנָתַתִּי אֶת־כָּל־חֹסֶן הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְאֶת־כָּל־יְגִיעָהּ וְאֶת־כָּל־יְקָרָהּ וְאֵת כָּל־אוֹצְרוֹת מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה אֶתֵּן בְּיַד אֹיְבֵיהֶם וּבְזָזוּם וּלְקָחוּם וֶהֱבִיאוּם בָּבֶלָה׃
6As for you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, you shall go into captivity. You shall come to Babylon; there you shall die and there you shall be buried, and so shall all your friends to whom you prophesied falsely.”
ווְאַתָּה פַשְׁחוּר וְכֹל יֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ תֵּלְכוּ בַּשֶּׁבִי וּבָבֶל תָּבוֹא וְשָׁם תָּמוּת וְשָׁם תִּקָּבֵר אַתָּה וְכָל־אֹהֲבֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר־נִבֵּאתָ לָהֶם בַּשָּׁקֶר׃
7You enticed me, Hashem, and I was enticed; You overpowered me and You prevailed. I have become a constant laughingstock, Everyone jeers at me.
זפִּתִּיתַנִי יְהֹוָה וָאֶפָּת חֲזַקְתַּנִי וַתּוּכָל הָיִיתִי לִשְׂחוֹק כָּל־הַיּוֹם כֻּלֹּה לֹעֵג לִי׃
8For every time I speak, I must cry out, Must shout, “Lawlessness and rapine!” For the word of Hashem causes me Constant disgrace and contempt.
חכִּי־מִדֵּי אֲדַבֵּר אֶזְעָק חָמָס וָשֹׁד אֶקְרָא כִּי־הָיָה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה לִי לְחֶרְפָּה וּלְקֶלֶס כָּל־הַיּוֹם׃
9I thought, “I will not mention Him, No more will I speak in His name”— But [His word] was like a raging fire in my heart, Shut up in my bones; I could not hold it in, I was helpless.
טוְאָמַרְתִּי לֹא־אֶזְכְּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא־אֲדַבֵּר עוֹד בִּשְׁמוֹ וְהָיָה בְלִבִּי כְּאֵשׁ בֹּעֶרֶת עָצֻר בְּעַצְמֹתָי וְנִלְאֵיתִי כַּלְכֵל וְלֹא אוּכָל׃
10I heard the whispers of the crowd— Terror all around: “Inform! Let us inform against him!” All my [supposed] friends Are waiting for me to stumble: “Perhaps he can be entrapped, And we can prevail against him And take our vengeance on him.”
יכִּי שָׁמַעְתִּי דִּבַּת רַבִּים מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב הַגִּידוּ וְנַגִּידֶנּוּ כֹּל אֱנוֹשׁ שְׁלוֹמִי שֹׁמְרֵי צַלְעִי אוּלַי יְפֻתֶּה וְנוּכְלָה לוֹ וְנִקְחָה נִקְמָתֵנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ׃
11But Hashem is with me like a mighty warrior; Therefore my persecutors shall stumble; They shall not prevail and shall not succeed. They shall be utterly shamed With a humiliation for all time, Which shall not be forgotten.
יאוַיהֹוָה אוֹתִי כְּגִבּוֹר עָרִיץ עַל־כֵּן רֹדְפַי יִכָּשְׁלוּ וְלֹא יֻכָלוּ בֹּשׁוּ מְאֹד כִּי־לֹא הִשְׂכִּילוּ כְּלִמַּת עוֹלָם לֹא תִשָּׁכֵחַ׃
12O lord of Hosts, You who test the righteous, Who examine the heart and the mind, Let me see Your retribution upon them, For I lay my case before You.
יבוַיהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת בֹּחֵן צַדִּיק רֹאֶה כְלָיוֹת וָלֵב אֶרְאֶה נִקְמָתְךָ מֵהֶם כִּי אֵלֶיךָ גִּלִּיתִי אֶת־רִיבִי׃
13Sing unto Hashem, Praise Hashem, For He has rescued the needy From the hands of evildoers!
יגשִׁירוּ לַיהֹוָה הַלְלוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה כִּי הִצִּיל אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ אֶבְיוֹן מִיַּד מְרֵעִים׃
14Accursed be the day That I was born! Let not the day be blessed When my mother bore me!
ידאָרוּר הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר יֻלַּדְתִּי בּוֹ יוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַתְנִי אִמִּי אַל־יְהִי בָרוּךְ׃
15Accursed be the man Who brought my father the news And said, “A boy Is born to you,” And gave him such joy!
טואָרוּר הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בִּשַּׂר אֶת־אָבִי לֵאמֹר יֻלַּד־לְךָ בֵּן זָכָר שַׂמֵּחַ שִׂמֳּחָהוּ׃
16Let that man become like the cities Which Hashem overthrew without relenting! Let him hear shrieks in the morning And battle shouts at noontide—
טזוְהָיָה הָאִישׁ הַהוּא כֶּעָרִים אֲשֶׁר־הָפַךְ יְהֹוָה וְלֹא נִחָם וְשָׁמַע זְעָקָה בַּבֹּקֶר וּתְרוּעָה בְּעֵת צָהֳרָיִם׃
17Because he did not kill me before birth So that my mother might be my grave, And her womb big [with me] for all time.
יזאֲשֶׁר לֹא־מוֹתְתַנִי מֵרָחֶם וַתְּהִי־לִי אִמִּי קִבְרִי וְרַחְמָה הֲרַת עוֹלָם׃
18Why did I ever issue from the womb, To see misery and woe, To spend all my days in shame!
יחלָמָּה זֶּה מֵרֶחֶם יָצָאתִי לִרְאוֹת עָמָל וְיָגוֹן וַיִּכְלוּ בְּבֹשֶׁת יָמָי׃
