When Even Prayer Isn't Enough.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אִם־יַעֲמֹ֨ד מֹשֶׁ֤ה וּשְׁמוּאֵל֙ לְפָנַ֔י אֵ֥ין נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה שַׁלַּ֥ח מֵֽעַל־פָּנַ֖י וְיֵצֵֽאוּ׃

Then the Lord said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!

וְהָיָ֛ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ אָ֣נָה נֵצֵ֑א וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לַמָּ֤וֶת לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לַחֶ֙רֶב֙ לַחֶ֔רֶב וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לָֽרָעָב֙ לָֽרָעָ֔ב וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לַשְּׁבִ֖י לַשֶּֽׁבִי׃

[2] And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord : “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

וּפָקַדְתִּ֨י עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אַרְבַּ֤ע מִשְׁפָּחוֹת֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־הַחֶ֣רֶב לַֽהֲרֹ֔ג וְאֶת־הַכְּלָבִ֖ים לִסְחֹ֑ב וְאֶת־ע֧וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְאֶת־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וּלְהַשְׁחִֽית׃

[3] I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the Lord : the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

וּנְתַתִּ֣ים ׳לִזְוָעָה׳ ״לְזַֽעֲוָ֔ה״ לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ בִּ֠גְלַל מְנַשֶּׁ֤ה בֶן־יְחִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

[4] And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.

כִּ֠י מִֽי־יַחְמֹ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וּמִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑ךְ וּמִ֣י יָס֔וּר לִשְׁאֹ֥ל לְשָׁלֹ֖ם לָֽךְ׃

[5] “Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

אַ֣תְּ נָטַ֥שְׁתְּ אֹתִ֛י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה אָח֣וֹר תֵּלֵ֑כִי וָאַ֨ט אֶת־יָדִ֤י עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ וָֽאַשְׁחִיתֵ֔ךְ נִלְאֵ֖יתִי הִנָּחֵֽם׃

[6] You have rejected me, declares the Lord ; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you— I am weary of relenting.

וָאֶזְרֵ֥ם בְּמִזְרֶ֖ה בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי אִבַּ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י מִדַּרְכֵיהֶ֖ם לוֹא־שָֽׁבוּ׃

[7] I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people; they did not turn from their ways.

עָֽצְמוּ־לִ֤י אַלְמְנֹתָו֙ מֵח֣וֹל יַמִּ֔ים הֵבֵ֨אתִי לָהֶ֥ם עַל־אֵ֛ם בָּח֖וּר שֹׁדֵ֣ד בַּֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם הִפַּ֤לְתִּי עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ פִּתְאֹ֔ם עִ֖יר וּבֶהָלֽוֹת׃

[8] I have made their widows more in number than the sand of the seas; I have brought against the mothers of young men a destroyer at noonday; I have made anguish and terror fall upon them suddenly.

אֻמְלְלָ֞ה יֹלֶ֣דֶת הַשִּׁבְעָ֗ה נָפְחָ֥ה נַפְשָׁ֛הּ ׳בָּאָה׳ ״בָּ֥א״ שִׁמְשָׁ֛הּ בְּעֹ֥ד יוֹמָ֖ם בּ֣וֹשָׁה וְחָפֵ֑רָה וּשְׁאֵֽרִיתָ֗ם לַחֶ֧רֶב אֶתֵּ֛ן לִפְנֵ֥י אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

[9] She who bore seven has grown feeble; she has fainted away; her sun went down while it was yet day; she has been shamed and disgraced. And the rest of them I will give to the sword before their enemies, declares the Lord .”

אֽוֹי־לִ֣י אִמִּ֔י כִּ֣י יְלִדְתִּ֗נִי אִ֥ישׁ רִ֛יב וְאִ֥ישׁ מָד֖וֹן לְכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־נָשִׁ֥יתִי וְלֹא־נָֽשׁוּ־בִ֖י כֻּלֹּ֥ה מְקַלְלַֽונִי׃ ס

[10] Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.

אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אִם־לֹ֥א ׳שָׁרוֹתִךָ׳ ״שֵֽׁרִיתִ֖יךָ״ לְט֑וֹב אִם־ל֣וֹא׀ הִפְגַּ֣עְתִּֽי בְךָ֗ בְּעֵ֥ת־רָעָ֛ה וּבְעֵ֥ת צָרָ֖ה אֶת־הָאֹיֵֽב׃

[11] The Lord said, “Have I not set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress?

הֲיָרֹ֨עַ בַּרְזֶ֧ל׀ בַּרְזֶ֛ל מִצָּפ֖וֹן וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

[12] Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze?

חֵילְךָ֧ וְאוֹצְרוֹתֶ֛יךָ לָבַ֥ז אֶתֵּ֖ן לֹ֣א בִמְחִ֑יר וּבְכָל־חַטֹּאותֶ֖יךָ וּבְכָל־גְּבוּלֶֽיךָ׃

[13] “Your wealth and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory.

וְהַֽעֲבַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֣א יָדָ֑עְתָּ כִּֽי־אֵ֛שׁ קָדְחָ֥ה בְאַפִּ֖י עֲלֵיכֶ֥ם תּוּקָֽד׃ ס

[14] I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

אַתָּ֧ה יָדַ֣עְתָּ יְהוָ֗ה זָכְרֵ֤נִי וּפָקְדֵ֙נִי֙ וְהִנָּ֤קֶם לִי֙ מֵרֹ֣דְפַ֔י אַל־לְאֶ֥רֶךְ אַפְּךָ֖ תִּקָּחֵ֑נִי דַּ֕ע שְׂאֵתִ֥י עָלֶ֖יךָ חֶרְפָּֽה׃

[15] O Lord , you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach.

נִמְצְא֤וּ דְבָרֶ֙יךָ֙ וָאֹ֣כְלֵ֔ם וַיְהִ֤י ׳דְבָרֶיךָ׳ ״דְבָֽרְךָ֙״ לִ֔י לְשָׂשׂ֖וֹן וּלְשִׂמְחַ֣ת לְבָבִ֑י כִּֽי־נִקְרָ֤א שִׁמְךָ֙ עָלַ֔י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י צְבָאֽוֹת׃ ס

[16] Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord , God of hosts.

לֹֽא־יָשַׁ֥בְתִּי בְסוֹד־מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים וָֽאֶעְלֹ֑ז מִפְּנֵ֤י יָֽדְךָ֙ בָּדָ֣ד יָשַׁ֔בְתִּי כִּֽי־זַ֖עַם מִלֵּאתָֽנִי׃ ס

[17] I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation.

לָ֣מָּה הָיָ֤ה כְאֵבִי֙ נֶ֔צַח וּמַכָּתִ֖י אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙ מֵֽאֲנָה֙ הֵֽרָפֵ֔א הָי֨וֹ תִֽהְיֶ֥ה לִי֙ כְּמ֣וֹ אַכְזָ֔ב מַ֖יִם לֹ֥א נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ ס

[18] Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?

לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִם־תָּשׁ֤וּב וַאֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֙ לְפָנַ֣י תַּֽעֲמֹ֔ד וְאִם־תּוֹצִ֥יא יָקָ֛ר מִזּוֹלֵ֖ל כְּפִ֣י תִֽהְיֶ֑ה יָשֻׁ֤בוּ הֵ֙מָּה֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹֽא־תָשׁ֥וּב אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

[19] Therefore thus says the Lord : “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.

וּנְתַתִּ֜יךָ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה לְחוֹמַ֤ת נְחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ בְּצוּרָ֔ה וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהוֹשִֽׁיעֲךָ֥ וּלְהַצִּילֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

[20] And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord .

וְהִצַּלְתִּ֖יךָ מִיַּ֣ד רָעִ֑ים וּפְדִתִ֖יךָ מִכַּ֥ף עָרִצִֽים׃ פ

[21] I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”