The Scribe Who Almost Broke.

הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר דִּבֶּר֙ יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֶל־בָּר֖וּךְ בֶּֽן־נֵֽרִיָּ֑ה בְּכָתְבוֹ֩ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֨ים הָאֵ֤לֶּה עַל־סֵ֙פֶר֙ מִפִּ֣י יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ בַּשָּׁנָה֙ הָֽרְבִעִ֔ית לִיהוֹיָקִ֧ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֛הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ ס

The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עָלֶ֖יךָ בָּרֽוּךְ׃

[2] "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:

אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ אֽוֹי־נָ֣א לִ֔י כִּֽי־יָסַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה יָג֖וֹן עַל־מַכְאֹבִ֑י יָגַ֙עְתִּי֙ בְּאַנְחָתִ֔י וּמְנוּחָ֖ה לֹ֥א מָצָֽאתִי׃ ס

[3] You said, 'Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.'"

כֹּ֣ה׀ תֹּאמַ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּנִ֙יתִי֙ אֲנִ֣י הֹרֵ֔ס וְאֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־נָטַ֖עְתִּי אֲנִ֣י נֹתֵ֑שׁ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָאָ֖רֶץ הִֽיא׃

[4] "Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up — that is, the whole land.

וְאַתָּ֛ה תְּבַקֶּשׁ־לְךָ֥ גְדֹל֖וֹת אַל־תְּבַקֵּ֑שׁ כִּ֡י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא רָעָ֤ה עַל־כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְנָתַתִּ֨י לְךָ֤ אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֙ לְשָׁלָ֔ל עַ֥ל כָּל־הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֵּֽלֶךְ־שָֽׁם׃ ס

[5] And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go."