Targum Jonathan on the Prophets Jeremiah · chapter 18

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   פִּתְגַם נְבוּאָה דַהֲוָה עִם יִרְמְיָה מִן קֳדָם יְיָ לְמֵימָר:

   This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

2. 2

   קוּם וְתֵיחוֹת לְבֵית פַּחֳדָא וְתַמָן אַשְׁמְעִינָךְ יַת פִּתְגָמֵי:

   “Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will give you My message.”

3. 3

   וּנְחָתֵית לְבֵית פָּחֲרָא וְהָא הוּא עָבִיד עֱבִידְתָּא עַל סְדָנָא:

   So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.

4. 4

   וְאִתְחַבֵּל מָנָא דַהֲוָה עָבֵיד דְטִינָא בְּיַד פַּחֲרָא וְתַב וְעָבְדִי מָן אוֹחֲרָן כְּמָא דְכְשַׁר בְּעֵינֵי פַּחֲרָא לְמֶעְבַּד:

   But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do.

5. 5

   וַהֲוָה פִתְגָם נְבוּאָה מִן קֳדָם יְיָ עִמִי לְמֵימָר:

   Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6. 6

   הַכְּפַחֲרָא הָדֵין הֲלָא יוּכְלָא קֳדָמַי לְמֶעְבַּד לְכוֹן בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲמַר יְיָ הָא כְּמָא דְטִינָא בְיַד פַּחֲרָא כֵּן אַתּוּן חֲשִׁיבִין קֳדָמַי בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל:

   “O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

7. 7

   זְמַן אֲמַלֵיל עַל עַמָא וְעַל מַלְכוּתָא לְמֶעְקַר וּלְתָרָעָא וּלְאַבָּדָא:

   At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

8. 8

   וִיתוּב עַמָא הַהוּא מִבִּישְׁתֵּיהּ דִגְזָרִית עֲלוֹהִי וְאֵיתוֹב מִן בִּישְׁתָּא דְחַשְׁבֵית לְמֶעְבַּד לֵיהּ:

   But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.

9. 9

   וּזְמַן אֲמַלֵיל עַל עַמָא וְעַל מַלְכוּתָא לְמִבְנֵי וּלְקַיָמָא:

   And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,

10. 10

    וְיַעְבֵּיד דְבִישׁ קֳדָמֵי בְּדִיל דְלָא לְקַבָּלָא לְמֵימְרִי וְאֵיתוּב מִן טַבְתָא דַאֲמָרִית לְאֵיטָבָא לֵיהּ:

    and if it does evil in My sight and does not listen to My voice, then I will relent of the good I had intended for it.

11. 11

    וּכְעַן אֲמַר כְעַן לֶאֱנַשׁ יְהוּדָה וּלְיַתְבֵי יְרוּשְׁלֵם לְמֵימַר כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ הָא אֲנָא בָרֵי עֲלֵיכוֹן בִּישָׁא וּמְחַשֵׁב עֲלֵיכוֹן מַחְשָׁבָא תּוּבוּ כְעַן גְבַר מֵאוֹרְחֵיהּ בִּישְׁתָא וְאַתְקִינוּ אוֹרְחַתְכוֹן וְעוֹבָדֵיכוֹן:

    Now therefore, tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am planning a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, and correct your ways and deeds.’

12. 12

    וַאֲמָרוּ תַּבְנָא מִבָּתַר פּוּלְחָנָךְ אֲרֵי בָתַר עַשְׁתּוֹנָתָא נְהַךְ וּגְבַר הִרְהוּר לִבֵּיהּ בִּישָׁא נַעְבֵּיד:

    But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”

13. 13

    בְּכֵן כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ שְׁאִילוּ כְּעַן בְּעַמְמַיָא מַן שְׁמַע כְּאִלֵין שְׁנוּי עֲבָדַת לַחֲדָא כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל:

    Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing.

14. 14

    הָא כְּמָה דְלֵית אֶפְשַׁר דְיִפְסוֹק מֵי תְלַג דְנָחֵית עַל חַקְלֵי לִבְנָן כֵּן לָא יִפְסְקוּן מִמְטַר נַחֲתִין וּמֵי מַבּוּעַ נָבְעִין:

    Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave its rocky slopes? Or do its cool waters flowing from a distance ever run dry?

15. 15

    אֲרֵי שְׁבָקוּ פּוּלְחַנִי עַמִי לָא לַהֲנָאָה אַסִיקוּ בּוּסְמִין וְאַטְעִיאוּנוּן בְּאוֹרְחַתְהוֹן בִּישְׁתָא מִשְׁבִילִין תַקְנָן דְמִן עַלְמָא לְמֵיזָל בְּאוֹרְחָן דְלָא תַקְנָן בִּשְׁבִילִין דְלָא מְכַבְשִׁין:

    Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.

16. 16

    לְשַׁוְאָה אַרְעֲהוֹן לְצָדוּ אִשְׁתְּמָמוּת עֲלָם כָּל דְיֶעְבַּר עֲלָהּ יִכְלֵי וְיָגִיד בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ:

    They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.

17. 17

    כְּבִידוּר רוּחַ קִדוּמָא כֵּן אֲבַדְרִינוּן קֳדָם בַּעֲלֵי דְבָבֵיהוֹן קְדַל וְלָא אַפִּיל אַחְזִינוּן בְּיוֹם תְּבָרֵיהוֹן:

    I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

18. 18

    וַאֲמַרוּ אֱתוֹ וְנֶחְשַׁב עַל יִרְמְיָה מַחְשְׁבָן אֲרֵי לָא תִפְסוֹק אוֹרַיְתָא מִכָּהֵן וּמְלַךְ מֵחַכִּים וְאוּלְפַן מִסָפַר אֱתוֹ וּנְסָהֲדִינֵיהּ סָהִדְוָן דִשְׁקָר וְלָא נְצִית לְכָל פִּתְגָמוֹהִי:

    Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

19. 19

    גְּלֵי קֳדָמָךְ יְיָ דִינִי וּשְׁמַע קֳדָמָךְ עוּלְבָּנִי:

    Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying!

20. 20

    הֲאֶפְשַׁר לְשַׁלָמָא חֲלַף טַבְתָא בִּישְׁתָּא אֲרֵי כְרוּ פַחַת לְמִקְטְלֵי יֵעוּל דוּכְרַן מֵקָמִי קֳדָמָךְ לְמַלָלָא עֲלֵיהוֹן פִּתְגָמִין תַּקְנִין לַאֲתָבָא יַת חַמְתָךְ מִנְהוֹן:

    Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.

21. 21

    בְּכֵן הַב יַת בְּנֵיהוֹן לְכַפְנָא וְתַבְּבִינוּן יְדֵי קָטוֹלֵי חַרְבָּא וְיֶהֶוְיַן נְשֵׁיהוֹן תַּכְלָן וְאַרְמְלָן וְגַבְרֵיהוֹן יְהוֹן קְטִילֵי מוֹתָא עוּלֵימֵיהוֹן מְטַעֲנֵי חַרְבָּא בִּקְרָבָא:

    Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

22. 22

    תִּשְׁתְּמַע צְוַחְתָּא מִבָּתֵּיהוֹן אֲרֵי תֵיתֵי עֲלֵיהוֹן מַשִׁרְיָן בִּתְכֵּיף אֲרֵי כְרוֹ פַחַת לְמִקְטְלִי וְקוֹלִין צְלוֹ לְפִרְסַת רִגְלָי:

    Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.

23. 23

    וְאַתְּ יְיָ יְדִיעַ וּגְלֵי קֳדָמָךְ יַת כָּל אִתְמְלוּכֵיהוֹן עֲלַי לְמִקְטְלֵי לָא תְכַפֵּר עַל חוֹבֵיהוֹן וְחַטָאֵיהוֹן מִן קֳדָמָךְ לָא יִתְמְחוּן וִיהוֹן מַתְכְּלִין דְמִן קֳדָמָךְ בְּעִדַן פּוּרְעֲנוּת רוּגְזָךְ אֶתְפְּרַע מִנְהוֹן:

    But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.