The Prosperity of the Wicked

1  צַדִּ֤יק (Righteous) אַתָּה֙ (are You), יְהוָ֔ה (O YHWH),

כִּ֥י (when) אָרִ֖יב (I plead) אֵלֶ֑יךָ (before You)

אַ֤ךְ (yet) מִשְׁפָּטִים֙ (of judgments);

אֲדַבֵּ֣ר (I would still speak) אוֹתָ֔ךְ (with You)

מַדּ֗וּעַ (Why does) דֶּ֤רֶךְ (the way) רְשָׁעִים֙ (of the wicked) צָלֵ֔חָה (prosper)?

שָׁל֖וּ (Why do they find repose) כָּל־ (all) בֹּ֥גְדֵי (treacherous dealers) בָֽגֶד׃ (in treachery)?

2  נְטַעְתָּם֙ (You plant them) גַּם־ (and), שֹׁרָ֔שׁוּ (they have taken root);

יֵלְכ֖וּ (they grow), גַּם־ (and), עָ֣שׂוּ (they bear) פֶ֑רִי (fruit).

קָר֤וֹב (Near) אַתָּה֙ (You are)

בְּפִיהֶ֔ם (in their mouth), וְרָח֖וֹק (and far) מִכִּלְיוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (from their kidneys).

3  וְאַתָּ֤ה (And You), יְהוָה֙ (O YHWH), יְדַעְתָּ֔נִי (know me)

תִּרְאֵ֕נִי (You have seen me) וּבָחַנְתָּ֥ (and have tested) לִבִּ֖י (my heart) אִתָּ֑ךְ (toward You)

הַתִּקֵם֙ (may you pull them out) כְּצֹ֣אן (like sheep) לְטִבְחָ֔ה (for the slaughter),

וְהַקְדִּשֵׁ֖ם (and prepare them) לְי֥וֹם (for the day) הֲרֵגָֽה׃ס (of slaughter).

4  עַד־ (How) מָתַי֙ (long) תֶּאֱבַ֣ל (mourn), הָאָ֔רֶץ (will the land)

וְעֵ֥שֶׂב (and the grass) כָּל־ (of every) הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה (field) יִיבָ֑שׁ (wither),

מֵרָעַ֣ת (from the evil) יֹֽשְׁבֵי־ (of those dwelling) בָ֗הּ (in it)

סָפְתָ֤ה (have been swept away), בְהֵמוֹת֙ (the beasts) וָע֔וֹף (and fowl);

כִּ֣י (because) אָמְר֔וּ (they said),

לֹ֥א (Not) יִרְאֶ֖ה (He will see) אֶת־ (-) אַחֲרִיתֵֽנוּ׃ (our final end).

God’s Answer to Jeremiah

5  כִּ֣י (If) אֶת־ (with) רַגְלִ֥ים׀ (those on foot), רַ֙צְתָּה֙ (you have run)

וַיַּלְא֔וּךָ (and they have wearied you)

וְאֵ֥יךְ (then how) תְּתַֽחֲרֶ֖ה (can you contend) אֶת־ (with) הַסּוּסִ֑ים (horses)?

וּבְאֶ֤רֶץ (And if in a land) שָׁלוֹם֙ (of peace), אַתָּ֣ה (you) בוֹטֵ֔חַ (are trusting),

וְאֵ֥יךְ (then how) תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה (will you do) בִּגְא֥וֹן (in the thicket) הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (of the Jordan)?

6  כִּ֧י (For) גַם־ (even) אַחֶ֣יךָ (your brothers),

וּבֵית־ (and the house) אָבִ֗יךָ (of your father),

גַּם־ (even) הֵ֙מָּה֙ (they) בָּ֣גְדוּ (have dealt treacherously) בָ֔ךְ (with you)

גַּם־ (even), הֵ֛מָּה (they) קָרְא֥וּ (have called) אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ (after you) מָלֵ֑א (a multitude)

אַל־ (do not), תַּאֲמֵ֣ן (have faith) בָּ֔ם (in them)

כִּֽי־ (even though) יְדַבְּר֥וּ (they may speak) אֵלֶ֖יךָ (to you) טוֹבֽוֹת׃ס (good things).

7  עָזַ֙בְתִּי֙ (I have forsaken) אֶת־ (-) בֵּיתִ֔י (My house),

נָטַ֖שְׁתִּי (I have left) אֶת־ (-) נַחֲלָתִ֑י (My heritage);

נָתַ֛תִּי (I have given) אֶת־ (-) יְדִד֥וּת (the beloved) נַפְשִׁ֖י (of My soul)

בְּכַ֥ף (into the hand) אֹיְבֶֽיהָ׃ (of her enemies).

8  הָיְתָה־ (Has become) לִּ֥י (for Me) נַחֲלָתִ֖י (My heritage)

כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה (like a lion) בַיָּ֑עַר (in the forest);

נָתְנָ֥ה (she has set) עָלַ֛י (against Me) בְּקוֹלָ֖הּ (with her voice)

עַל־ (upon) כֵּ֥ן (thus) שְׂנֵאתִֽיהָ׃ (I have hated her).

9  הַעַ֨יִט (Bird of prey), צָב֤וּעַ (a speckled)

נַחֲלָתִי֙ (My inheritance) לִ֔י (is to Me)

הַעַ֖יִט (is the bird of prey) סָבִ֣יב (all around) עָלֶ֑יהָ (against her)

לְכ֗וּ (Go) אִסְפ֛וּ (gather) כָּל־ (all) חַיַּ֥ת (the beasts) הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה (of the field),

הֵתָ֥יוּ (bring them) לְאָכְלָֽה׃ (for food).

10  רֹעִ֤ים (Shepherds) רַבִּים֙ (many) שִֽׁחֲת֣וּ (have ruined) כַרְמִ֔י (My vineyard),

בֹּסְס֖וּ (they have trampled down) אֶת־ (-) חֶלְקָתִ֑י (My portion)

נָֽתְנ֛וּ (they have made) אֶת־ (-) חֶלְקַ֥ת (portion) חֶמְדָּתִ֖י (My pleasant)

לְמִדְבַּ֥ר (wilderness) שְׁמָמָֽה׃ (a desolate).

11  שָׂמָהּ֙ (They have made it) לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה (a desolation)

אָבְלָ֥ה (it mourns) עָלַ֖י (to Me) שְׁמֵמָ֑ה (desolate),

נָשַׁ֙מָּה֙ (has been made desolate), כָּל־ (all) הָאָ֔רֶץ (the land)

כִּ֛י (but) אֵ֥ין (no) אִ֖ישׁ (man) שָׂ֥ם (is setting it) עַל־ (upon) לֵֽב׃ (the heart).

12  עַֽל־ (Upon) כָּל־ (all) שְׁפָיִ֣ם (the barren heights) בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר (in the desert);

בָּ֚אוּ (have come) שֹֽׁדְדִ֔ים (the destroyers)

כִּ֣י (for) חֶ֤רֶב (the sword) לַֽיהוָה֙ (of YHWH) אֹֽכְלָ֔ה (is devouring)

מִקְצֵה־ (from one end) אֶ֖רֶץ (of the land) וְעַד־ (even to) קְצֵ֣ה (the other end) הָאָ֑רֶץ (of the land);

אֵ֥ין (no) שָׁל֖וֹם (peace is). לְכָל־ (Unto any) בָּשָֽׂר׃ס (flesh).

13  זָרְע֤וּ (They have sown) חִטִּים֙ (wheat), וְקֹצִ֣ים (thorns), קָצָ֔רוּ (and have reaped)

נֶחְל֖וּ (they have wearied themselves), לֹ֣א (not) יוֹעִ֑לוּ (they did profit).

וּבֹ֙שׁוּ֙ (And they have been ashamed) מִתְּבוּאֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם (of your⁺ produce)

מֵחֲר֖וֹן (because of the burning) אַף־ (nose) יְהוָֽה׃ס (of YHWH).

A Message for Israel’s Neighbors
(Amos 1:1–15)

14  כֹּ֣ה׀ (Thus) אָמַ֣ר (says) יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) עַל־ (Against) כָּל־ (all) שְׁכֵנַי֙ (neighbors), הָֽרָעִ֔ים (my evil) הַנֹּֽגְעִים֙ (who touch) בַּֽנַּחֲלָ֔ה (the inheritance) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) הִנְחַ֥לְתִּי (I have caused to inherit); אֶת־ (-) עַמִּ֖י (My people) אֶת־ (-) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Israel) הִנְנִ֤י (behold, I) נֹֽתְשָׁם֙ (am plucking them) מֵעַ֣ל (from) אַדְמָתָ֔ם (their land), וְאֶת־ (and) בֵּ֥ית (the house) יְהוּדָ֖ה (of Judah) אֶתּ֥וֹשׁ (I will pluck up) מִתּוֹכָֽם׃ (from their midst). 15  וְהָיָ֗ה (And it will come to pass), אַֽחֲרֵי֙ (after) נָתְשִׁ֣י (I uproot) אוֹתָ֔ם (them) אָשׁ֖וּב (that I will return), וְרִֽחַמְתִּ֑ים (and have compassion on them) וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֛ים (and I will bring them back), אִ֥ישׁ (everyone) לְנַחֲלָת֖וֹ (to his inheritance), וְאִ֥ישׁ (and everyone) לְאַרְצֽוֹ׃ (to his land).

16  וְהָיָ֡ה (And it will come to pass), אִם־ (if) לָמֹ֣ד (learning) יִלְמְדוּ֩ (that they will learn) אֶת־ (-) דַּֽרְכֵ֨י (the ways) עַמִּ֜י (of My people), לְהִשָּׁבֵ֤עַ (To swear) בִּשְׁמִי֙ (by My name), חַי־ (lives); יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר (as) לִמְּדוּ֙ (they taught) אֶת־ (-) עַמִּ֔י (My people) לְהִשָּׁבֵ֖עַ (to swear) בַּבָּ֑עַל (by Baal); וְנִבְנ֖וּ (they will be built) בְּת֥וֹךְ (in the midst) עַמִּֽי׃ (of My people). 17  וְאִ֖ם (And if) לֹ֣א (not) יִשְׁמָ֑עוּ (they do listen), וְנָ֨תַשְׁתִּ֜י (then plucking) אֶת־ (-) הַגּ֥וֹי (nation), הַה֛וּא (that) נָת֥וֹשׁ (I will pluck up) וְאַבֵּ֖ד (and destroy) נְאֻם־ (a declaration) יְהוָֽה׃ס (of YHWH).