| 1Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: |
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אוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר: |
| 2"Son of man, what will become of the vine-tree out of all [other] trees-the branch that was among the trees of the forest? |
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בבֶּן־אָדָ֕ם מַה־יִּֽהְיֶ֥ה עֵץ־הַגֶּ֖פֶן מִכָּל־עֵ֑ץ הַזְּמוֹרָ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה בַּֽעֲצֵ֥י הַיָּֽעַר: |
| what will become of the vine tree out of all [other] trees: How will its end be different from that of all other trees? |
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| the branch that was among the trees of the forest: Not about the vine of the vineyards, which produces fruit, am I asking you, but about the branch of a vine that grows in the forest. |
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| 3Will wood be taken from it to be used for work, or will they take from it a peg upon which to hang any utensil? |
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גהֲיֻקַּ֚ח מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עֵ֔ץ לַֽעֲשׂ֖וֹת לִמְלָאכָ֑ה אִם־יִקְח֚וּ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ יָתֵ֔ד לִתְל֥וֹת עָלָ֖יו כָּל־כֶּֽלִי: |
| Will… be taken from it, etc.: It is not for that. |
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| any utensil: Heb. כל כלי. |
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| 4Behold, [if] it were given to the fire to be consumed, and both its ends the fire consumed, and [if] its inside were charred-is it fit for work? |
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דהִנֵּ֥ה לָאֵ֖שׁ נִתַּ֣ן לְאָכְלָ֑ה אֵת֩ שְׁנֵ֨י קְצוֹתָ֜יו אָֽכְלָ֚ה הָאֵשׁ֙ וְתוֹכ֣וֹ נָחָ֔ר הֲיִצְלַ֖ח לִמְלָאכָֽה: |
| Behold, [if] it were given to the fire to be consumed: Adevorer in Old French, to be devoured, consumed. Behold I asked you about a whole one, which is not fit for anything. Now I shall add more to the question: Behold if they put a branch of it into the fire, and the fire consumed it at its two ends of its outer surface until its inside became charred… |
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| were charred: Heb. נָחָר, blackened from the fire, brouir in French, to blacken, to scorch. נָחָר derives from the same form found in (Job 30:30): “and my bones dried out (חָרָה) from the heat.” Some translate this as e(s)sart in Old French, calcined, burnt to ashes, as [its sense] in Hosea (8:5) and also in (Job 19:11): “He has kindled (וַיַחַר) His wrath against me.” Menachem (p. 93) [however] related it to “my bones dried out.” |
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| is it fit: [Is it] still fit for work? |
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| 5Behold, when it was whole, it could not be used for work; how much less when fire has consumed it and it has become charred, will it any longer be used for work? |
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ההִנֵּה֙ בִּֽהְיוֹת֣וֹ תָמִ֔ים לֹ֥א יֵֽעָשֶׂ֖ה לִמְלָאכָ֑ה אַ֣ף כִּי־אֵ֚שׁ אֲכָלַ֙תְהוּ֙ וַיֵּחָ֔ר וְנַֽעֲשָׂ֥ה ע֖וֹד לִמְלָאכָֽה: |
| 6Therefore, so said the Lord God: As a vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given over to the fire to be consumed, have I placed the dwellers of Jerusalem. |
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ולָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֚ר עֵץ־הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ בְּעֵ֣ץ הַיַּ֔עַר אֲשֶׁר־נְתַתִּ֥יו לָאֵ֖שׁ לְאָכְלָ֑ה כֵּ֣ן נָתַ֔תִּי אֶת־יֹֽשְׁבֵ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָֽם: |
| have I placed: Jerusalem. Its two ends were consumed by the fire, [i.e.,] the two exiles: When Jehoiakim was exiled, some of the royal seed and of the nobles were exile with him, as it is said in Daniel (1:3). After him were exiled his son Jeconiah and the craftsmen and the gate sentries. “And its inside was charred” [based on above, verse 4] Concerning Zedekiah, the one who remained therein, I have already decreed (10:2): “and fill your hands with fiery coals… and cast [them] onto the city.” |
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| 7And I shall set My countenance against them; From the fire they have emerged, but the fire will devour them, and you will know that I am the Lord when I direct My countenance against them. |
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זוְנָֽתַתִּ֚י אֶת־פָּנַי֙ בָּהֶ֔ם מֵֽהָאֵ֣שׁ יָצָ֔אוּ וְהָאֵ֖שׁ תֹּֽאכְלֵ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּם֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּשׂוּמִ֥י אֶת־פָּנַ֖י בָּהֶֽם: |
| From the fire they have emerged: They transgressed the words of the Torah, which were given from fire, and nations as strong as fire will destroy them. |
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| 8I shall make the land desolate because they have trespassed grievously," says the Lord God. |
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חוְנָֽתַתִּ֥י אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ שְׁמָמָ֑ה יַעַן מָֽ֣עֲלוּ מַ֔עַל נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִֽה: |
