Les prophètes

Jeremiah's Lament and Prayer

Jeremiah expresses his deep pain at being an object of mockery and persecution, and confirms that the word of the Lord is like a burning fire in his heart that he cannot hold back. He trusts in the Lord as a mighty warrior, but also curses the day he was born.

Jérémie 20,7-18

7You enticed me, LORD, and I was enticed; you overpowered me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.
פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ וֽ͏ָאֶפָּ֔ת חֲזַקְתַּ֖נִי וַתּוּכָ֑ל הָיִ֤יתִי לִשְׂחוֹק֙ כָּל־הַיּ֔וֹם כֻּלֹּ֖ה לֹעֵ֥ג לִֽי׃ ‬
8Whenever I speak, I have to cry out; I shout, "Violence and ruin!" So the word of the LORD has brought me nothing but insult and derision all day long.
כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י אֲדַבֵּר֙ אֶזְעָ֔ק חָמָ֥ס וָשֹׁ֖ד אֶקְרָ֑א כִּֽי־הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֥ה לִ֛י לְחֶרְפָּ֥ה וּלְקֶ֖לֶס כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ ‬
9And when I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," then his word is like a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I grow weary of holding it in—I cannot.
וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לֹֽא־אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ וְלֹֽא־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר עוֹד֙ בִּשְׁמ֔וֹ וְהָיָ֤ה בְלִבִּי֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ בֹּעֶ֔רֶת עָצֻ֖ר בְּעַצְמֹתָ֑י וְנִלְאֵ֥יתִי כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל וְלֹ֥א אוּכָֽל׃ ‬
10I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" All my trusted friends watch for me to stumble: "Perhaps he can be tricked; then we will prevail against him and take our revenge on him."
כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֜עְתִּי דִּבַּ֣ת רַבִּים֮ מָג֣וֹר מִסָּבִיב֒ הַגִּ֙ידוּ֙ וְנַגִּידֶ֔נּוּ כֹּ֚ל אֱנ֣וֹשׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֔י שֹׁמְרֵ֖י צַלְעִ֑י אוּלַ֤י יְפֻתֶּה֙ וְנ֣וּכְלָה ל֔וֹ וְנִקְחָ֥ה נִקְמָתֵ֖נוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ ‬
11But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly disgraced, for they have not succeeded; their everlasting shame will never be forgotten.
וַֽיהוָ֤ה אוֹתִי֙ כְּגִבּ֣וֹר עָרִ֔יץ עַל־כֵּ֛ן רֹדְפַ֥י יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יֻכָ֑לוּ בֹּ֤שׁוּ מְאֹד֙ כִּֽי־לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ כְּלִמַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם לֹ֥א תִשָּׁכֵֽחַ׃ ‬
12LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous and sees the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.
וַיהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בֹּחֵ֣ן צַדִּ֔יק רֹאֶ֥ה כְלָי֖וֹת וָלֵ֑ב אֶרְאֶ֤ה נִקְמָֽתְךָ֙ מֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י אֵלֶ֖יךָ גִּלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־רִיבִֽי׃ ס ‬
13Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For he has rescued the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
שִׁ֚ירוּ לַֽיהוָ֔ה הַֽלְל֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֥י הִצִּ֛יל אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ אֶבְי֖וֹן מִיַּ֥ד מְרֵעִֽים׃ ס ‬
14Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.
אָר֣וּר הַיּ֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻלַּ֖דְתִּי בּ֑וֹ י֛וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַ֥תְנִי אִמִּ֖י אַל־יְהִ֥י בָרֽוּךְ׃ ‬
15Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who said, "A son is born to you!"—and made him glad.
אָר֣וּר הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר בִּשַּׂ֤ר אֶת־אָבִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יֻֽלַּד־לְ‪[t]‬ךָ֖ בֵּ֣ן זָכָ֑ר שַׂמֵּ֖חַ שִׂמֳּחָֽהוּ׃ ‬
16May that man be like the cities the LORD overthrew without relenting. May he hear screaming in the morning and the battle cry at noon,
וְהָיָה֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא כֶּֽעָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־הָפַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א נִחָ֑ם וְשָׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וּתְרוּעָ֖ה בְּעֵ֥ת צָהֳרָֽיִם׃ ‬
17because he did not kill me in the womb, so that my mother would have been my grave and her womb forever great with child.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מוֹתְתַ֖נִי מֵרָ֑חֶם וַתְּהִי־לִ֤י אִמִּי֙ קִבְרִ֔י וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ הֲרַ֥ת עוֹלָֽם׃ ‬
18Why did I ever come out of the womb, only to see trouble and sorrow and end my days in shame?
לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ מֵרֶ֣חֶם יָצָ֔אתִי לִרְא֥וֹת עָמָ֖ל וְיָג֑וֹן וַיִּכְל֥וּ בְּבֹ֖שֶׁת יָמָֽי׃ פ ‬