The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

טָבְעוּ בָאָרֶץ שְׁעָרֶיהָ אִבַּד וְשִׁבַּר בְּרִיחֶיהָ מַלְכָּהּ וְשָׂרֶיהָ בַגּוֹיִם אֵין
תּוֹרָה גַּם־נְבִיאֶיהָ לֹא־מָצְאוּ חָזוֹן מֵיְהוָה׃ יֵשְׁבוּ לָאָרֶץ יִדְּמוּ זִקְנֵי
בַת־צִיּוֹן הֶעֱלוּ עָפָר עַל־רֹאשָׁם חָגְרוּ שַׂקִּים הוֹרִידוּ לָאָרֶץ רֹאשָׁן
בְּתוּלֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם׃ כָּלוּ בַדְּמָעוֹת עֵינַי חֳמַרְמְרוּ מֵעַי נִשְׁפַּךְ לָאָרֶץ
כְּבֵדִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי בֵּעָטֵף עוֹלֵל וְיוֹנֵק בִּרְחֹבוֹת קִרְיָה׃ לְאִמֹּתָם
יֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה דָגָן וָיָיִן בְּהִתְעַטְּפָם כֶּחָלָל בִּרְחֹבוֹת עִיר בְּהִשְׁתַּפֵּךְ נַפְשָׁם
אֶל־חֵיק אִמֹּתָם׃ מָה־אֲעִידֵךְ מָה אֲדַמֶּה־לָּךְ הַבַּת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם מָה
אַשְׁוֶה־לָּךְ וַאֲנַחֲמֵךְ בְּתוּלַת בַּת־צִיּוֹן כִּי־גָדוֹל כַּיָּם שִׁבְרֵךְ מִי יִרְפָּא־
לָךְ׃ נְבִיאַיִךְ חָזוּ לָךְ שָׁוְא וְתָפֵל וְלֹא־גִלּוּ עַל־עֲוֹנֵךְ לְהָשִׁיב שְׁבִיתֵךְ
וַיֶּחֱזוּ לָךְ מַשְׂאוֹת שָׁוְא וּמַדּוּחִים׃ סָפְקוּ עָלַיִךְ כַּפַּיִם כָּל־עֹבְרֵי דֶרֶךְ
שָׁרְקוּ וַיָּנִעוּ רֹאשָׁם עַל־בַּת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם הֲזֹאת הָעִיר שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ כְּלִילַת יֹפִי
מְשׂוֹשׂ לְכָל־הָאָרֶץ׃ פָּצוּ עָלַיִךְ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבַיִךְ שָׁרְקוּ וַיַּחַרְקוּ־שֵׁן
אָמְרוּ בִּלַּעְנוּ אַךְ זֶה הַיּוֹם שֶׁקִּוִּינֻהוּ מָצָאנוּ רָאִינוּ׃ עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר
זָמָם בִּצַּע אֶמְרָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מִימֵי־קֶדֶם הָרַס וְלֹא חָמָל וַיְשַׂמַּח עָלַיִךְ
אוֹיֵב הֵרִים קֶרֶן צָרָיִךְ׃ צָעַק לִבָּם אֶל־אֲדֹנָי חוֹמַת בַּת־צִיּוֹן הוֹרִידִי
כַנַּחַל דִּמְעָה יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה אַל־תִּתְּנִי פּוּגַת לָךְ אַל־תִּדֹּם בַּת־עֵינֵךְ׃
קוּמִי ׀ רֹנִּי בַלַּיְלָה לְרֹאשׁ אַשְׁמֻרוֹת שִׁפְכִי כַמַּיִם לִבֵּךְ נֹכַח פְּנֵי אֲדֹנָי
שְׂאִי אֵלָיו כַּפַּיִךְ עַל־נֶפֶשׁ עוֹלָלַיִךְ הָעֲטוּפִים בְּרָעָב בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־
חוּצוֹת׃ רְאֵה יְהוָה וְהַבִּיטָה לְמִי עוֹלַלְתְּ כֹּה אִם־תֹּאכַלְנָה נָשִׁים
פִּרְיָם עֹלְלֵי טִפֻּחִים אִם־יֵהָרֵג בְּמִקְדַּשׁ אֲדֹנָי כֹּהֵן וְנָבִיא׃ שָׁכְבוּ
לָאָרֶץ חוּצוֹת נַעַר וְזָקֵן בְּתוּלֹתַי וּבַחוּרַי נָפְלוּ בַחֶרֶב הָרַגְתָּ בְּיוֹם אַפֶּךָ
טָבַחְתָּ לֹא חָמָלְתָּ׃ תִּקְרָא כְיוֹם מוֹעֵד מְגוּרַי מִסָּבִיב וְלֹא הָיָה בְּיוֹם
אַף־יְהוָה פָּלִיט וְשָׂרִיד אֲשֶׁר־טִפַּחְתִּי וְרִבִּיתִי אֹיְבִי כִלָּם׃
אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתוֹ׃ אוֹתִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אוֹר׃

Sephardi

Tavu ba'aretz she'arehah ibad veshibar berichehah malkah vesarehah vagoyim ein
torah gam-nevi'ehah lo-matz'u chazon meAdonai: yeshvu la'aretz yidemu ziknei
bat-Tziyon he'elu afar al-rosham chagru sakim horidu la'aretz roshan
betulot Yerushalayim: kalu badma'ot einai chamarmeru me'ai nishpach la'aretz
kevedi al-shever bat-ami be'atef olel veyonek birchovot kiryah: le'imotam
yomru ayeh dagan vayayin behit'atfam kechalal birchovot ir behishtapech nafsham
el-cheik imotam: mah-a'idech mah adameh-lach habat Yerushalayim mah
ashveh-lach va'anachamech betulat bat-Tziyon ki-gadol kayam shivrech mi yirpa-
lach: nevi'ayich chazu lach shav vetafel velo-gilu al-avonech lehashiv shevitech
vayechezu lach mas'ot shav umaduchim: safku alayich kapayim kol-ovrei derech
sharku vayanu'u rosham al-bat Yerushalayim hazot ha'ir sheyomeru kelilat yofi
mesos lechol-ha'aretz: patzu alayich pihem kol-oyvayich sharku vayacharku-shen
amru bila'nu ach zeh hayom shekivinu'hu matza'nu ra'inu: asah Adonai asher
zamam bitza emrato asher tzivah mimei-kedem haras velo chamal vayesamach alayich
oyev herim keren tzarayich: tza'ak libam el-Adonai chomat bat-Tziyon horidi
chanachal dim'ah yomam valaylah al-titni pugat lach al-tidom bat-einech:
Kumi roni balaylah lerosh ashmurot shifchi chamayim libech nochach penei Adonai
se'i elav kapayich al-nefesh olalayich ha'atufim bera'av berosh kol-
chutzot: re'eh Adonai vehabitah lemi olalt koh im-tochalnah nashim
piryam olelei tipuchim im-yehareg bemikdash Adonai kohen venavi: shachvu
la'aretz chutzot na'ar vezaken betulotai uvachurai naflu bacherev haragta beyom apecha
tavachta lo chamalta: tikra cheyom mo'ed megurai misaviv velo hayah beyom
af-Adonai palit vesarid asher-tipachti veribiti oyvi kilam:
Ani hagever ra'ah oni beshevet evrato: oti nahag vayolech choshech velo-or:

English

grieving, laid pitiful together. Her gates are now sunk into the earth, their bars gone and broken. Her king and ministers are gone among the nations; there is no counsel. Even her prophets find no vision of the LORD. The elders in daughter Zion sit on the ground and are silent. They lift dust up upon their heads, wrap themselves in sacks; the young girls of Jerusalem lower their heads to the ground. My eyes are wept away, my stomach churns, my marrow is poured out to the earth over my maiden nation's breaking; as infants, little ones, faint in the squares of the town; (they say to their mothers, "Where are grain and wine?") as they faint away like the fallen in city squares; as their souls are poured out from them into their mothers' laps. How can I bear witness, to what can I liken you, daughter Jerusalem? What can I compare you to and comfort you, o virgin daughter Zion? Your breaking as vast as the ocean, who will heal you? Your prophets brought you visions – empty, meaningless – and did not uncover your sin, to bring your fortunes back. They saw empty burdens for you, misled you. All who cross your path clap their hands now in dismay. They whistle and shake their heads over daughter Jerusalem. "Can this really be that city that was called Perfect Beauty, the Delight of all the world?" All your enemies gape their snarling mouths at you. They whistle and grate their teeth; they say, "We have devoured them: this is the very day we hoped for – we have done it, seen it." The LORD has done what He planned to do. He has performed His word, His command of long ago. He destroyed and showed no mercy, brought the enemy joy over you; He raised the horn of your foes' power. The heart cries out towards the LORD. O wall of daughter Zion, bring down tears like a stream; day and night, do not allow yourself rest, let your eyes never be silent. Get up, give voice in the night, as every watch begins. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the LORD. Lift up your palms to Him over the souls of your infants, who faint for very hunger at the end of every street. LORD, see, look on – to whom have You done this? Can women eat their own children, the little ones they nurtured? Can priest and prophet be murdered in the Temple of the LORD? Lying down on the earth of streets – youths, old men. My own young girls and youths have fallen to the sword. You have killed on the day of Your rage; slaughtered, shown no compassion. You call those living around to come, as if it were a feast day. There is no refugee or remnant on the day of the LORD's rage. All those I nurtured and raised – my enemy disposed of. I am the man who has seen oppression at the staff of His rage. It is I that He