I’ve been choosing a set of triennial haftarot for use in our congregation. Often, as this week, they’re the ones that have been hypothesized as having been used in classical Eretz Yisrael. (The hypotheses are based on ancient piyyutim and other evidence.) I also often compose my own translation and I’m pretty happy with how this one came out, so am posting it here:
ב וְהָיָ֤ה כָעָם֙ כַּכֹּהֵ֔ן כַּעֶ֨בֶד֙ כַּֽאדֹנָ֔יו כַּשִּׁפְחָ֖ה כַּגְּבִרְתָּ֑הּ כַּקּוֹנֶה֙ כַּמּוֹכֵ֔ר כַּמַּלְוֶה֙ כַּלּוֶֹ֔ה כַּנֹּשֶׁ֕ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר נֹשֶׁ֥א בֽוֹ: ג הִבּ֧וֹק ׀ תִּבּ֛וֹק הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִבּ֣וֹז ׀ תִּבּ֑וֹז כִּ֣י יי֔ דִּבֶּ֖ר אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה: ד אָֽבְלָ֤ה נָֽבְלָה֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֻמְלְלָ֥ה נָֽבְלָ֖ה תֵּבֵ֑ל אֻמְלָ֖לוּ מְר֥וֹם עַם־הָאָֽרֶץ: ה וְהָאָ֥רֶץ חָֽנְפָ֖ה תַּ֣חַת יֹֽשְׁבֶ֑יהָ כִּֽי־עָֽבְר֤וּ תוֹרֹת֙ חָ֣לְפוּ חֹ֔ק הֵפֵ֖רוּ בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם: ו עַל־כֵּ֗ן אָלָה֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֶ֔רֶץ וַיֶּאְשְׁמ֖וּ י֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ עַל־כֵּ֗ן חָרוּ֙ י֣שְׁבֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וְנִשְׁאַ֥ר אֱנ֖וֹשׁ מִזְעָֽר: ז אָבַ֥ל תִּיר֖וֹשׁ אֻמְלְלָה־גָ֑פֶן נֶֽאֶנְח֖וּ כָּל־שִׂמְחֵי־לֵֽב: ח שָׁבַת֙ מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ תֻּפִּ֔ים חָדַ֖ל שְׁא֣וֹן עַלִּיזִ֑ים שָׁבַ֖ת מְשׂ֥וֹשׂ כִּנּֽוֹר: ט בַּשִּׁ֖יר לֹ֣א יִשְׁתּוּ־יָ֑יִן יֵמַ֥ר שֵׁכָ֖ר לְשֹׁתָֽיו: י נִשְׁבְּרָ֖ה קִרְיַת־תֹּ֑הוּ סֻגַּ֥ר כָּל־בַּ֖יִת מִבּֽוֹא: יא צְוָחָ֥ה עַל־הַיַּ֖יִן בַּֽחוּצ֑וֹת עָֽרְבָה֙ כָּל־שִׂמְחָ֔ה גָּלָ֖ה מְשׂ֥וֹשׂ הָאָֽרֶץ: יב נִשְׁאָ֥ר בָּעִ֖יר שַׁמָּ֑ה וּשְׁאִיָּ֖ה יֻכַּת־שָֽׁעַר: יג כִּי־כֹ֥ה יִֽהְיֶ֛ה בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָ֖רֶץ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָֽעַמִּ֑ים כְּנֹ֣קֶף זַ֔יִת כְּעוֹלֵלֹ֖ת אִם־כָּלָ֥ה בָצִֽיר: יד הֵ֛מָּה יִשְׂא֥וּ קוֹלָ֖ם יָרֹ֑נּוּ בִּגְא֣וֹן יי֔ צָֽהֲל֖וּ מִיָּֽם: טו עַל־כֵּ֥ן בָּֽאֻרִ֖ים כַּבְּד֣וּ יי֑ בְּאִיֵּ֣י הַיָּ֔ם שֵׁ֥ם יי֖ אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
2. As the people will be, so will be the priest; as the slave, so his master; as the slave, so her mistress; as the buyer, so the seller; as the lender, so the borrower; as the dun, so the one he duns. 3. The land will be depleted – depleted! It will be despoiled – despoiled! – for JUSTICE has spoken this word. 4. The land faints, it fades; the earth fails, it fades; the exalted of the land’s people fade away. 5. For the land was defiled under its inhabitants, for they transgressed teachings, transposed law, broke the eternal covenant. 6. And so a curse has consumed the land, its inhabitants have been found guilty; and so the land’s inhabitants have flared out, few people are left. 7. The fresh wine fails, the vine fades; all who had joyous hearts sigh. 8. Drumming celebration is done, gay clamor has ceased, harp celebration is done. 9. Wine won’t be drunk over song; beer will be bitter to its drinkers. 10. Empty-town is broken; every house closed to entry. 11. In the streets, shrieking over wine, all joy has vanished, the land’s celebration is exiled. 12. What’s left in the city is waste, the gate being struck with destruction. 13. For thus will it be within the land, among the peoples: like the beaten-out olive, like gleanings when the grape harvest’s done. 14. These will lift their voices; they’ll sing out! They give a shout from the western sea! 15. Therefore, from the light’s shining, give glory to GOD; from the sea-lands, to the name of ONE ETERNAL, Israel’s God!
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