וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֶל־עַ֣ם הָאָ֡רֶץ כֹּֽה־אָמַר֩ אֲדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֜ה לְיֹושְׁבֵ֤י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ אֶל־אַדְמַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לַחְמָם֙ בִּדְאָגָ֣ה יֹאכֵ֔לוּ וּמֵֽימֵיהֶ֖ם בְּשִׁמָּמֹ֣ון יִשְׁתּ֑וּ לְמַ֜עַן תֵּשַׁ֤ם אַרְצָהּ֙ מִמְּלֹאָ֔הּ מֵחֲמַ֖ס כָּֽל־הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים בָּֽהּ׃
And you shall say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says my Lord YHWH to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim upon the soil of Yisraʾel: “Their bread in anxiety they shall eat, and their water in desolation they shall drink, in order that her land may be laid desolate from its fullness, because of the violence of all who dwell in it.
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-ʾamarta) — Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Direct command to the prophet.
- אֶל־עַם (ʾel-ʿam) — Root: עם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the people”; Notes: Refers to the general populace.
- הָאָרֶץ (hā-ʾārets) — Root: ארץ; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Refers to the people dwelling in the land.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-ʾāmar) — Root: אמר; Form: Demonstrative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Prophetic messenger formula.
- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (ʾAdonāy YHWH) — Root: אדן; Form: Noun “Lord” + divine name; Translation: “my Lord YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic address emphasizing authority of the message.
- לְיֹושְׁבֵי (le-yōshəvê) — Root: ישׁב; Form: Preposition + Qal participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “to the inhabitants of”; Notes: Identifies those dwelling in the city.
- יְרוּשָׁלִַם (Yerushalayim) — Root: Proper noun; Form: Feminine proper noun; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: The central city of Yisraʾel.
- אֶל־אַדְמַת (ʾel-ʾadmat) — Root: אדמה; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “upon the soil of”; Notes: Refers to the land as cultivated ground.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) — Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people and their territory.
- לַחְמָם (laḥmām) — Root: לחם; Form: Noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their bread”; Notes: Refers to their food supply.
- בִּדְאָגָה (bi-dəʾāgāh) — Root: דאג; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in anxiety”; Notes: Conveys worry and distress.
- יֹאכֵלוּ (yokhēlū) — Root: אכל; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall eat”; Notes: Describes the fearful manner of eating.
- וּמֵימֵיהֶם (u-mēmêhem) — Root: מים; Form: Conjunction + plural noun construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their water”; Notes: Daily drink of the people.
- בְּשִׁמָּמון (be-shimmāmōn) — Root: שׁמם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in desolation”; Notes: Indicates devastation and ruin.
- יִשְׁתוּ (yishtū) — Root: שתה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall drink”; Notes: Parallels “they shall eat.”
- לְמַעַן (lemaʿan) — Root: Particle; Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order that”; Notes: Introduces purpose clause.
- תֵּשַׁם (tēsham) — Root: שׁמם; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “may be laid desolate”; Notes: Refers to the land’s devastation.
- אַרְצָהּ (ʾarṣāh) — Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her land”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel’s land.
- מִמְּלֹאָהּ (mimməlōʾāh) — Root: מלא; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “from its fullness”; Notes: Refers to population and produce.
- מֵחֲמַס (mēḥămās) — Root: חמס; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “because of the violence”; Notes: Identifies cause of desolation — social injustice and oppression.
- כָּל־הַיֹּשְׁבִים (kol-hayyoshəvīm) — Root: ישׁב; Form: Noun “all” + Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “all who dwell”; Notes: The entire population is implicated.
- בָּהּ (bāh) — Root: ב; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in her”; Notes: Refers to the land of Yisraʾel.