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אַזְכִּֽירָה יָמִים עִם יָמִים —
יְמֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ עִם יְמֵי מֹשֶׁה
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Let me remember days with days:
Moses’s days with Jeremiah’s days.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
אָז כְּנַֽעַר נֶאֱהָֽבוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
נִתְחַיְּיבוּ וְנֶאֱיָֽיבוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
as a lad we were adored.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
we were loathed and abhorred.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
בָּטְלָה עַבְדוּת פָּֽרֶךְ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
בָּטְלָה עֲבוֹדַת עֵֽרֶךְ׃
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In Moses’ days,
banned was work demeaning.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
banned was work of meaning.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
גְּאוּלִים נִגְאָֽלוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
גְּעוּלִים גָּֽלוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
came the redeemed one’s redemption.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
our misdeeds had no exemption.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
דְּרוֹר חֵרוּת יָצָֽאוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
כַּעֲבָדִים כְּבוּלִים יָצָֽאוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
deliverance and liberty came out.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
like chained slaves they went out.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
הׇבְקְעוּ מֵי תְּהוֹמוֹת
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
הׇבְקְעָה עִיר חוֹמוֹת׃
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In Moses’ days,
even the abyssal depths split to beach.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
the walled city was made a breach.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
וְעַל הַיָּם נָֽמוּ אָז יָשִׁיר
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
וְעַל נְהָרוֹת נָֽמוּ אֵיךְ נָשִׁיר׃
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In Moses’ days,
facing the sea “Israel did then sing.” (Exodus 15:1)
But in Jeremiah’s days,
facing Babylon’s rivers, “how could we sing?” (Psalms 137:1-4)
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
זָֽבוּ מַֽיִם עַם עֵת צָמָא
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
יָבֵשׁ חִכָּם בַּצָּמָא׃
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In Moses’ days,
gushed waters for the thirsty folk.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
in thirst our dried-out palates choke.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
חַשְׁרַת מָן וּבָשָׂר אָכָֽלוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
מִבְּשַׂר בְּנֵיהֶם אָכָֽלוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
holy manna and quail they would eat.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
their own children’s flesh served as meat!
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
טַֽעַם כֹּל רָווּ וְשָׂבֵֽעוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
לַעֲנָה רָווּ וּמְרוֹרִים שָׂבֵֽעוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
in all tastes it quenched and sated.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
bitter wormwood was all that was plated.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
יָד הַגְּדוֹלָה רָאוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
יָדוֹ פָּרַשׂ צַר וַיִּירָאוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
Jeshurun saw God’s great hand.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
they saw the foe spread out over the land.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
כְּכַלָּה כְּבוּדָה הָיוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
כְּאִשָּׁה גְּרוּשָׁה הָיוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
kin to an honored bride were they.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
like one whose ex-husband sent her away.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
לִפְנֵיהֶם הִלַּֽכְתָּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
מִפְּנֵיהֶם הָלָֽכְתָּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
leading the way, You would guide them,
But in Jeremiah’s days,
You were after them, no longer beside them.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
מָה יָּפוּ וּמָה נָּעֵֽמוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
מָה עֻזְּבוּ וּמָה הֻכְאָֽרוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
my, how lovely and sweet!
But in Jeremiah’s days,
how disgusting, like dust under feet!
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
נָֽמוּ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמַע
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
נַעֲשׂוּ כְּחֵרֵשׁ לֹא שׁוֹמֵֽעַ׃
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In Moses’ days,
newly they said, “We will do and hear!” (Exodus 24:7)
But in Jeremiah’s days,
we’ve been made deaf, and cannot hear.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
סֻבְּלוּ עַל עֲנָנִים
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
שֹׂנְאֵיהֶם עָלוּ כַּעֲנָנִים׃
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In Moses’ days,
on clouds they were carried.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
overhead the bigots harried.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
עָלוּ עַל נְשָׁרִים
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
רֹדְפֵיהֶם קַלּוּ מִנְּשָׁרִים׃
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In Moses’ days,
passing through sky on wings of eagles.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
quicker were their pursuers than eagles.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
פְּדִיתָם וּקְנִיתָם
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
אָנַֽפְתָּ וְהִקְנֵאתָם׃
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In Moses’ days,
redeemed and reclaimed them You did.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
From Your rage and jealousy we hid.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
צְנִיפֵֽימוֹ לֹא בָֽלוּ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
צָפְדוּ וְנִתְכַּֽלּוּ׃
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In Moses’ days,
somehow their clothes did not fray.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
shriveled and eaten away.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
קְרָאתָם בָּנִים וְאַתָּה לָֽמוֹ אָב
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
יְתוֹמִים הָיִֽינוּ אֵין אָב׃
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In Moses’ days,
they were called Your children, You their parent.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
we were made like orphans, without any parent!
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
רְעִיתָם בְּבִטְחָה כְּצֹאן
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
נְתַתָּם לְטִבְחָה כְּמוֹ צֹאן׃
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In Moses’ days,
ushering us in trust, like a shepherd his sheep.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
violence-given to be mutton in a heap!
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
שֻׁכְּנוּ בִּצְבִי אָֽרֶץ
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
נִגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לָאָֽרֶץ׃
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In Moses’ days,
we were set like the wild gazelle.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
expulsion was ordained from the promised dell.
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בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה
תׇּקְפוּ מִכׇּל גּוֹי
וּבִימֵי יִרְמְיָֽהוּ
תֻּעְתְּעוּ בְּכׇל גּוֹי׃
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In Moses’ days,
yet stronger were we than every nation.
But in Jeremiah’s days,
zigged and zagged, scattered through every nation.
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נָשִׁינוּ טוֹבָה
מֵרֹב רָעָה׃
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We have forgotten goodness
from a surfeit of badness.
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שָׁמַעְנוּ רָעוֹת
הַשְׁמִיעֵנוּ טוֹבוֹת׃
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We hear only bad things
Let us hear good things!
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בָּאוּ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת
יִצְמְחוּ חֲדָשׁוֹת׃
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Oh first and last,
hear [us, remember our past!]
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רִאשׁוֹן וְאַחֲרוֹן
תַּשְׁמִיעֵ[נוּ בְּזִכָּרוֹן]׃
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The first ones came at their hour
so the new ones could flower.
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אֲנִי לָרִאשׁוֹנִים
וַאֲנִי לָאַחֲרוֹנִים
לִהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים…
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“I am for the first,
and I am for the last,
to be for them a GOD…”
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