यिरमियाह 38

1Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words that Jeremias spoke to all the people, saying:

2Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shell remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live.

3Thus saith the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

4And the princes said to the king: We beseech thee that this man may be put to death: for on purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil.

5And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing.

6Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water, but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.

7Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremias in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.

8And Abdemelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying:

9My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done against Jeremias the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.

10Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremias the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king’s house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremias into the dungeon.

12And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremias: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremias did so.

13And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.

14And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremias the prophet to him to the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremias: I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me.

15Then Jeremias said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to thee, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.

16Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremias, in private, saying: As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.

17And Jeremias said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If thou wilt take a resolution and go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thy house.

18But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.

19And king Sedecias said to Jeremias: I am afraid because of the Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered into their hands, and they should abuse me.

20But Jeremias answered: They shall not deliver thee: hearken, I beseech thee, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to thee, and it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

21But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord hath shewn me:

22Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Thy men of peace have deceived thee, and have prevailed against thee, they have plunged thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery place, and they have departed from thee.

23And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.

24Then Sedecias said to Jeremias: Let no man know these words, and thou shalt not die.

25But if the princes shall hear that I have spoken with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what thou hast said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill thee: and also what the king said to thee:

26Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.

27So all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard.

28But Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.

1Audivit autem Saphatias filius Mathan, et Gedelias filius Phassur, et Juchal filius Selemiæ, et Phassur filius Melchiæ, sermones quos Jeremias loquebatur ad omnem populum, dicens:

2Hæc dicit Dominus: Quicumque manserit in civitate hac, morietur gladio, et fame, et peste: qui autem profugerit ad Chaldæos, vivet, et erit anima ejus sospes et vivens.

3Hæc dicit Dominus: Tradendo tradetur civitas hæc in manu exercitus regis Babylonis, et capiet eam.

4Et dixerunt principes regi: Rogamus ut occidatur homo iste: de industria enim dissolvit manus virorum bellantium qui remanserunt in civitate hac, et manus universi populi, loquens ad eos juxta verba hæc: siquidem homo iste non quærit pacem populo huic, sed malum.

5Et dixit rex Sedecias: Ecce ipse in manibus vestris est: nec enim fas est regem vobis quidquam negare.

6Tulerunt ergo Jeremiam, et projecerunt eum in lacum Melchiæ filii Amelech, qui erat in vestibulo carceris: et submiserunt Jeremiam funibus in lacum, in quo non erat aqua, sed lutum: descendit itaque Jeremias in cœnum.

7Audivit autem Abdemelech Æthiops, vir eunuchus, qui erat in domo regis, quod misissent Jeremiam in lacum. Porro rex sedebat in porta Benjamin:

8et egressus est Abdemelech de domo regis, et locutus est ad regem, dicens:

9Domine mi rex, male fecerunt viri isti omnia quæcumque perpetrarunt contra Jeremiam prophetam, mittentes eum in lacum, ut moriatur ibi fame: non sunt enim panes ultra in civitate.

10Præcepit itaque rex Abdemelech Æthiopi, dicens: Tolle tecum hinc triginta viros, et leva Jeremiam prophetam de lacu, antequam moriatur.

11Assumptis ergo Abdemelech secum viris, ingressus est domum regis, quæ erat sub cellario, et tulit inde veteres pannos, et antiqua quæ computruerant, et submisit ea ad Jeremiam in lacum per funiculos.

12Dixitque Abdemelech Æthiops ad Jeremiam: Pone veteres pannos, et hæc scissa et putrida, sub cubito manuum tuarum, et super funes. Fecit ergo Jeremias sic,

13et extraxerunt Jeremiam funibus, et eduxerunt eum de lacu: mansit autem Jeremias in vestibulo carceris.

14Et misit rex Sedecias, et tulit ad se Jeremiam prophetam ad ostium tertium quod erat in domo Domini: et dixit rex ad Jeremiam: Interrogo ego te sermonem, ne abscondas a me aliquid.

15Dixit autem Jeremias ad Sedeciam: Si annuntiavero tibi, numquid non interficies me? et si consilium dedero tibi, non me audies.

16Juravit ergo rex Sedecias Jeremiæ clam, dicens: Vivit Dominus, qui fecit nobis animam hanc, si occidero te, et si tradidero te in manus virorum istorum qui quærunt animam tuam.

17Et dixit Jeremias ad Sedeciam: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israël: Si profectus exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, vivet anima tua, et civitas hæc non succendetur igni: et salvus eris tu, et domus tua.

18Si autem non exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, tradetur civitas hæc in manus Chaldæorum, et succendent eam igni: et tu non effugies de manu eorum.

19Et dixit rex Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Sollicitus sum propter Judæos qui transfugerunt ad Chaldæos, ne forte tradar in manus eorum, et illudant mihi.

20Respondit autem Jeremias: Non te tradent. Audi, quæso, vocem Domini, quam ego loquor ad te, et bene tibi erit, et vivet anima tua.

21Quod si nolueris egredi, iste est sermo quem ostendit mihi Dominus:

22ecce omnes mulieres quæ remanserunt in domo regis Juda educentur ad principes regis Babylonis, et ipsæ dicent: Seduxerunt te, et prævaluerunt adversum te, viri pacifici tui: demerserunt in cœno et in lubrico pedes tuos, et recesserunt a te.

23Et omnes uxores tuæ et filii tui educentur ad Chaldæos: et non effugies manus eorum, sed in manu regis Babylonis capieris, et civitatem hanc comburet igni.

24Dixit ergo Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Nullus sciat verba hæc, et non morieris.

25Si autem audierint principes quia locutus sum tecum, et venerint ad te, et dixerint tibi: Indica nobis quid locutus sis cum rege: ne celes nos, et non te interficiemus: et quid locutus est tecum rex:

26dices ad eos: Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci juberet in domum Jonathan, et ibi morerer.

27Venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Jeremiam, et interrogaverunt eum, et locutus est eis juxta omnia verba quæ præceperat ei rex: et cessaverunt ab eo: nihil enim fuerat auditum.

28Mansit vero Jeremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem quo capta est Jerusalem: et factum est ut caperetur Jerusalem.

1Then Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, and Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying:

2“Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety.

3Thus says the Lord: This city will certainly be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

4And the leaders said to the king: “We petition you to put this man to death. For he is deliberately weakening the hands of the men of war, who have remained in this city, and the hands of the people, by speaking to them with these words. For this man is certainly not seeking peace for this people, but evil.”

5And king Zedekiah said: “Behold, he is in your hands. For it is not fitting for the king to deny you anything.”

6Therefore, they took Jeremiah and cast him into the pit of Malchiah, the son of Amelech, which was at the entrance to the prison. And they lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the pit, in which there was no water, but only mud. And so Jeremiah descended into the mire.

7Now Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch who was in the king’s house, heard that they had sent Jeremiah into the pit, and also that the king was sitting at the gate of Benjamin.

8And so Ebedmelech departed from the king’s house, and he spoke to the king, saying:

9“My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have perpetrated against Jeremiah the prophet, casting him into the pit so that he would die there from famine. For there is no more bread in the city.”

10And so the king instructed Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, saying: “Take with you thirty men from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet from the pit, before he dies.”

11Therefore, Ebedmelech, taking the men with him, entered into the king’s house to a place below the storehouse. And he took from there old garments, no longer in use, and he sent them down by rope to Jeremiah in the pit.

12And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah: “Place these old garments, and these cut and decaying cloths, under your arms and over the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so.

13And they pulled up Jeremiah with the ropes, and they led him away from the pit. And Jeremiah remained in the vestibule of the prison.

14And king Zedekiah sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to him at the third gate, which was at the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah: “I will question you about a matter. You shall conceal nothing from me.”

15Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “If I announce to you, will you not put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”

16Then king Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah, secretly, saying: “As the Lord lives, who made this soul for us, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of those men who are seeking your life.”

17And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If, having set out, you go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. And you and your house will be safe.

18But if you will not go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire. And you will not escape from their hand.”

19And king Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: “I am anxious, because of the Jews who have crossed over to the Chaldeans, lest perhaps I may be delivered into their hands, and they may abuse me.”

20But Jeremiah responded: “They will not deliver you. Listen, I ask you, to the voice of the Lord, which I am speaking to you, and it will be well with you, and your soul will live.

21But if you refuse to depart, this is the word that the Lord has revealed to me:

22Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will be led away to the rulers of the king of Babylon. And the women will say: ‘Your men of peacefulness have led you astray, and they have prevailed against you. They have immersed your feet in mud and have set them in a slippery place. And they have withdrawn from you.’

23And all your wives and your sons will be led away to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hands. Instead, you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will burn this city with fire.”

24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: “Let no one know of these words, and you will not die.

25But if the leaders hear that I have spoken with you, and if they come to you, and say to you: ‘Tell us what you said to the king. Do not conceal it from us, and we will not put you to death. And tell us what the king said to you,’

26then you shall say to them: ‘I presented my supplication before the king, so that he would not order me to be led back to the house of Jonathan, to die there.’ ”

27Then all the leaders came to Jeremiah, and they questioned him. And he spoke to them in accord with all the words that the king had commanded him. And they withdrew from him, for they had learned nothing.

28Yet truly, Jeremiah remained at the entrance of the prison, until the day when Jerusalem was seized. And it happened that Jerusalem was captured.