Jeremiah 38

1 And Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah spoke unto all the people, saying:

瑪坦的兒子示法提雅、巴施戶珥的兒子基大利、示利米雅的兒子猶甲、瑪基雅的兒子巴施戶珥聽見耶利米對眾人所說的話，說：

2 'Thus saith the LORD: He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey, and he shall live.

「耶和華如此說：住在這城裏的必遭刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫而死；但出去歸降迦勒底人的必得存活，就是以自己命為掠物的，必得存活。

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

耶和華如此說：這城必要交在巴比倫王軍隊的手中，他必攻取這城。」

4 Then the princes said unto the king: 'Let this man, we pray thee, be put to death; forasmuch as he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.'

於是首領對王說：「求你將這人治死；因他向城裏剩下的兵丁和眾民說這樣的話，使他們的手發軟。這人不是求這百姓得平安，乃是叫他們受災禍。」

5 Then Zedekiah the king said: 'Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.'

西底家王說：「他在你們手中，無論何事，王也不能與你們反對。」

6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the pit there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

他們就拿住耶利米，下在哈米勒的兒子瑪基雅的牢獄裏；那牢獄在護衛兵的院中。他們用繩子將耶利米繫下去。牢獄裏沒有水，只有淤泥，耶利米就陷在淤泥中。

7 Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an officer, who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the pit; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

在王宮的太監古實人以伯‧米勒，聽見他們將耶利米下了牢獄（那時王坐在便雅憫門口），

8 Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying:

以伯‧米勒就從王宮裏出來，對王說：

9 'My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the pit; and he is like to die in the place where he is because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.'

「主－我的王啊，這些人向先知耶利米一味地行惡，將他下在牢獄中；他在那裏必因飢餓而死，因為城中再沒有糧食。」

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying: 'Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, before he die.'

王就吩咐古實人以伯‧米勒說：「你從這裏帶領三十人，趁着先知耶利米未死以前，將他從牢獄中提上來。」

11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence worn clouts and worn rags, and let them down by cords into the pit to Jeremiah.

於是以伯‧米勒帶領這些人同去，進入王宮，到庫房以下，從那裏取了些碎布和破爛的衣服，用繩子縋下牢獄去到耶利米那裏。

12 And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah: 'Put now these worn clouts and rags under thine armholes under the cords.' And Jeremiah did so.

古實人以伯‧米勒對耶利米說：「你用這些碎布和破爛的衣服放在繩子上，墊你的胳肢窩。」耶利米就照樣行了。

13 So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the pit; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

這樣，他們用繩子將耶利米從牢獄裏拉上來。耶利米仍在護衛兵的院中。

14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that was in the house of the LORD; and the king said unto Jeremiah: 'I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.'

西底家王打發人帶領先知耶利米，進耶和華殿中第三門裏見王。王就對耶利米說：「我要問你一件事，你絲毫不可向我隱瞞。」

15 Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah: 'If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken unto me.'

耶利米對西底家說：「我若告訴你，你豈不定要殺我嗎？我若勸戒你，你必不聽從我。」

16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly unto Jeremiah, saying: 'As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.'

西底家王就私下向耶利米說：「我指着那造我們生命之永生的耶和華起誓：我必不殺你，也不將你交在尋索你命的人手中。」

17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, thou, and thy house;

耶利米對西底家說：「耶和華－萬軍之上帝、以色列的上帝如此說：你若出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，你的命就必存活，這城也不致被火焚燒，你和你的全家都必存活。

18 but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.'

你若不出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，這城必交在迦勒底人手中。他們必用火焚燒，你也不得脫離他們的手。」

19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah: 'I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.'

西底家王對耶利米說：「我怕那些投降迦勒底人的猶大人，恐怕迦勒底人將我交在他們手中，他們戲弄我。」

20 But Jeremiah said: 'They shall not deliver thee. Hearken, I beseech thee, to the voice of the LORD, in that which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

耶利米說：「迦勒底人必不將你交出。求你聽從我對你所說耶和華的話，這樣你必得好處，你的命也必存活。

21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shown me:

你若不肯出去，耶和華指示我的話乃是這樣：

22 Behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say: Thy familiar friends have set thee on, and have prevailed over thee; thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

猶大王宮裏所剩的婦女必都帶到巴比倫王的首領那裏。這些婦女必說： 你知己的朋友催逼你， 勝過你； 見你的腳陷入淤泥中， 就轉身退後了。

23 And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.'

「人必將你的后妃和你的兒女帶到迦勒底人那裏；你也不得脫離他們的手，必被巴比倫王的手捉住；你也必使這城被火焚燒。」

24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah: 'Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

西底家對耶利米說：「不要使人知道這些話，你就不至於死。

25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee: Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee;

首領若聽見了我與你說話，就來見你，問你說：『你對王說甚麼話不要向我們隱瞞，我們就不殺你。王向你說甚麼話也要告訴我們。』

26 then thou shalt say unto them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.'

你就對他們說：『我在王面前懇求不要叫我回到約拿單的房屋死在那裏。』」

27 Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not reported.

隨後眾首領來見耶利米，問他，他就照王所吩咐的一切話回答他們。他們不再與他說話，因為事情沒有洩漏。

28 So Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And it came to pass, when Jerusalem was taken —

於是耶利米仍在護衛兵的院中，直到耶路撒冷被攻取的日子。