Jeremiæ 21

1 Verbum, quod factum est ad Ieremiam a Domino, quando misit ad eum rex Sedecias Phassur filium Melchiæ, et Sophoniam filium Maasiæ sacerdotem, dicens:

The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,

2 Interroga pro nobis Dominum, quia Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis præliatur adversum nos: si forte faciat Dominus nobiscum secundum omnia mirabilia sua, et recedat a nobis.

“Please inquire of Yahweh for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps Yahweh will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may withdraw from us.”

3 Et dixit Ieremias ad eos: Sic dicetis Sedeciæ:

Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah:

4 Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Ecce ego convertam vasa belli, quæ in manibus vestris sunt, et quibus vos pugnatis adversum regem Babylonis, et Chaldæos, qui obsident vos in circuitu murorum: et congregabo ea in medio civitatis huius.

‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will gather them into the middle of this city.

5 Et debellabo ego vos in manu extenta, et in brachio forti, et in furore, et in indignatione, et in ira grandi.

I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation.

6 Et percutiam habitatores civitatis huius, homines et bestiæ pestilentia magna morientur.

I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and animal. They will die of a great pestilence.

7 Et post hæc ait Dominus: dabo Sedeciam regem Iuda, et servos eius, et populum eius, et qui derelicti sunt in civitate hac a peste et gladio, et fame, in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis, et in manu inimicorum eorum, et in manu quærentium animam eorum, et percutiet eos in ore gladii, et non flectetur, neque parcet, nec miserebitur.

Afterward,” says Yahweh, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’

8 Et ad populum hunc dices: Hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego do coram vobis viam vitæ, et viam mortis.

“You shall say to this people, ‘Yahweh says: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

9 Qui habitaverit in urbe hac, morietur gladio, et fame, et peste: qui autem egressus fuerit, et transfugerit ad Chaldæos, qui obsident vos, vivet, et erit ei anima sua, quasi spolium.

He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out and passes over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he will live, and he will escape with his life.

10 Posui enim faciem meam super civitatem hanc in malum, et non in bonum, ait Dominus: in manu regis Babylonis dabitur, et exuret eam igni.

For I have set my face on this city for evil, and not for good,” says Yahweh. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’

11 Et domui regis Iuda: Audite verba Domini,

“Concerning the house of the king of Judah, hear Yahweh’s word:

12 domus David, hæc dicit Dominus: Iudicate mane iudicium, et eruite vi oppressum de manu calumniantis: ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat propter malitiam studiorum vestrorum.

House of David, Yahweh says, ‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Ecce ego ad te habitatricem vallis solidæ atque campestris, ait Dominus: qui dicitis: Quis percutiet nos? Et quis ingredietur domos nostras?

Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, and of the rock of the plain,’ says Yahweh. ‘You that say, “Who would come down against us?” or, “Who would enter into our homes?”

14 Et visitabo super vos iuxta fructum studiorum vestrorum, dicit Dominus: et succendam ignem in saltu eius: et devorabit omnia in circuitu eius.

I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,’ says Yahweh; ‘and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will devour all that is around her.’”