Jeremiæ 21

1 verbum quod factum est ad Hieremiam a Domino quando misit ad eum rex Sedecias Phassur filium Melchiae et Sophoniam filium Maasiae sacerdotem dicens

Yahweh gave me another message when King Zedekiah [of Judah] sent [a man who was also named] Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, and a priest named Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, [to talk to me. They pleaded with me], saying,

2 interroga pro nobis Dominum quia Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis proeliatur adversum nos si forte faciat Dominus nobiscum secundum omnia mirabilia sua et recedat a nobis

“[The army of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Please speak to Yahweh for us. [Ask him if he will help us]. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar’s [army] to leave by performing a miracle for us, like the miracles he performed [previously].”

3 et dixit Hieremias ad eos sic dicetis Sedeciae

I replied to them, “[Go back to King] Zedekiah. Tell him,

4 haec dicit Dominus Deus Israhel ecce ego convertam vasa belli quae in manibus vestris sunt et quibus vos pugnatis adversum regem Babylonis et Chaldeos qui obsident vos in circuitu murorum et congregabo ea in medio civitatis huius

‘This is what Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: “I will cause your weapons to be useless in fighting against the king of Babylon and his army that is outside the walls of Jerusalem, attacking. I will enable them to enter into the center of this city.

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

I myself will fight against your [army] with my very great power, [MTY, DOU] because I am very angry with you.

6 et percutiam habitatores civitatis huius homines et bestiae pestilentia magna morientur

I will send a very (terrible plague/big sickness) on the people of this city, and on their domestic animals, and [many of] them will die.”

7 et post haec 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 quaerentium animam eorum et percutiet eos in ore gladii et non movebitur neque parcet nec miserebitur

And Yahweh says there are many people in this city who want to kill you. So, he will enable [the army of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and other people in this city to capture [you], King Zedekiah, and your officials, and [all the other] people who do not die from the plague. His army will slaughter your soldiers; they will not act mercifully toward you(pl) or pity you at all. [DOU]’

8 et ad populum hunc dices haec dicit Dominus ecce ego do coram vobis viam vitae et viam mortis

And tell this to [all] the people: ‘Yahweh says that you must decide whether you want to die or to remain alive.

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

Everyone who remains in Jerusalem will die. They will be killed in battles or die from being hungry or from diseases. But those who surrender to the army of Babylon that is surrounding your city will remain alive. They will escape dying.

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

[That will happen] because I, Yahweh, have decided to cause this city to experience disasters, not to experience something good. The army of the king of Babylon will capture this city and will destroy it [completely] by fire.’”

11 et domui regis Iuda audite verbum Domini

[Yahweh also told me to] say this to the family of the king of Judah: “Listen to this message from Yahweh!

12 domus David haec 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

This is what he says to you descendants of King David: ‘Every day, make fair decisions for the people whom you judge. Help those who have been robbed. Rescue/Save them from those [SYN] who (oppress them/treat them cruelly). If you do not do that, I will be angry and punish [MTY] you with a fire that will be impossible to extinguish, because of [all] the sins that you have committed.

13 ecce ego ad te habitatricem vallis solidae atque campestris ait Dominus qui dicitis quis percutiet nos et quis ingredietur domos nostras

I will fight against you people [of Jerusalem], you who live on top of a rocky hill above the valley. [I will fight against] you people who boast, saying, “No one can attack us and break through [our defenses].”

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 for your wicked deeds like you deserve to be punished; [It will be as though] I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you!’”