Jeremiæ 38

1 audivit autem Saphatias filius Matthan et Gedelias filius Phassur et Iuchal filius Selemiae et Phassur filius Melchiae sermones quos Hieremias loquebatur ad omnem populum dicens

Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,

2 haec dicit Dominus quicumque manserit in civitate hac morietur gladio et fame et peste qui autem profugerit ad Chaldeos vivet et erit anima eius sospes et vivens

“The LORD says, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out to the Kasdim will live. He will escape with his life and he will live.’

3 haec dicit Dominus tradenda tradetur civitas haec in manu exercitus regis Babylonis et capiet eam

The LORD says, ‘This city will surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.’”

4 et 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 iuxta verba haec siquidem homo hic non quaerit pacem populi huius sed malum

Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death, because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them; for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”

5 et dixit rex Sedecias ecce ipse in manibus vestris est nec enim fas est regem vobis quicquam negare

Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can’t do anything to oppose you.”

6 tulerunt ergo Hieremiam et proiecerunt eum in lacu Melchiae filii Ammelech qui erat in vestibulo carceris et submiserunt Hieremiam in funibus et in lacum non erat aqua sed lutum descendit itaque Hieremias in caenum

Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

7 audivit autem Abdemelech Aethiops vir eunuchus qui erat in domo regis quod misissent Hieremiam in lacum porro rex sedebat in porta Beniamin

Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate),

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

Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,

9 domine mi rex malefecerunt viri isti omnia quaecumque perpetrarunt contra Hieremiam prophetam mittentes eum in lacum ut moriatur ibi fame non sunt enim panes ultra in civitate

“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 dungeon. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 praecepit itaque rex Abdemelech Aethiopi dicens tolle tecum hinc triginta viros et leva Hieremiam prophetam de lacu antequam moriatur

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”

11 adsumptis ergo Abdemelech secum viris ingressus est domum regis quae erat sub cellario et tulit inde veteres pannos et antiqua quae conputruerant et submisit ea ad Hieremiam in lacum per funiculos

So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12 dixitque Abdemelech Aethiops ad Hieremiam pone veteres pannos et haec scissa et putrida sub cubitu manuum tuarum et subter funes fecit ergo Hieremias sic

Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so.

13 et extraxerunt Hieremiam funibus et eduxerunt eum de lacu mansit autem Hieremias in vestibulo carceris

So they lifted Jeremiah up with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

14 et misit rex Sedecias et tulit ad se Hieremiam prophetam ad ostium tertium quod erat in domo Domini et dixit rex ad Hieremiam interrogo ego te sermonem ne abscondas a me aliquid

Then Zedekiah the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to himself into the third entry that is in the LORD’s house. Then the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me.”

15 dixit autem Hieremias ad Sedeciam si adnuntiavero tibi numquid non interficies me et si consilium tibi dedero non me audies

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? If I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”

16 iuravit ergo rex Sedecias Hieremiae clam dicens vivit Dominus qui fecit nobis animam hanc si occidero te et si tradidero te in manu virorum istorum qui quaerunt animam tuam

So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”

17 et dixit Hieremias ad Sedeciam haec dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israhel si profectus exieris ad principes regis Babylonis vivet anima tua et civitas haec non succendetur igni et salvus eris tu et domus tua

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The LORD, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burnt with fire. You will live, along with your house.

18 si autem non exieris ad principes regis Babylonis tradetur civitas haec in manu Chaldeorum et succendent eam igni et tu non effugies de manu eorum

But if you will not go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then this city will be given into the hand of the Kasdim, and they will burn it with fire, and you won’t escape out of their hand.’”

19 et dixit rex Sedecias ad Hieremiam sollicitus sum propter Iudaeos qui transfugerunt ad Chaldeos ne forte tradar in manus eorum et inludant mihi

Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Kasdim, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.”

20 respondit autem Hieremias non te tradent audi quaeso vocem Domini quam ego loquor ad te et bene tibi erit et vivet anima tua

But Jeremiah said, “They won’t deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the LORD’s voice, in that which I speak to you; so it will be well with you, and your soul will live.

21 quod si nolueris egredi iste est sermo quem ostendit mihi Dominus

But if you refuse to go out, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

22 ecce omnes mulieres quae remanserunt in domo regis Iuda educentur ad principes regis Babylonis et ipsae dicent seduxerunt te et praevaluerunt adversum te viri pacifici tui demerserunt in caeno et lubrico pedes tuos et recesserunt a te

‘Behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah’s house will be brought out to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women will say, “Your familiar friends have turned on you, and have prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mire, they have turned away from you.”

23 et omnes uxores tuae et filii tui educentur ad Chaldeos et non effugies manus eorum sed in manu regis Babylonis capieris et civitatem hanc conburet igni

They will bring out all your wives and your children to the Kasdim. You won’t escape out of their hand, but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burnt with fire.’”

24 dixit ergo Sedecias ad Hieremiam nullus sciat verba haec et non morieris

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know of these words, and you won’t die.

25 si 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

But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, ‘Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don’t hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also tell us what the king said to you;’

26 dices ad eos prostravi ego preces meas coram rege ne me reduci iuberet in domum Ionathan et ibi morerer

then you shall tell them, ‘I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.’”

27 venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Hieremiam et interrogaverunt eum et locutus est eis iuxta omnia verba quae praeceperat ei rex et cessaverunt ab eo nihil enim fuerat auditum

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

28 mansit vero Hieremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem quo capta est Hierusalem et factum est ut caperetur Hierusalem

So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.