إِرْمِيَا 34

١ 1 اَلْكَلِمَةُ ٱلَّتِي صَارَتْ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا مِنْ قِبَلِ ٱلرَّبِّ حِينَ كَانَ نَبُوخَذْنَاصَّرُ مَلِكُ بَابِلَ وَكُلُّ جَيْشِهِ وَكُلُّ مَمَالِكِ أَرَاضِي سُلْطَانِ يَدِهِ وَكُلُّ ٱلشُّعُوبِ، يُحَارِبُونَ أُورُشَلِيمَ وَكُلُّ مُدُنِهَا قَائِلَةً:

This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, along with troops from all the countries he ruled and other nations were attacking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns:

٢ 2 «هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: ٱذْهَبْ وَكَلِّمْ صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذَا وَقُلْ لَهُ: هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: هَأَنَذَا أَدْفَعُ هَذِهِ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ لِيَدِ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ فَيُحْرِقُهَا بِٱلنَّارِ.

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and talk to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Listen! I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it down.

٣ 3 وَأَنْتَ لَا تُفْلِتُ مِنْ يَدِهِ، بَلْ تُمْسَكُ إِمْسَاكًا وَتُدْفَعُ لِيَدِهِ، وَتَرَى عَيْنَاكَ عَيْنَيْ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ، وَتُكَلِّمُهُ فَمًا لِفَمٍ وَتَذْهَبُ إِلَى بَابِلَ.

You yourself won't escape being captured by him. You will certainly be taken prisoner and brought before him to speak with him personally and see him face to face. You will be taken to Babylon.

٤ 4 وَلَكِنِ ٱسْمَعْ كَلِمَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ يَا صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذَا. هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ مِنْ جِهَتِكَ: لَا تَمُوتُ بِٱلسَّيْفِ.

Listen to what the Lord is telling you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You won't be killed;

٥ 5 بِسَلَامٍ تَمُوتُ، وَبِإِحْرَاقِ آبَائِكَ ٱلْمُلُوكِ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا قَبْلَكَ، هَكَذَا يُحْرِقُونَ لَكَ وَيَنْدُبُونَكَ قَائِلِينَ: آهِ، يَا سَيِّدُ. لِأَنِّي أَنَا تَكَلَّمْتُ بِٱلْكَلِمَةِ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ».

you will die in peace. You will have a proper funeral with incense burned for you as they did for your forefathers, the kings who ruled before you. They will weep for you, crying, “The king is dead.” I myself am telling you this, declares the Lord.

٦ 6 فَكَلَّمَ إِرْمِيَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذَا بِكُلِّ هَذَا ٱلْكَلَامِ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ،

Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah king of Judah all this there in Jerusalem.

٧ 7 إِذْ كَانَ جَيْشُ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ يُحَارِبُ أُورُشَلِيمَ وَكُلَّ مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا ٱلْبَاقِيَةِ: لَخِيشَ وَعَزِيقَةَ. لِأَنَّ هَاتَيْنِ بَقِيَتَا فِي مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا مَدِينَتَيْنِ حَصِينَتَيْنِ.

At this time the king of Babylon's army was attacking the city and the Judean towns of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities that had not yet been conquered in Judah.

٨ 8 ٱلْكَلِمَةُ ٱلَّتِي صَارَتْ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا مِنْ قِبَلِ ٱلرَّبِّ، بَعْدَ قَطْعِ ٱلْمَلِكِ صِدْقِيَّا عَهْدًا مَعَ كُلِّ ٱلشَّعْبِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ لِيُنَادُوا بِٱلْعِتْقِ،

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a agreement with everyone in Jerusalem to announce a proclamation of freedom.

٩ 9 أَنْ يُطْلِقَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَبْدَهُ وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ أَمَتَهُ ٱلْعِبْرَانِيَّ وَٱلْعِبْرَانِيَّةَ حُرَّيْنِ، حَتَّى لَا يَسْتَعْبِدَهُمَا، أَيْ أَخَوَيْهِ ٱلْيَهُودِيَّيْنِ،أَحَدٌ.

This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.

١٠ 10 فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ كُلُّ ٱلرُّؤَسَاءِ وَكُلُّ ٱلشَّعْبِ ٱلَّذِينَ دَخَلُوا فِي ٱلْعَهْدِ أَنْ يُطْلِقُوا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَبْدَهُ، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ أَمَتَهُ حُرَّيْنِ وَلَا يَسْتَعْبِدُوهُمَا بَعْدُ، أَطَاعُوا وَأَطْلَقُوا.

All the officials and all the people who accepted this agreement did what they said. They freed their male and female slaves, not forcing them to remain slaves any longer. They obeyed and let them go free.

١١ 11 وَلَكِنَّهُمْ عَادُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَرْجَعُوا ٱلْعَبِيدَ وَٱلْإِمَاءَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَطْلَقُوهُمْ أَحْرَارًا، وَأَخْضَعُوهُمْ عَبِيدًا وَإِمَاءً.

However, later on they changed their minds and took back the male and female slaves they'd freed, forcing them back into slavery.

١٢ 12 فَصَارَتْ كَلِمَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا مِنْ قِبَلِ ٱلرَّبِّ قَائِلَةً:

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

١٣ 13 «هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: أَنَا قَطَعْتُ عَهْدًا مَعَ آبَائِكُمْ يَوْمَ أَخْرَجْتُهُمْ مِنْ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ مِنْ بَيْتِ ٱلْعَبِيدِ قَائِلًا:

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery, saying:

١٤ 14 فِي نِهَايَةِ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ تُطْلِقُونَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ أَخَاهُ ٱلْعِبْرَانِيَّ ٱلَّذِي بِيعَ لَكَ وَخَدَمَكَ سِتَّ سِنِينَ، فَتُطْلِقُهُ حُرًّا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ. وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ آبَاؤُكُمْ لِي وَلَا أَمَالُوا أُذُنَهُمْ.

Every seventh year, each of you are to set free all fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. They can serve you for six years, but then you must set them free. But your forefathers didn't pay attention and didn't obey what I told them.

١٥ 15 وَقَدْ رَجَعْتُمْ أَنْتُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ وَفَعَلْتُمْ مَا هُوَ مُسْتَقِيمٌ فِي عَيْنَيَّ، مُنَادِينَ بِٱلْعِتْقِ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ، وَقَطَعْتُمْ عَهْدًا أَمَامِي فِي ٱلْبَيْتِ ٱلَّذِي دُعِيَ بِٱسْمِي.

A little while ago you decided to do what's right, which made me happy. You all announced that you would free your slaves. You made a agreement before me in my Temple.

١٦ 16 ثُمَّ عُدْتُمْ وَدَنَّسْتُمُ ٱسْمِي وَأَرْجَعْتُمْ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَبْدَهُ، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ أَمَتَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَطْلَقْتُمُوهُمْ أَحْرَارًا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَأَخْضَعْتُمُوهُمْ لِيَكُونُوا لَكُمْ عَبِيدًا وَإِمَاءً.

But now you've changed your minds and dishonored me. Each of you took back the male and female slaves you'd set free to do whatever they wanted. You forced them to become your slaves again.

١٧ 17 لِذَلِكَ هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: أَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَسْمَعُوا لِي لِتُنَادُوا بِٱلْعِتْقِ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ إِلَى أَخِيهِ، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ. هَأَنَذَا أُنَادِي لَكُمْ بِٱلْعِتْقِ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، لِلسَّيْفِ وَٱلْوَبَإِ وَٱلْجُوعِ، وَأَجْعَلُكُمْ قَلَقًا لِكُلِّ مَمَالِكِ ٱلْأَرْضِ.

So this is what the Lord says: You haven't obeyed me. You haven't announced freedom for your slaves, your own people. So now I announce “freedom” for you, declares the Lord: Freedom to be killed by war, by disease, and by famine! I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by you.

١٨ 18 وَأَدْفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعَدَّوْا عَهْدِي، ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقِيمُوا كَلَامَ ٱلْعَهْدِ ٱلَّذِي قَطَعُوهُ أَمَامِي. ٱلْعِجْلَ ٱلَّذِي قَطَعُوهُ إِلَى ٱثْنَيْنِ، وَجَازُوا بَيْنَ قِطْعَتَيْهِ.

They have broken my agreement, and have not kept the terms of the agreement they promised before me. So I'm going to cut them up just like the calf they cut in half to pass between its two pieces.

١٩ 19 رُؤَسَاءَ يَهُوذَا وَرُؤَسَاءَ أُورُشَلِيمَ، ٱلْخِصْيَانَ وَٱلْكَهَنَةَ وَكُلَّ شَعْبِ ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّذِينَ جَازُوا بَيْنَ قِطْعَتَيِ ٱلْعِجْلِ،

I will hand them over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. This includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and everyone else who passed between the pieces of the calf.

٢٠ 20 أَدْفَعُهُمْ لِيَدِ أَعْدَائِهِمْ وَلِيَدِ طَالِبِي نُفُوسِهِمْ، فَتَكُونُ جُثَثُهُمْ أُكْلًا لِطُيُورِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ وَوُحُوشِ ٱلْأَرْضِ.

Their dead bodies will become food for birds of prey and wild animals.

٢١ 21 وَأَدْفَعُ صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذَا وَرُؤَسَاءَهُ لِيَدِ أَعْدَائِهِمْ، وَلِيَدِ طَالِبِي نُفُوسِهِمْ، وَلِيَدِ جَيْشِ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَعِدُوا عَنْكُمْ.

I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials to their enemies who are trying to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon which had paused its attack on you.

٢٢ 22 هَأَنَذَا آمُرُ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، وَأَرُدُّهُمْ إِلَى هَذِهِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَيُحَارِبُونَهَا وَيَأْخُذُونَهَا وَيُحْرِقُونَهَا بِٱلنَّارِ، وَأَجْعَلُ مُدُنَ يَهُوذَا خَرِبَةً بِلَا سَاكِنٍ».

Listen! I will give the order, declares the Lord, and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it. I'm going to destroy the towns of Judah so nobody will live there.