إِرْمِيَا 42

١ 1 فَتَقَدَّمَ كُلُّ رُؤَسَاءِ ٱلْجُيُوشِ وَيُوحَانَانُ بْنُ قَارِيحَ، وَيَزَنْيَا بْنُ هُوشَعْيَا، وَكُلُّ ٱلشَّعْبِ مِنَ ٱلصَّغِيرِ إِلَى ٱلْكَبِيرِ،

Then all the army commanders, together with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and everyone from the least to the most important came to

٢ 2 وَقَالُوا لِإِرْمِيَا ٱلنَّبِيِّ: «لَيْتَ تَضَرُّعَنَا يَقَعُ أَمَامَكَ، فَتُصَلِّيَ لِأَجْلِنَا إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ لِأَجْلِ كُلِّ هَذِهِ ٱلْبَقِيَّةِ. لِأَنَّنَا قَدْ بَقِينَا قَلِيلِينَ مِنْ كَثِيرِينَ كَمَا تَرَانَا عَيْنَاكَ.

Jeremiah the prophet and said, “Please listen to our request.

٣ 3 فَيُخْبِرُنَا ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ عَنِ ٱلطَّرِيقِ ٱلَّذِي نَسِيرُ فِيهِ، وَٱلْأَمْرِ ٱلَّذِي نَفْعَلُهُ».

Pray to the Lord your God for all of us. As you can see there's only a few of us left compared to how many there were before. In your prayer please ask the Lord your God to tell where to go and what to do.”

٤ 4 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ إِرْمِيَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ: «قَدْ سَمِعْتُ. هَأَنَذَا أُصَلِّي إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ كَقَوْلِكُمْ، وَيَكُونُ أَنَّ كُلَّ ٱلْكَلَامِ ٱلَّذِي يُجِيبُكُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِهِ. لَا أَمْنَعُ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا».

“I'll do as you ask,” Jeremiah replied. “I will definitely pray to the Lord your God as you've requested, and I'll tell you everything he says. I won't keep anything back from you.”

٥ 5 فَقَالُوا هُمْ لِإِرْمِيَا: «لِيَكُنِ ٱلرَّبُّ بَيْنَنَا شَاهِدًا صَادِقًا وَأَمِينًا إِنَّنَا نَفْعَلُ حَسَبَ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ يُرْسِلُكَ بِهِ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ إِلَيْنَا،

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we don't do everything that the Lord your God tells you we should.

٦ 6 إِنْ خَيْرًا وَإِنْ شَرًّا. فَإِنَّنَا نَسْمَعُ لِصَوْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ ٱلَّذِي نَحْنُ مُرْسِلُوكَ إِلَيْهِ لِيُحْسَنَ إِلَيْنَا إِذَا سَمِعْنَا لِصَوْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِنَا».

Good or bad, we will obey what the Lord our God says, the one we're asking you to speak to. That way everything will go well with us, because we will be obeying what the Lord our God says.”

٧ 7 وَكَانَ بَعْدَ عَشَرَةِ أَيَّامٍ أَنَّ كَلِمَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ صَارَتْ إِلَى إِرْمِيَا.

Ten days later a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah.

٨ 8 فَدَعَا يُوحَانَانَ بْنَ قَارِيحَ وَكُلَّ رُؤَسَاءِ ٱلْجُيُوشِ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُ، وَكُلَّ ٱلشَّعْبِ مِنَ ٱلصَّغِيرِ إِلَى ٱلْكَبِيرِ،

He summoned Johanan, all the army commanders, and everyone from the least to the most important.

٩ 9 وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّذِي أَرْسَلْتُمُونِي إِلَيْهِ لِكَيْ أُلْقِيَ تَضَرُّعَكُمْ أَمَامَهُ:

Jeremiah told them, This what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to those of who you sent to me to present your request:

١٠ 10 إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَسْكُنُونَ فِي هَذِهِ ٱلْأَرْضِ، فَإِنِّي أَبْنِيكُمْ وَلَا أَنْقُضُكُمْ، وَأَغْرِسُكُمْ وَلَا أَقْتَلِعُكُمْ. لِأَنِّي نَدِمْتُ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ ٱلَّذِي صَنَعْتُهُ بِكُمْ.

If you will stay right here in this country, then I will build you up and I won't tear you down; I will plant you and I won't uproot you; because I'm very sad about the disaster I have brought down on you.

١١ 11 لَا تَخَافُوا مَلِكَ بَابِلَ ٱلَّذِي أَنْتُمْ خَائِفُوهُ. لَا تَخَافُوهُ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، لِأَنِّي أَنَا مَعَكُمْ لِأُخَلِّصَكُمْ وَأُنْقِذَكُمْ مِنْ يَدِهِ.

I know you fear the king of Babylon, but you don't need to be afraid of him, declares the Lord. I am with you to save you and rescue you from him.

١٢ 12 وَأُعْطِيَكُمْ نِعْمَةً، فَيَرْحَمُكُمْ وَيَرُدُّكُمْ إِلَى أَرْضِكُمْ.

I will be merciful to you, so that he will be merciful to you and will let you stay in your own country.

١٣ 13 «وَإِنْ قُلْتُمْ: لَا نَسْكُنُ فِي هَذِهِ ٱلْأَرْضِ. وَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا لِصَوْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ،

But if you say, “We won't stay here in this country,” and by doing so disobey what the Lord your God says;

١٤ 14 قَائِلِينَ: لَا بَلْ إِلَى أَرْضِ مِصْرَ نَذْهَبُ، حَيْثُ لَا نَرَى حَرْبًا، وَلَا نَسْمَعُ صَوْتَ بُوقٍ، وَلَا نَجُوعُ لِلْخُبْزِ، وَهُنَاكَ نَسْكُنُ.

or if you say instead, “No, we're going to Egypt to live there, where we won't experience war or hear trumpets sounding or go hungry;”

١٥ 15 فَٱلْآنَ لِذَلِكَ ٱسْمَعُوا كَلِمَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ يَابَقِيَّةَ يَهُوذَا، هَكَذَا قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَجْعَلُونَ وُجُوهَكُمْ لِلدُّخُولِ إِلَى مِصْرَ، وَتَذْهَبُونَ لِتَتَغَرَّبُوا هُنَاكَ،

then listen to what the Lord says, you survivors from Judah! This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: If you're absolutely determined to go to Egypt and live there,

١٦ 16 يَحْدُثُ أَنَّ ٱلسَّيْفَ ٱلَّذِي أَنْتُمْ خَائِفُونَ مِنْهُ يُدْرِكُكُمْ هُنَاكَ فِي أَرْضِ مِصْرَ، وَٱلْجُوعَ ٱلَّذِي أَنْتُمْ خَائِفُونَ مِنْهُ يَلْحَقُكُمْ هُنَاكَ فِي مِصْرَ، فَتَمُوتُونَ هُنَاكَ.

then the war you're so frightened of will catch up with you there, and the famine you're so terrified of will chase after you into Egypt, and you will die there.

١٧ 17 وَيَكُونُ أَنَّ كُلَّ ٱلرِّجَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ جَعَلُوا وُجُوهَهُمْ لِلدُّخُولِ إِلَى مِصْرَ لِيَتَغَرَّبُوا هُنَاكَ، يَمُوتُونَ بِٱلسَّيْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْوَبَإِ، وَلَا يَكُونُ مِنْهُمْ بَاقٍ وَلَا نَاجٍ مِنَ ٱلشَّرِّ ٱلَّذِي أَجْلِبُهُ أَنَا عَلَيْهِمْ.

Everyone who decides to go to Egypt and live there will die by war and famine and disease. Not a single one will survive or escape the disaster I will bring down on them.

١٨ 18 لِأَنَّهُ هَكَذَا قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: كَمَا ٱنْسَكَبَ غَضَبِي وَغَيْظِي عَلَى سُكَّانِ أُورُشَلِيمَ، هَكَذَا يَنْسَكِبُ غَيْظِي عَلَيْكُمْ عِنْدَ دُخُولِكُمْ إِلَى مِصْرَ، فَتَصِيرُونَ حَلَفًا وَدَهَشًا وَلَعْنَةً وَعَارًا، وَلَا تَرَوْنَ بَعْدُ هَذَا ٱلْمَوْضِعَ».

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: In the same way that my furious anger was poured out on the people living in Jerusalem, so will my anger be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. People will be horrified at what happens to you, and you will become a curse word, an insult, an expression of condemnation. You won't ever see your homeland again.

١٩ 19 «قَدْ تَكَلَّمَ ٱلرَّبُّ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا بَقِيَّةَ يَهُوذَا: لَا تَدْخُلُوا مِصْرَ. ٱعْلَمُوا عِلْمًا أَنِّي قَدْ أَنْذَرْتُكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ.

“The Lord has told you, survivors from Judah, ‘Don't go to Egypt,’” Jeremiah concluded. “Be absolutely clear about this warning I'm giving you today!

٢٠ 20 لِأَنَّكُمْ قَدْ خَدَعْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِذْ أَرْسَلْتُمُونِي إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ قَائِلِينَ: صَلِّ لِأَجْلِنَا إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِنَا، وَحَسَبَ كُلِّ مَا يَقُولُهُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُنَا هَكَذَا أَخْبِرْنَا فَنَفْعَلَ.

You've made a big mistake that will cost you your lives by sending me to the Lord your God, asking, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us, and let us know everything the Lord our God says and we'll do it.’

٢١ 21 فَقَدْ أَخْبَرْتُكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ فَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا لِصَوْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ، وَلَا لِشَيْءٍ مِمَّا أَرْسَلَنِي بِهِ إِلَيْكُمْ.

I have told you today what he said, but you have not obeyed everything the Lord your God sent me to tell you.

٢٢ 22 فَٱلْآنَ ٱعْلَمُوا عِلْمًا أَنَّكُمْ تَمُوتُونَ بِٱلسَّيْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْوَبَإِ فِي ٱلْمَوْضِعِ ٱلَّذِي ٱبْتَغَيْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوهُ لِتَتَغَرَّبُوا فِيهِ».

So you should know that without question you're going to die by war and famine and disease in Egypt where you want to go and live.”