耶利米書 37
1 雅的兒子漆德克雅繼約雅金的兒子耶苛尼雅為王，巴比倫王拿步高立他為王統治猶大地。
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.
2 他和他的臣僕及本地人民，都沒有聽從上主藉耶肋米亞先知所說的話。
But he and his officers and the people of the land refused to obey the words that the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 漆德克雅王派舍肋米亞的兒子猶加耳，和司祭瑪阿雅的兒子責法尼雅到耶肋米亞先知那裏說：「請你為我們轉求上主，我們的天主! 」
Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
4 那時，耶肋米亞尚出入於民間，人還沒有將他放在監獄裏。
Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.
5 法郎軍隊忽由埃及出發，圍攻耶路撒冷的加色丁人一聽見他們出動的消息，就由耶路撒冷撤退了。
Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 此時上主有話傳給耶肋米亞先知說：
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet:
7 「上主，以色列的天主這樣說：你們應這樣回答派你們前來求間我的猶大君王說：看，出發前來援助你們的法郎軍隊，仍要回到自己的本地埃及去。
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.
8 至於加色丁人仍要捲土重來，進攻這座城市；且要攻下，放火燒城。
Then the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.
9 上主這樣說：你們不要自欺說：加色丁人已離我們遠去! 真實，他們並沒有遠去。
This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not!
10 縱使你們能擊敗與你們交戰的加色丁人所有的軍隊，使他們中只剩下一些受傷的人，他們仍要由帳中奮起，放火燒盡這座城市。
Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”
11 加色丁人的軍隊受法郎軍隊的威脅，由耶路撒冷撤退時，
When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12 耶肋米亞離開耶路撒冷，到本篤地去，要在那裏由自己的親族間分得一份產業。
Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people.
13 當他到了本雅明門時，那裏有一個站崗的人，名叫依黎雅，是舍肋米亞的兒子，哈納尼雅的孫子，捉住耶肋米亞先知說：「你想去投降加色丁人! 」
But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”
14 耶肋米亞答說：「冤枉! 我不是去投降加色人丁」。依黎雅不聽他說，就捉住耶肋米亞，帶他去見首長。
“That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.
15 首長們遂發怒，將耶肋米亞鞭打了，幽禁在書記家的監牢裏，因為他們早已把他的家改成了監獄。
The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.
16 於是耶肋米亞走一穹形的地窖內，在那裏住了多日。
So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.
17 此後，漆德克雅王派人提他出來，在自己的宮殿私下問他說：「上主有什麼話沒有﹖」耶肋米亞答說：「有」。接著說：「你必被交在巴比倫王手中」。
Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
18 此外，耶肋米亞還問漆德克雅王說：「我在什麼事上得罪了你和你的臣僕，以及這些人民，你們竟將我放在監裏﹖
Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison?
19 你們那些曾向你們預言說：巴比倫王不會來攻打你們和這地方的先知，現在在哪裏！
Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?
20 如今，我主君王，請聽！願你開恩允許我的祈求，不要叫我再回到書記約納堂家裡去，免得我死在那裡！」
But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”
21 於是漆德克雅王下令，將耶肋米亞囚禁在監獄的庭院裏，每日由麵包房取一份食物給他，直到城中糧食用盡。從此耶肋米亞o主在拘留所內的庭院裏。
So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
