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。
Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
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 neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to the LORD’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
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! 」
Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now 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 came in and went out amongst the people, for they had not put him into 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 come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 此時上主有話傳給耶肋米亞先知說：
Then the LORD’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
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。
“The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to enquire of me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land.
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。
The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’
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。
“The LORD says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us;” for they will not depart.
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。
For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and only wounded men remained amongst them, they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’”
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When the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,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。
then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the middle of 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! 」
When he was in Benjamin’s gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting 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。
Then Jeremiah said, “That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
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 princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
16 於是耶肋米亞走一穹形的地窖內，在那裏住了多日。
When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,
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」。
then Zedekiah the king sent and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “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﹖
Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this 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！
Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against 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！」
Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I 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。
Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
