Jeremija 38

1 Šefatja, sin Matanov, i Gedalija, sin Pašhurov, i Jukal, sin Šelemjin, i Pašhur, sin Malkijin, čuše tada za riječi što ih Jeremija kaza svemu narodu:

Now it came to the ears of Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, and Jucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, that Jeremiah had said to all the people,

2 “Ovako govori Jahve: 'Tko ostane u ovome gradu, poginut će od mača, gladi i kuge. A tko izađe pred Kaldejce, spasit će život - život će mu ostati kao plijen, ostat će živ.'

These are the words of the Lord: Whoever goes on living in this town will come to his death by the sword or through need of food or by disease: but whoever goes out to the Chaldaeans will keep his life out of the power of the attackers and be safe.

3 Jer ovako govori Jahve: 'Ovaj će grad odista pasti u ruke vojsci kralja babilonskoga i ona će ga zauzeti!'”

The Lord has said, This town will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.

4 Tada dostojanstvenici rekoše kralju: “Ovoga čovjeka valja ubiti: on zaista obeshrabruje ratnike koji su još ostali u gradu i sav narod kad takve riječi pred njima govori. Pa taj čovjek ne traži dobrobit ovoga naroda, nego njegovu propast.”

Then the rulers said to the king, Let this man be put to death, because he is putting fear into the hearts of the men of war who are still in the town, and into the hearts of the people, by saying such things to them: this man is not working for the well-being of the people, but for their damage.

5 A kralj Sidkija odgovori: “Eto, on je u vašim rukama, jer kralj ionako više nema nikakve vlasti nad vama.”

Then Zedekiah the king said, See, he is in your hands: for the king was not able to do anything against them.

6 Tada pograbiše Jeremiju i baciše ga u čatrnju kraljevića Malkije, što je bila u tamničkom dvorištu, i oni ga spustiše na užetima. Ali u čatrnji ne bijaše vode, već samo glib, tako da Jeremija propade u glib.

So they took Jeremiah and put him into the water-hole of Malchiah, the king's son, in the place of the armed watchmen: and they let Jeremiah down with cords. And in the hole there was no water, but wet earth: and Jeremiah went down into the wet earth.

7 Ali Kušit Ebed-Melek, dvorjanin koji bijaše u kraljevskom dvoru, doču da su Jeremiju bacili u čatrnju dok je kralj upravo sjedio kod Benjaminovih vrata.

Now it came to the ears of Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an unsexed servant in the king's house, that they had put Jeremiah into the water-hole; the king at that time being seated in the doorway of Benjamin:

8 Tada Ebed-Melek izađe iz kraljevskog dvora te ovako reče kralju:

And Ebed-melech went out from the king's house and said to the king,

9 “Gospodaru, kralju moj, zlo čine ovi ljudi kad tako postupaju s prorokom Jeremijom: bacili su ga u čatrnju, gdje će od gladi umrijeti, jer nema kruha u gradu.”

My lord the king, these men have done evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have put into the water-hole; and he will come to his death in the place where he is through need of food: for there is no more bread in the town.

10 Nato kralj zapovjedi Kušitu Ebed-Meleku: “Povedi trojicu ljudi te izvuci proroka Jeremiju iz čatrnje dok nije umro.”

Then the king gave orders to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take with you three men from here and get Jeremiah out of the water-hole before death overtakes him.

11 I Ebed-Melek povede ljude, uđe u kraljevski dvor, pod riznicu: uze ondje nešto iznošenih i poderanih dronjaka te ih na užetu spusti Jeremiji u čatrnju.

So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king, to the place where the clothing was kept, and got from there old clothing and bits of old cloth, and let them down by cords into the water-hole where Jeremiah was.

12 Kušit Ebed-Melek reče Jeremiji: “Podmetni iznošene i poderane dronjke pod pazuha i pod užad.” Jeremija učini tako.

And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put these bits of old cloth under your arms under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 Tada na užetima izvukoše Jeremiju iz čatrnje. Otada Jeremija ostade u tamničkom dvorištu.

So pulling Jeremiah up with the cords they got him out of the water-hole: and Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen.

14 Kralj Sidkija posla po proroka Jeremiju te ga pozva da dođe k njemu na treći ulaz što vodi u Dom Jahvin. Kralj reče Jeremiji: “Htio bih te nešto upitati, nemoj mi ni riječi zatajiti!”

Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and took him into the rulers' doorway in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremiah, I have a question to put to you; keep nothing back from me.

15 Jeremija odgovori Sidkiji: “Ako ti kažem, nećeš li me pogubiti? Ako te pak posvjetujem, nećeš me poslušati!”

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I give you the answer to your question, will you not certainly put me to death? and if I make a suggestion to you, you will not give it a hearing.

16 Tada se kralj Sidkija u tajnosti zakle Jeremiji ovim riječima: “Živoga mi Jahve, koji nam daje ovaj život, neću te pogubiti i neću te predati onima što ti rade o glavi.”

So King Zedekiah gave his oath to Jeremiah secretly, saying, By the living Lord, who gave us our life, I will not put you to death, or give you up to these men who are desiring to take your life.

17 Jeremija, dakle, reče Sidkiji: “Ovako govori Jahve, Bog nad Vojskama, Bog Izraelov: 'Ako izađeš pred vojskovođe kralja babilonskoga, spasit ćeš glavu i ovaj grad neće biti uništen požarom; živjet ćete ti i tvoj dom.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, These are the words of the Lord, the God of armies, the God of Israel: If you go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then you will have life, and the town will not be burned with fire, and you and your family will be kept from death:

18 Ako pak ne izađeš pred vojskovođe kralja babilonskoga, ovaj će grad pasti u ruke Kaldejaca i oni će ga spaliti, a ti se nećeš spasiti iz ruku njihovih.'”

But if you do not go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then this town will be given into the hands of the Chaldaeans and they will put it on fire, and you will not get away from them.

19 A kralj Sidkija odgovori Jeremiji: “Bojim se Judejaca koji su prebjegli Kaldejcima: mogli bi mene predati njima da mi se izruguju.”

And King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, I am troubled on account of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldaeans, for fear that they may give me up to them and they will put me to shame.

20 Jeremija odvrati: “Oni to neće učiniti. Poslušaj glas Jahvin prema kojem sam ti govorio, bit će ti dobro i spasit ćeš život svoj.

But Jeremiah said, They will not give you up: be guided now by the word of the Lord as I have given it to you, and it will be well for you, and you will keep your life.

21 Ali ako ne htjedneš iz grada, evo riječi koju mi Jahve objavi:

But if you do not go out, this is what the Lord has made clear to me:

22 'Gle, sve žene koje su još ostale u dvoru kralja judejskoga bit će odvedene k vojskovođama kralja babilonskoga i govorit će: Zaveli te, svladali te vjerni prijatelji tvoji! Kad ti noge u kal propadaju, oni te napuštaju!'

See, all the rest of the women in the house of the king of Judah will be taken out to the king of Babylon's captains, and these women will say, Your nearest friends have been false to you and have got the better of you: they have made your feet go deep into the wet earth, and they are turned away back from you.

23 Da, sve će žene tvoje i djecu tvoju odvesti Kaldejcima, a ni ti sam nećeš umaći rukama njihovim: dospjet ćeš u ruke kralju babilonskom, a grad će ovaj biti spaljen.”

And they will take all your wives and your children out to the Chaldaeans: and you will not get away out of their hands, but will be taken by the hands of the king of Babylon: and this town will be burned with fire.

24 Sidkija reče Jeremiji: “Nitko živ ne smije o tome što saznati, inače ćeš umrijeti.

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man have knowledge of these words, and you will not be put to death.

25 Ako, dakle, dostojanstvenici doznaju da sam s tobom razgovarao te dođu k tebi i kažu: 'TÓa očituj nam što kralj kaza tebi, a ti njemu; ne krij ništa pred nama, inače ćemo te ubiti',

But if it comes to the ears of the rulers that I have been talking with you, and they come and say to you, Give us word now of what you have said to the king and what the king said to you, keeping nothing back and we will not put you to death;

26 odgovori im: 'Molio sam kralja da me više ne vrati u kuću Jonatanovu, da ondje ne umrem!'”

Then you are to say to them, I made my request to the king, that he would not send me back to my death in Jonathan's house.

27 I doista, dođoše dostojanstvenici k Jeremiji te ga ispitivahu. Ali im on odgovori upravo onako kako mu kralj bijaše naredio. Tada ga se okaniše, jer se ništa nije pročulo o onom razgovoru.

Then all the rulers came to Jeremiah, questioning him: and he gave them an answer in the words the king had given him orders to say. So they said nothing more to him; for the thing was not made public.

28 Jeremiju, dakle, ostaviše u tamničkom dvorištu sve do dana kad neprijatelj zauze Jeruzalem. Kad Jeruzalem zauzeše, on bijaše ondje.

So Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen till the day when Jerusalem was taken.