Jeremiah 38
1 Then Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, and Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying:
瑪堂的兒子舍法提雅，帕市胡爾的兒子革達里雅，舍肋米雅的兒子猶加耳，瑪耳基雅的兒子帕市胡爾聽見耶肋米亞向全體人民講話說：「
2 “Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety.
上主這樣說：凡留在這城裏的，必死於刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫；凡出降加色丁人的，必能生存：獲得生命如得戰利品一樣，可得生存。
3 Thus says the Lord: This city will certainly be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”
上主這樣說：這座城市必交在巴比倫王軍隊的手中，他必佔領這座城市。」
4 And the leaders said to the king: “We petition you to put this man to death. For he is deliberately weakening the hands of the men of war, who have remained in this city, and the hands of the people, by speaking to them with these words. For this man is certainly not seeking peace for this people, but evil.”
眾首長就對君王說：「請將這人處死! 因為他說出了這樣使遺留在城裏的戰士和全體人民喪志的話；實在，這人謀求的，不是人民的福利，而是人民的災禍。」
5 And king Zedekiah said: “Behold, he is in your hands. For it is not fitting for the king to deny you anything.”
漆德克雅王答說：「看，他已經在們手中；君王不能反對你們。」
6 Therefore, they took Jeremiah and cast him into the pit of Malchiah, the son of Amelech, which was at the entrance to the prison. And they lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the pit, in which there was no water, but only mud. And so Jeremiah descended into the mire.
他們便將耶肋米亞丟在王子瑪耳基雅在監獄庭院裏有的蓄水池內，用繩將他放下去；池內沒有水，只有污泥；耶肋米亞就陷在污泥裏。
7 Now Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch who was in the king’s house, heard that they had sent Jeremiah into the pit, and also that the king was sitting at the gate of Benjamin.
住在王宮裏的雇士人厄貝得默肋客宦官，聽見人把耶肋米亞放在蓄水池裏。那時君王正坐在本雅明門旁，
8 And so Ebedmelech departed from the king’s house, and he spoke to the king, saying:
厄貝得默肋客就從王宮出來，稟告君王說：
9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have perpetrated against Jeremiah the prophet, casting him into the pit so that he would die there from famine. For there is no more bread in the city.”
「我主君王! 這些人對先知耶肋米亞作的事，實在毒辣；他們竟將他丟在蓄水池裏，在那裏他必要餓死，因為城中沒有糧食了! 」
10 And so the king instructed Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, saying: “Take with you thirty men from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet from the pit, before he dies.”
王便命雇士人厄貝得默肋客說：「你立即帶三個人去，將耶肋米亞先知，趁他還沒有死，從蓄水池裏拉出來! 」
11 Therefore, Ebedmelech, taking the men with him, entered into the king’s house to a place below the storehouse. And he took from there old garments, no longer in use, and he sent them down by rope to Jeremiah in the pit.
厄貝得默肋客立即帶了一些人，回到王宮，從儲藏室拿了些破舊衣裳和破舊布片，用繩索給在蓄水池裏的耶肋米亞放下去。
12 And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah: “Place these old garments, and these cut and decaying cloths, under your arms and over the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so.
雇士人厄貝得默肋客對耶肋米亞說：「請把破舊的衣服和布片，放在你兩腋下，然後把繩放在下面。」耶肋米亞就這樣做了。
13 And they pulled up Jeremiah with the ropes, and they led him away from the pit. And Jeremiah remained in the vestibule of the prison.
於是他們用繩索將耶肋米亞從蓄水池裏拉上來；這樣，耶肋米亞纔仍能住在拘留所的庭院裏。
14 And king Zedekiah sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to him at the third gate, which was at the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah: “I will question you about a matter. You shall conceal nothing from me.”
漆德克雅王派人帶耶肋米亞先知到上主殿宇第三入口處去見他。君王對耶肋米亞說：「我要問你一件事，你什麼也不可對我隱瞞! 」
15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “If I announce to you, will you not put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”
耶肋米亞答覆漆德克雅說：「我若稟告你，你豈不要將我處死嗎﹖我若給你出主意，你也不會聽從我! 」
16 Then king Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah, secretly, saying: “As the Lord lives, who made this soul for us, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of those men who are seeking your life.”
漆德克雅王對耶肋米亞暗地發誓說：「那賜與我們這生命的上主永在，我決不將你處死，決不將你交在這些圖謀你性命者的手中。」
17 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If, having set out, you go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. And you and your house will be safe.
於是耶肋米亞對漆德克雅說：「萬軍的天主，以色列的天主上主這樣說：如果你出去，向巴比倫王將帥投降，你的性命必可保全，這城不至於被焚；你和你全家也必生存。
18 But if you will not go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire. And you will not escape from their hand.”
但是如果你不出去向巴比倫王將帥投降，這城必會被交在加色丁人的手裏，由他們放火燒城，而你也逃不出他們的手。」
19 And king Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: “I am anxious, because of the Jews who have crossed over to the Chaldeans, lest perhaps I may be delivered into their hands, and they may abuse me.”
漆德克雅王便對耶肋米亞說：「我很害怕那些投降加色丁人的猶太人，將我交在他們手中，任他們凌辱我。」
20 But Jeremiah responded: “They will not deliver you. Listen, I ask you, to the voice of the Lord, which I am speaking to you, and it will be well with you, and your soul will live.
耶肋米亞答說：「他們不會將你交出! 在我對你所說的事上，你只管聽上主的聲音，事必於你有利，你的性命必可保全。
21 But if you refuse to depart, this is the word that the Lord has revealed to me:
但是，如果你拒絕出降，這就是上主使我預見的事：
22 Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will be led away to the rulers of the king of Babylon. And the women will say: ‘Your men of peacefulness have led you astray, and they have prevailed against you. They have immersed your feet in mud and have set them in a slippery place. And they have withdrawn from you.’
看，凡留在猶大王宮的一切婦女，都要被領出，交給巴比倫王的將帥，哭訴著說：對你高唱和平的友人，欺騙了你，愚弄了你；見你雙腳陷入泥淖，就轉背逃遁。
23 And all your wives and your sons will be led away to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hands. Instead, you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will burn this city with fire.”
你的妻子兒女，都要被領出，交給加色丁人；連你也逃不出他們的手，終於被巴比倫王捉去；至於這城，必要被火焚毀。」
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: “Let no one know of these words, and you will not die.
於是漆德克雅對耶肋米亞說：「任何陽不得知道這些話，否則你就該死!
25 But if the leaders hear that I have spoken with you, and if they come to you, and say to you: ‘Tell us what you said to the king. Do not conceal it from us, and we will not put you to death. And tell us what the king said to you,’
倘若首長們聽說我曾與你談論，而前來問你說：請你告訴我們，你對君王說了什麼﹖你不可對我們隱瞞，否則我們就要你的命! 究竟君王對你說了些什麼﹖
26 then you shall say to them: ‘I presented my supplication before the king, so that he would not order me to be led back to the house of Jonathan, to die there.’”
你要回答他們說：我向君王面呈我的請求，請他不要叫我再回到約納堂的家裏去，死在那裏。」
27 Then all the leaders came to Jeremiah, and they questioned him. And he spoke to them in accord with all the words that the king had commanded him. And they withdrew from him, for they had learned nothing.
果然，眾首長前來質問耶肋米亞，他就全依照君王吩咐的話答覆了他們。他們對他無話可說，因為那次的談話，沒有被人竊聽了去。
28 Yet truly, Jeremiah remained at the entrance of the prison, until the day when Jerusalem was seized. And it happened that Jerusalem was captured.
這樣，耶肋米亞直到耶路撒冷淪陷的那一天，就住在拘留所的庭院裏。
