Jeremiah 38
1 [Four officials, ] Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malkijah, heard what I had been telling all the people.
Pea kuo fanongo ʻa Sefatia ko e foha ʻo Matani, mo Ketalia, ko e foha ʻo Pasuli, mo Sehukali ko e foha ʻo Selemaia, mo Pasuli ko e foha ʻo Malikia, ki he ngaahi lea ʻaia naʻe lea ʻaki ʻe Selemaia ki he kakai kotoa pē, ʻo pehē,
2 [I had been telling them] that Yahweh was saying, “Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die. They will be killed by [their enemies’] swords or from famines or from diseases. But those who surrender to the Babylonian army, they will be spared. They will not be killed.
“ʻOku pehē mai ʻa Sihova, ‘Ko ia ʻoku nofo ʻi he kolo ni, te ne mate ʻi he heletā, mo e honge, pea mo e mahaki fakaʻauha: ka ko ia ʻe ʻalu kituʻa ki he kau Kalitia te ne moʻui; ʻe ʻiate ia ʻene moʻui ko e koloa kuo vetea, pea te ne moʻui.’
3 Yahweh also says that the army of the King of Babylon will certainly capture this city [DOU].”
ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, ‘Ko e moʻoni ʻe foaki ʻae kolo ni ki he nima ʻoe kau tau ʻo Papilone, pea te nau kapa ia.’”
4 So those officials [went] to the king and said, “This man [Jeremiah] should be executed! Because of what he is saying, he is discouraging our soldiers who remain in the city. He is also discouraging the people. He is not saying things that will help us; he is saying things that will defeat us.”
Ko ia naʻe pehē ai ʻae houʻeiki ki he tuʻi, “ʻOku mau kole kiate koe, tuku ke tāmateʻi ʻae tangata ni: he ʻoku ne fakavaivaiʻi ʻae nima ʻoe kau tangata tau ʻoku kei toe ʻi he kolo ni, pea mo e nima ʻoe kakai kotoa pē, ʻi heʻene lea ʻaki ʻae ngaahi lea pehē kiate kinautolu: he ʻoku ʻikai kumi ʻe he tangata ni ʻae lelei ʻoe kakai ni, ka ko e kovi.”
5 King Zedekiah said, “All right, do to him what you want to; I do not have the power to stop you.”
Pea pehē mai ʻa Setikia ko e tuʻi, “Vakai, ʻoku ʻi homou nima ia: he ʻoku ʻikai faʻa fai ʻe he tuʻi ha meʻa kiate kimoutolu.”
6 So those officials took me from my cell and lowered me by ropes into a well in the courtyard. The well belonged to Malkijah, who was a son of the king. There was no water in the well, but there was [a lot of] mud, so I sank [down deep] into the mud.
Pea naʻe ʻave ʻa Selemaia, ʻo lī ia ki he fale fakapoʻuli ʻo Malikia ko e foha ʻoe tuʻi, ʻaia naʻe ʻi he lotoʻā ʻoe fale fakapōpula: pea naʻe tukutuku hifo ʻaki ʻa Selemaia ʻae ngaahi maea. Ka naʻe ʻikai ha vai ʻi he fale fakapoʻuli, ka ko e kele pe; pea naʻe ngalo hifo ʻa Selemaia ʻi he kele.
7 But Ebed-Melech, a palace official from Ethiopia, heard [someone say] that I was in the well. [At that time] the king was deciding/judging people’s cases at the Benjamin Gate.
Pea kuo fanongo ʻa ʻIpetemeleki, ko e ʻItiopea, ko e tangata talifekau ʻaia naʻe nofo ʻi he fale ʻoe tuʻi, kuo tuku ʻa Selemaia ki he fale fakapoʻuli; pea ʻoku nofo ʻae tuʻi ʻi he matapā ʻo Penisimani,
8 Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to the king,
Naʻe ʻalu atu mei he fale ʻoe tuʻi ʻa ʻIpetemeleki, ʻo lea ki he tuʻi, ʻo pehē,
9 “Your majesty, those men have done a very evil thing. They have put the prophet Jeremiah in a well. [Almost] all the food in the city is gone, [so they will not be able to bring him any food] and as a result he will die from hunger!”
“Ko ʻeku ʻeiki ko e tuʻi, ʻoku kovi ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe he kau tangata ni kia Selemaia ko e palōfita, ʻaia kuo nau lī ki he fale fakapoʻuli, he te ne mate fiekaia ʻi he potu ko ia: he ʻoku ʻikai kei toe ha mā ʻi he kolo.”
10 So the king told Ebed-Melech, “Take thirty of my men/soldiers with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the well, in order that he does not die!”
Pea naʻe fekau ʻe he tuʻi ʻa ʻIpetemeleki ko e ʻItiopea, ʻo pehē, “ʻAlu mo koe ʻae kau tangata ʻe toko tolungofulu, pea toʻo hake ʻa Selemaia ko e palōfita mei he fale fakapōpula, ʻi he teʻeki ai te ne mate.”
11 So Ebed-Melech took thirty men with him and they went into a room in the palace below the room where they stored very valuable things. There they found some old rags and discarded clothing. They took those things and went to the well. They fastened them to a rope and lowered the rope to me.
Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe ʻIpetemeleki ʻae kau tangata pea nau ʻo mo ia ki he fale ʻoe tuʻi, ki lalo ʻi he tukuʻanga koloa, pea toʻo mei ai ʻae ngaahi kofu motuʻa pea mahaehae, ʻo tukutuku hifo ia mo e ngaahi maea ki he fale fakapoʻuli kia Selemaia.
12 Then Ebed-Melech called down to me, “Put these rags underneath your armpits, to protect you from [being injured by] the ropes!” So I did that.
Pea naʻe pehē ʻa ʻIpetemeleki ko e ʻItiopea kia Selemaia, “Ai ni ʻae ngaahi kofu motuʻa pea mahaehae ʻi ho lalo faʻefine pea mo e ngaahi maea.” Pea naʻe fai ia ʻe Selemaia.
13 Then they pulled me out of the well. I [returned] to the courtyard where the palace guards stayed, and I stayed there.
Pea naʻa nau fusi hake ʻa Selemaia mo e ngaahi maea, pea ʻave ia mei he fale fakapōpula: ka ka nofo ʻa Selemaia ʻi he lotoʻā ʻoe fale fakapōpula.
14 [One day] King Zedekiah summoned me, and I was brought to the king, [who was waiting for me] at the entrance of the temple. He said to me, “I want to ask you something. I want you [to answer me truthfully, and] and to not conceal anything.”
Pea naʻe toki fekau ʻe Setikia ko e tuʻi, pea ʻomi ʻa Selemaia, ko e palōfita kiate ia ki he hūʻanga lahi ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he fale ʻo Sihova: pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi kia Selemaia, “Te u fehuʻi kiate koe ha meʻa ʻe taha; pea ʻoua naʻa ke fufū ha meʻa ʻiate au.”
15 I replied, “If I tell you [the truth], you will [command that I] be executed. And if I give you [good] advice, you will not pay attention to what I say.”
Pea pehē ʻe Selemaia kia Setikia, “Kapau te u fakahā ia kiate koe, ʻoku moʻoni ʻe ʻikai te ke tāmateʻi au? Pea kapau te u akonakiʻi koe te ke fanongo kiate au?”
16 But King Zedekiah secretly promised me, “[Tell me the truth]! And as surely as Yahweh lives, I will not [cause] you to be executed, and I will not hand you over to those who are wanting to kill you.”
Pea naʻe fuakava fakafufū ʻa Setikia kia Selemaia, ʻo pehē, “ʻI he moʻui ʻa Sihova, ʻaia kuo ngaohi kiate kitaua ʻae laumālie ni, ʻe ʻikai te u tāmateʻi koe, pea ʻe ʻikai te u tukuange koe ki he nima ʻoe kau tangata ni ʻoku kumi hoʻo moʻui.”
17 [So] then I said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you and your family will (be spared/not be killed), and this city will not be burned.
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Selemaia kia Setikia, “ʻOku pehē mai ʻa Sihova, ko e ʻOtua ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli; ‘Ko e moʻoni kapau te ke ʻalu atu ki he houʻeiki ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Papilone, ʻe moʻui ho laumālie, pea ʻe ʻikai tutu ʻaki ʻae kolo ni ʻae afi, pea te ke moʻui, mo ho fale:
18 But if you refuse to surrender to them, you will not escape. And the army from Babylonia will capture this city and completely burn it.’”
pea kapau ʻe ʻikai te ke ʻalu atu ki he houʻeiki ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Papilone, pea ʻe toki foaki ʻae kolo ni ki he nima ʻoe kau Kalitia, pea te nau tutu ʻaki ia ʻae afi, pea ʻe ʻikai te ke hao ʻi honau nima.’”
19 The king replied, “But I am afraid [to surrender to the soldiers from Babylon], because their officers may hand me over to the people of Judah who have already joined the soldiers from Babylonia, and those people from Judah will mistreat me.”
Pea pehē ʻe Setikia ko e tuʻi kia Selemaia, “ʻOku ou manavahē ki he kau Siu kuo hola ki he kau Kalitia, telia naʻa nau tukuange au ki honau nima, pea te nau manukiʻi au.”
20 I replied, “If you obey Yahweh by doing what I tell you to do, they will not hand you over to our people. Things will go well for you, and you will remain alive.
Pea pehē ʻe Selemaia, “ʻE ʻikai te nau tukuange koe. ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke talangofua ki he leʻo ʻo Sihova, ʻi he meʻa ʻoku ou lea ʻaki kiate koe: pea ko ia ʻe hoko ai ʻae lelei kiate koe, pea ʻe moʻui ho laumālie.
21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what Yahweh has revealed to me:
Pea kapau ʻe ʻikai te ke ʻalu atu, ko eni ʻae lea kuo fakahā ʻe Sihova kiate au:
22 All the women who remain in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the king of Babylon. Then those women will say to you: ‘You had friends whom [you thought] you could trust, but they have deceived you and caused you to make a wrong decision. Now [it is as though] you are stuck in mud, and your friends have abandoned you.’
‘ʻIo, vakai, ko e fefine kotoa pē ʻoku kei toe ʻi he fale ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Siuta, ʻe ʻomi ʻakinautolu ki he houʻeiki ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Papilone, pea te nau lea ʻo pehē, “Kuo akonakiʻi koe ʻe ho kāinga, pea kuo nau ikuna koe: kuo moʻua ho vaʻe ʻi he kele, pea kuo nau tafoki kimui.”
23 All of your wives and children [in the city] will be led out to the soldiers from Babylonia, and you also will not escape. [The soldiers of] the King of Babylon will seize you, and they will burn down this city.”
Pea te nau ʻomi ho ngaahi uaifi kotoa pē mo hoʻo fānau ki he kau Kalitia: pea ʻe ʻikai te ke hao ʻi honau nima, ka ʻe puke nima koe ʻe he tuʻi ʻo Papilone: pea ʻe tutu ʻaki ʻae afi ʻae kolo ni koeʻuhi ko koe.’”
24 Then Zedekiah said to me, “Do not tell anyone what you told me; if you tell anyone, my officials may kill you.
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Setikia kia Selemaia, “ʻOua naʻa tuku ke ʻilo ʻe ha tangata ʻae ngaahi lea ni, pea ʻe ʻikai te ke mate.
25 If my officials find out that I talked to you, perhaps they will come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you do not tell us, we will kill you.’
Pea kapau ʻe fanongo ʻe he houʻeiki kuo tā alea mo koe, pea te nau haʻu kiate koe, pea pehē kiate koe, ‘Fakahā mai kiate kimautolu ʻaia kuo ke tala ki he tuʻi, ʻoua naʻa fakafufū ia ʻiate kimautolu, pea ʻe ʻikai te mau tāmateʻi koe; pea mo e meʻa foki kuo lea ʻaki ʻe he tuʻi kiate koe:’
26 If that happens, [just] tell them that you pleaded with me not to send you back to the [dungeon/cell in] Jonathan’s house, [because you were afraid that] you would die [if you were put there again].”
Pea ke ke pehē kiate kinautolu, ‘Naʻaku fai ʻeku kole ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi, ke ʻoua naʻa pule ia ke toe ʻave au ki he fale ʻo Sonatani ke u mate ai.’”
27 And [that is what happened]. The king’s officials came to me and asked [why the king had summoned me. But] I told them what the king told me to tell them. So they did not ask me any more [questions], because no one had heard what the king and I had said to each other.
Pea naʻe haʻu ʻae houʻeiki kotoa pē kia Selemaia pea fehuʻi kiate ia: pea ne fakahā kiate kinautolu, ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi lea ni kotoa pē ʻaia naʻe fekau ʻe he tuʻi. Pea naʻe ʻikai te nau toe lea kiate ia; he naʻe ʻikai ke hā mai ʻae talanoa.
28 So I remained being guarded in the courtyard [of the palace], until the day that [the army of Babylonia] captured Jerusalem.
Pea naʻe nofo ʻa Selemaia ki he lotoʻā ʻoe fale fakapōpula ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho naʻe kapa ai ʻa Selūsalema: pea naʻe ʻi ai ia ʻi he kapa ʻo Selūsalema.
