Yeremia 38
1 Sefatia, Matan ƒe vi, Gedalia, Pasur ƒe vi, Yehukal, Selemia ƒe vi kple Pasur, Malkiya ƒe vi, wose nya si Yeremia gblɔ, esi wònɔ gbɔgblɔm na dukɔ la be,
Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:
2 “Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Ame si anɔ du sia me la, atsi yi nu, dɔwuame alo dɔvɔ̃ ƒe asi me, gake ame si tsɔ eɖokui de asi na Babiloniatɔwo la, atsi agbe. Eƒe agbe azu afunyinu nɛ, ale wòanɔ agbe.’
“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
3 Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye si, ‘Woatsɔ du sia ade asi na Babilonia fia ƒe aʋakɔ kokoko eye woaxɔe.’”
This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”
4 Tete dumegãwo gblɔ na fia la be, “Ŋutsu sia dze na ku. Ele dzi ɖem le ƒo na aʋakɔ la kple ame siwo susɔ ɖe du sia me to nya siwo gblɔm wòle na wo me. Ŋutsu sia mele woƒe nyui dim o, negbe woƒe gbegblẽ.”
Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
5 Fia Zedekia ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Fia la mate ŋu awɔ naneke atsi tsitre ɖe mia ŋuti o, eya ta ele miaƒe asi me.”
“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”
6 Ale wolé Yeremia tsɔ de Malkiya, fia la ƒe vi ƒe vudo si le fiasã ƒe dzɔlawo ƒe xɔxɔnu la me. Wode kae heɖiɖii ɖe vudo si me tsi mele o negbe ba koe le eme la me, eye Yeremia ɖo to ɖe ba la me.
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7 Ke Kusitɔ aɖe, Ebed Melek, ame si nye dɔnunɔlawo dometɔ ɖeka le fiasã me la se be wolé Yeremia de vudo me. Esi fia la nɔ anyi ɖe Benyamingbo la nu la,
Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
8 Ebed Melek tso le fiasã la me yi ɖe egbɔ eye wògblɔ nɛ bena,
Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,
9 “Nye aƒetɔ fia, ŋutsu siawo wɔ ŋutasẽnu ɖe Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia ŋu, le nu siwo katã wowɔ la me. Wotsɔe de vudo me afi si dɔ awui le wòaku nenye be abolo vɔ le dua me.”
“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”
10 Tete fia la ɖe gbe na Kusitɔ, Ebed Melek be, “Kplɔ ŋutsu blaetɔ̃ tso teƒe sia ne miayi aɖaɖe Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia le vudo la me hafi wòava ku.”
So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
11 Ale Ebed Melek kplɔ ŋutsuawo ɖe asi eye woyi ɖe xɔ si le nudzraɖoƒe la te, le fiasã la me. Etsɔ avɔ vuvu kple awu vuvu aɖewo le afi ma, hetsɔ wo sa ɖe ka ŋuti heɖiɖii ɖe Yeremia gbɔ le vudo la me.
Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
12 Kusitɔ, Ebed Melek gblɔ na Yeremia be, “Tsɔ avɔ vuvuawo kple awu vuvuawo de wò axatome be kawo magabebe wò o.” Yeremia wɔe nenema.
Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,
13 Eye wohee kple ka do goe le vudo la me. Ale Yeremia tsi dzɔlawo ƒe xɔxɔnu.
and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
14 Tete Fia Zedekia dɔ amewo ɖa be woayɔ Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia vɛ eye wòna wokplɔe yi ɖe Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ la ƒe agbo etɔ̃lia nu. Fia la gblɔ nɛ be, “Mele nya aɖe bia ge wò; mègaɣla naneke ɖem o.”
Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”
15 Yeremia gblɔ na Zedekia be, “Ne mena ŋuɖoɖo wò la, màwum oa? Ne meɖo aɖaŋu na wò gɔ̃ hã la, màɖo tom o.”
“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
16 Ke Fia Zedekia ka atam sia na Yeremia le bebeme be, “Meta Yehowa, ame si na agbegbɔgbɔ mí la ƒe agbe be, nyemawu wò loo, alo atsɔ wò ade asi na ame siwo le wò ku dim la o.”
But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”
17 Tete Yeremia gblɔ na Zedekia be, “Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Mawu, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Ne ètsɔ ɖokuiwò de asi na Babilonia fia ƒe amegãwo la, àɖe wò agbe eye womatɔ dzo du sia hã o, ale wò ŋutɔ kple wò ƒometɔwo siaa miatsi agbe.
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
18 Ke ne ègbe be yematsɔ ɖokuiwò ade asi na Babilonia fia ƒe amegãwo o la, woatsɔ du sia ade asi na Babiloniatɔwo woatɔ dzoe keŋkeŋ eye wò ŋutɔ hã màdo le woƒe asi me o.’”
But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”
19 Fia Zedekia gblɔ na Yeremia be, “Mele vɔvɔ̃m na Yudatɔ siwo si yi ɖe Babiloniatɔwo gbɔ, elabena Babiloniatɔwo ate ŋu atsɔm ade asi na wo eye woawɔ fum.”
But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”
20 Yeremia ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Womatsɔ wò ade asi na wo o. Ɖo to Yehowa, nàwɔ nu si megblɔ na wò, ekema eme anyo na wò eye àɖe wò agbe.
“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.
21 Ke ne ègbe, mèna ta o la, nu si Yehowa ɖe fiam lae nye esi:
But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
22 ‘Woakplɔ nyɔnu siwo katã susɔ ɖe Yuda fia ƒe fiasã me la vɛ na Babiloniatɔwo ƒe amegãwo. Nyɔnuawo agblɔ na wò be: “‘Xɔ̃wò siwo dzi nèka ɖo la kplɔ wò trae, eye woɖu dziwò. Wò afɔ ɖo ba, eye xɔ̃wòwo kaka le ŋuwò.’
All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’
23 “Woakplɔ srɔ̃wòwo katã kple viwòwo ayi na Babiloniatɔwo, wò ŋutɔ màsi le wo ƒe asi me o, ke boŋ Babilonia fia alé wò eye wòatɔ dzo du sia keŋkeŋ.”
All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”
24 Tete Zedekia gblɔ na Yeremia be, “Mègana ame aɖeke nanya nu le dzeɖoɖo si yi edzi le mía dome la ŋuti o, ne menye nenema o la, àku.
Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.
25 Ne adzɔ be dumegãwo ase be meƒo nu kpli wò, eye woava gbɔwò agblɔ be: ‘Gblɔ nu si nègblɔ na fia la kple ale si fia la ɖo eŋui na wò la na mí, mègaɣla ɖeke ɖe mí o, ne menye nenema o la, àku’ la,
If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’
26 ekema gblɔ na wo be, ‘Ɖeko mele kuku ɖem na fia la be megatrɔm ɖo ɖe Yonatan ƒe aƒe me, ne maku ɖe afi ma o.’”
then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
27 Kasia, dumegãwo katã va ƒo kɔ ɖe Yeremia ŋu hebia gbee tso gododo la ŋu eye wògblɔ nu si fia la de se nɛ be wòagblɔ la na wo. Ale womegabia nya aɖekee o, elabena ame aɖeke mese dzeɖoɖo si yi dzi le wo kple fia la dome o.
When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.
28 Ale Yeremia tsi dzɔlawo ƒe xɔxɔnu va se ɖe esime woxɔ Yerusalem du la. Yerusalem du la xɔxɔ yi ale:
And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
