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,

Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

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.’

Thus saith Yhwh, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

3 Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye si, ‘Woatsɔ du sia ade asi na Babilonia fia ƒe aʋakɔ kokoko eye woaxɔe.’”

Thus saith Yhwh, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take 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.”

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

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.”

Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against 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.

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

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 when Ebed–melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

8 Ebed Melek tso le fiasã la me yi ɖe egbɔ eye wògblɔ nɛ bena,

Ebed–melech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,

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 done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: 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.”

Then the king commanded Ebed–melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

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.

So Ebed–melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

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.

And Ebed–melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 Eye wohee kple ka do goe le vudo la me. Ale Yeremia tsi dzɔlawo ƒe xɔxɔnu.

So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

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 Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of Yhwh: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing 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.”

Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto 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.”

So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As Yhwh liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy 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 said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith Yhwh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

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 thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

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.”

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock 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.

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Yhwh, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

21 Ke ne ègbe, mèna ta o la, nu si Yehowa ɖe fiam lae nye esi:

But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that Yhwh hath shewed 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.’

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

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.”

So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

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 said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not 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,

But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

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 thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, 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.

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

28 Ale Yeremia tsi dzɔlawo ƒe xɔxɔnu va se ɖe esime woxɔ Yerusalem du la. Yerusalem du la xɔxɔ yi ale:

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.