Yeremia 38
1 TUHAN menyuruh aku menyampaikan pesan ini kepada rakyat, "Kota ini akan Kuberikan kepada tentara Babel, dan mereka akan mengalahkannya. Barangsiapa tinggal di dalam kota akan tewas dalam peperangan, atau karena kelaparan atau wabah penyakit. Tapi barangsiapa keluar dan menyerahkan diri kepada orang Babel, tidak akan dibunuh; nyawanya akan selamat." Sefaca anak Matan, Gedalya anak Pasyhur, Yukhal anak Selemya, dan Pasyhur anak Malkia mendengar semua yang Kukatakan itu.
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:
“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.
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.”
4 Maka pergilah para pejabat itu kepada raja dan berkata, "Orang ini harus dihukum mati. Sebab, dengan berkata begitu ia melemahkan semangat semua prajurit dan orang lain yang masih tinggal di kota ini. Ia tidak menolong rakyat, melainkan mencelakakan mereka."
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.”
5 Raja Zedekia menjawab, "Baik! Perlakukanlah dia sesuai dengan kehendakmu, aku tidak dapat mencegah kamu."
And king Zedekiah said: “Behold, he is in your hands. For it is not fitting for the king to deny you anything.”
6 Lalu mereka mengambil aku dan menurunkan aku dengan tali ke dalam sumur milik Malkia putra raja, yang terletak di pelataran istana. Tidak ada air di dalam sumur itu, hanya lumpur, dan aku masuk ke dalam lumpur itu.
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.
7 Pada waktu itu ada seorang Sudan yang bekerja di istana raja. Namanya Ebed-Melekh. Ia mendengar bahwa aku telah dimasukkan ke dalam sumur itu. Ketika raja sedang memimpin rapat di Pintu Gerbang Benyamin,
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.
8 Ebed-Melekh pergi ke sana dan berkata kepada raja,
And so Ebedmelech departed from the king’s house, and he spoke to the king, saying:
9 "Paduka Yang Mulia, perbuatan orang-orang itu tidak baik. Mereka telah memasukkan Nabi Yeremia ke dalam sumur; ia pasti akan mati kelaparan di situ, sebab makanan sudah habis di kota ini."
“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.”
10 Lalu raja memerintahkan Ebed-Melekh, "Bawalah tiga orang dan keluarkanlah Yeremia dari sumur itu sebelum ia mati."
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.”
11 Maka pergilah Ebed-Melekh dengan ketiga orang itu ke gudang istana, dan mengambil kain-kain tua dari situ, lalu menurunkannya dengan tali kepadaku di dalam sumur.
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.
12 Ebed-Melekh menyuruh aku menaruh kain-kain itu di bawah ketiakku sebagai ganjalan, supaya tali itu tidak menyakiti aku. Maka aku menuruti perintah Ebed-Melekh.
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.
13 Lalu mereka menarik aku ke atas, keluar dari sumur itu. Setelah itu aku ditahan di pelataran istana itu.
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.
14 Pada suatu waktu yang lain, Raja Zedekia menyuruh orang membawa aku menghadap dia di pintu gerbang yang ketiga pada Rumah TUHAN. Ia berkata kepadaku, "Aku mau bertanya kepadamu, dan kau harus menjawab dengan terus terang. Jangan sembunyikan apa-apa."
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.”
15 Aku menjawab, "Kalau aku mengatakan yang benar, pasti Baginda akan menjatuhkan hukuman mati kepadaku; dan kalau aku memberi nasihat, Baginda tidak akan mau menuruti nasihat itu."
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.”
16 Raja Zedekia dengan diam-diam berjanji kepadaku, katanya, "Demi Allah yang hidup, Allah yang memberi hidup kepada kita, aku bersumpah bahwa aku tidak akan membunuh engkau atau menyerahkan engkau kepada orang-orang yang mau membunuhmu."
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.”
17 Lalu aku mengatakan kepada Zedekia bahwa TUHAN Yang Mahakuasa, Allah yang disembah oleh orang Israel, berkata begini, "Jika engkau menyerah kepada pejabat-pejabat raja Babel, engkau tidak akan dibunuh, dan kota ini pun tidak akan dibakar. Engkau dan keluargamu akan selamat.
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.
18 Tapi kalau engkau tidak mau menyerah, kota ini akan jatuh ke dalam tangan orang Babel. Mereka akan membakarnya sampai habis, dan engkau tidak akan luput."
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.”
19 Raja menjawab, "Aku takut kepada orang-orang bangsa kita yang sudah lari ke pihak orang Babel. Jangan-jangan aku akan diserahkan kepada mereka dan disiksa."
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.”
20 "Tidak," jawabku, "Baginda tidak akan diserahkan kepada mereka. Aku mohon dengan sangat supaya Baginda menuruti pesan TUHAN; nanti semuanya akan beres, dan Baginda tidak akan dibunuh.
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.
21 Tapi apabila Baginda tidak mau menyerahkan diri, TUHAN sudah memperlihatkan kepadaku apa yang akan terjadi.
But if you refuse to depart, this is the word that the Lord has revealed to me:
22 Dalam penglihatan itu aku melihat semua wanita yang masih ada di istana Yehuda digiring keluar kepada pejabat-pejabat raja Babel. Sambil berjalan, mereka berkata, 'Raja telah diperdaya oleh sahabat-sahabat karibnya, dan dikuasai oleh mereka. Kini, setelah kakinya terperosok ke dalam lumpur, mereka semua undur.'"
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.’
23 Aku berkata lagi, "Semua anak istri Baginda akan dibawa keluar kepada orang Babel. Baginda sendiri pun tidak akan luput dari mereka. Baginda akan ditangkap oleh raja Babel, dan kota ini dibakar habis."
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.”
24 Lalu Zedekia berkata, "Jangan beritahukan kepada siapa pun tentang percakapan kita ini, supaya nyawamu tidak terancam.
Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: “Let no one know of these words, and you will not die.
25 Apabila para pejabat mendengar bahwa aku telah berbicara dengan engkau, mereka akan datang dan bertanya kepadamu tentang pembicaraan kita. Mereka akan berjanji untuk tidak membunuh engkau, kalau engkau menceritakan semuanya kepada mereka.
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,’
26 Katakan saja bahwa engkau membujuk aku supaya aku tidak mengirim engkau kembali ke penjara dan mati di sana."
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.’”
27 Tak lama kemudian semua pejabat itu datang dan bertanya-tanya kepadaku. Aku memberitahukan kepada mereka tepat seperti yang diperintahkan raja kepadaku. Dengan demikian mereka tak dapat berbuat apa-apa sebab tak ada seorang pun yang mengetahui pembicaraan raja dengan aku.
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.
28 Aku tetap ditahan di pelataran istana sampai pada hari Yerusalem direbut musuh.
Yet truly, Jeremiah remained at the entrance of the prison, until the day when Jerusalem was seized. And it happened that Jerusalem was captured.
