Jeremiæ 22
1 Hæc dicit Dominus: Descende in domum regis Iuda, et loqueris ibi verbum hoc,
This is what the Lord says: Go to the palace of the king of Judah and give this message.
2 et dices: Audi verbum Domini rex Iuda, qui sedes super solium David: tu et servi tui, et populus tuus, qui ingredimini per portas istas.
Tell them: Listen to what the Lord has to say to you, king of Judah, sitting on the throne of David, you and your officials and the people here with you.
3 Hæc dicit Dominus: Facite iudicium et iustitiam, et liberate vi oppressum de manu calumniatoris: et advenam, et pupillum, et viduam nolite contristare, neque opprimatis inique: et sanguinem innocentem ne effundatis in loco isto.
This is what the Lord says: Do what is fair and right. Protect those who are being unjustly treated by corrupt people. Don't do anything wrong to foreigners, orphans, or the widows. Don't use violence against them. Don't kill innocent people.
4 Si enim facientes feceritis verbum istud: ingredientur per portas domus huius reges sedentes de genere David super thronum eius, et ascendentes currus et equos, ipsi et servi, et populus eorum.
If you will honestly do what I tell you, then kings who sit on David's throne will ride on chariots and horses with their officials through the gates of this palace. They'll be accompanied by the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.
5 Quod si non audieritis verba hæc: in memetipso iuravi, dicit Dominus, quia in solitudinem erit domus hæc.
But if you refuse to obey what I say, then I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this palace will be turned into rubble.
6 Quia hæc dicit Dominus super domum regis Iuda: Galaad tu mihi caput Libani: si non posuero te solitudinem, urbes inhabitabiles.
This is what the Lord says about the royal family of the king of Judah: You are as dear to me as the forests on Gilead and on the mountains of Lebanon. But I will turn you into a desert, into towns where no one lives.
7 Et sanctificabo super te interficientem virum et arma eius: et succident electas cedros tuas, et præcipitabunt in ignem.
I will choose men to come and destroy you, each with their own ax. They will chop down your fine cedars and throw them in the fire.
8 Et pertransibunt gentes multæ per civitatem hanc: et dicet unusquisque proximo suo: Quare fecit Dominus sic civitati huic grandi?
Foreigners from many nations will pass by this city and ask each another, “Why has the Lord done such terrible things to this great city?”
9 Et respondebunt: Eo quod dereliquerint pactum Domini Dei sui, et adoraverint deos alienos, et servierint eis.
People will answer, “Because they broke the agreement of the Lord their God. They went and worshiped other gods.”
10 Nolite flere mortuum, neque lugeatis super eum fletu: plangite eum, qui egreditur, quia non revertetur ultra, nec videbit terram nativitatis suæ.
Don't weep over the king that died. Don't mourn for him. Instead weep for the king who is exiled, who will never return, who will never see his homeland again.
11 Quia hæc dicit Dominus ad Sellum filium Iosiæ regem Iuda, qui regnavit pro Iosia patre suo, qui egressus est de loco isto: Non revertetur huc amplius:
This is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz of Josiah, king of Judah. He succeeded his father Josiah but was taken away. He will never return.
12 sed in loco, ad quem transtuli eum, ibi morietur, et terram istam non videbit amplius.
He will die in exile; he will never see this country again.
13 Væ qui ædificat domum suam in iniustitia, et cœnacula sua non in iudicio: amicum suum opprimet frustra, et mercedem eius non reddet ei.
Trouble is coming to Jehoiakim because he mistreats others in building his palace, by dealing unfairly with those constructing the upper floors. He makes his own people work for nothing—he doesn't pay them any wages.
14 Qui dicit: Ædificabo mihi domum latam, et cœnacula spatiosa: qui aperit sibi fenestras, et facit laquearia cedrina, pingitque sinopide.
He says to himself, “I'm going to build myself a great palace, with large upper rooms.” He has windows inserted, puts in cedar panels, and paints it bright red with vermilion.
15 Numquid regnabis, quoniam confers te cedro? Pater tuus numquid non comedit et bibit, et fecit iudicium et iustitiam tunc cum bene erat ei?
Does it make you a king just because you have more cedar than anyone else? Your father had food and drink, didn't he? He ruled fairly and honestly, and he had a good life because of this.
16 Iudicavit causam pauperis et egeni in bonum suum: numquid non ideo quia cognovit me, dicit Dominus?
He defended the poor and those in need, and so things went well. Isn't this what knowing me really means? declares the Lord.
17 Tui vero oculi et cor ad avaritiam, et ad sanguinem innocentem fundendum, et ad calumniam, et ad cursum mali operis.
But all you're looking for, all you think about, is getting whatever you want, however dishonestly. You kill the innocent, you violently mistreat and exploit your people.
18 Propterea hæc dicit Dominus ad Ioakim filium Iosiæ regem Iuda: Non plangent eum: Væ frater et væ soror: non concrepabunt ei: Væ domine, et væ inclyte.
So this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: They won't mourn for him, saying: “How sad, my brother! How sad my sister!” They won't mourn for him, saying: “How sad, my lord! How sad, his majesty!”
19 Sepultura asini sepelietur, putrefactus et proiectus extra portas Ierusalem.
His burial will be that of a donkey. He'll be dragged off and thrown away outside the gates of Jerusalem.
20 Ascende Libanum, et clama: et in Basan da vocem tuam, et clama ad transeuntes, quia contriti sunt omnes amatores tui.
Go to Lebanon and cry for help! Shout in Bashan! Scream from Abarim! For all your lovers have been destroyed.
21 Locutus sum ad te in abundantia tua; et dixisti: Non audiam: hæc est via tua ab adolescentia tua, quia non audisti vocem meam:
I warned you when you thought you were safe and sound. But you replied, “I'm not going to listen!” That's been your attitude since you were young—you never did what I told you.
22 Omnes pastores tuos pascet ventus, et amatores tui in captivitatem ibunt: et tunc confunderis, et erubesces ab omni malitia tua.
The wind will blow away all your “shepherds,” and your lovers will go into exile. Then you will be shamed and disgraced because of all the evil things you've done.
23 Quæ sedes in Libano, et nidificas in cedris, quomodo congemuisti cum venissent tibi dolores, quasi dolores parturientis?
You who live in “Lebanon” in your cedar nest, how much you're going to groan when agonizing pains hit you like a woman in labor.
24 Vivo ego, dicit Dominus: quia si fuerit Iechonias filius Ioakim regis Iuda, annulus in manu dextera mea, inde evellam eum.
The Lord said to Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah: As I live, declares the Lord, even if you were a signet ring on a finger of my right hand, I would pull you off.
25 Et dabo te in manu quærentium animam tuam, et in manu quorum tu formidas faciem, et in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis, et in manu Chaldæorum.
I'm going to hand you over to those who terrify you and who want to kill you, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and the Babylonians.
26 Et mittam te, et matrem tuam, quæ genuit te, in terram alienam, in qua nati non estis, ibique moriemini:
I'm going to throw you out—you and the mother who gave birth to you—sending you to another country. Neither of you were born there, but both of you will die there.
27 et in terram, ad quam ipsi levant animam suam ut revertantur illuc: non revertentur.
You won't ever return to the country you love so much.
28 Numquid vas fictile atque contritum vir iste Iechonias? Numquid vas absque omni voluptate? Quare abiecti sunt ipse et semen eius, et proiecti in terram, quam ignoraverunt?
Who is this man Jehoiachin? A broken pot that's been thrown away, something nobody wants? Why has he and his children been thrown out, exiled in an unfamiliar country?
29 Terra, terra, terra, audi sermonem Domini.
My country, my country, my country! Listen to what the Lord has to say!
30 Hæc dicit Dominus: Scribe virum istum sterilem, virum, qui in diebus suis non prosperabitur: nec enim erit de semine eius vir, qui sedeat super solium David, et potestatem habeat ultra in Iuda.
This is what the Lord says: Put this man down as having no children. He's a man who won't ever be successful in his whole life. None of his children will ever be successful either. None of them will sit on David's throne or be king in Judah.
