Jeremiæ 38

1 Audivit autem Saphatias filius Mathan, et Gedelias filius Phassur, et Juchal filius Selemiæ, et Phassur filius Melchiæ, sermones quos Jeremias loquebatur ad omnem populum, dicens:

Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,

2 Hæc dicit Dominus: Quicumque manserit in civitate hac, morietur gladio, et fame, et peste: qui autem profugerit ad Chaldæos, vivet, et erit anima ejus sospes et vivens.

“The LORD says, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live. He will escape with his life and he will live.’

3 Hæc dicit Dominus: Tradendo tradetur civitas hæc in manu exercitus regis Babylonis, et capiet eam.

The LORD says, ‘This city will surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.’”

4 Et dixerunt principes regi: Rogamus ut occidatur homo iste: de industria enim dissolvit manus virorum bellantium qui remanserunt in civitate hac, et manus universi populi, loquens ad eos juxta verba hæc: siquidem homo iste non quærit pacem populo huic, sed malum.

Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death, because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them; for this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”

5 Et dixit rex Sedecias: Ecce ipse in manibus vestris est: nec enim fas est regem vobis quidquam negare.

Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king cannot do anything to oppose you.”

6 Tulerunt ergo Jeremiam, et projecerunt eum in lacum Melchiæ filii Amelech, qui erat in vestibulo carceris: et submiserunt Jeremiam funibus in lacum, in quo non erat aqua, sed lutum: descendit itaque Jeremias in cœnum.

Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

7 Audivit autem Abdemelech Æthiops, vir eunuchus, qui erat in domo regis, quod misissent Jeremiam in lacum. Porro rex sedebat in porta Benjamin:

Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate),

8 et egressus est Abdemelech de domo regis, et locutus est ad regem, dicens:

Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,

9 Domine mi rex, male fecerunt viri isti omnia quæcumque perpetrarunt contra Jeremiam prophetam, mittentes eum in lacum, ut moriatur ibi fame: non sunt enim panes ultra in civitate.

“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. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 Præcepit itaque rex Abdemelech Æthiopi, dicens: Tolle tecum hinc triginta viros, et leva Jeremiam prophetam de lacu, antequam moriatur.

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”

11 Assumptis ergo Abdemelech secum viris, ingressus est domum regis, quæ erat sub cellario, et tulit inde veteres pannos, et antiqua quæ computruerant, et submisit ea ad Jeremiam in lacum per funiculos.

So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12 Dixitque Abdemelech Æthiops ad Jeremiam: Pone veteres pannos, et hæc scissa et putrida, sub cubito manuum tuarum, et super funes. Fecit ergo Jeremias sic,

Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so.

13 et extraxerunt Jeremiam funibus, et eduxerunt eum de lacu: mansit autem Jeremias in vestibulo carceris.

So they lifted Jeremiah up with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

14 Et misit rex Sedecias, et tulit ad se Jeremiam prophetam ad ostium tertium quod erat in domo Domini: et dixit rex ad Jeremiam: Interrogo ego te sermonem, ne abscondas a me aliquid.

Then Zedekiah the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to himself into the third entry that is in the LORD’s house. Then the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me.”

15 Dixit autem Jeremias ad Sedeciam: Si annuntiavero tibi, numquid non interficies me? et si consilium dedero tibi, non me audies.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? If I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”

16 Juravit ergo rex Sedecias Jeremiæ clam, dicens: Vivit Dominus, qui fecit nobis animam hanc, si occidero te, et si tradidero te in manus virorum istorum qui quærunt animam tuam.

So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”

17 Et dixit Jeremias ad Sedeciam: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israël: Si profectus exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, vivet anima tua, et civitas hæc non succendetur igni: et salvus eris tu, et domus tua.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. You will live, along with your house.

18 Si autem non exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, tradetur civitas hæc in manus Chaldæorum, et succendent eam igni: et tu non effugies de manu eorum.

But if you will not go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape out of their hand.’”

19 Et dixit rex Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Sollicitus sum propter Judæos qui transfugerunt ad Chaldæos, ne forte tradar in manus eorum, et illudant mihi.

Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.”

20 Respondit autem Jeremias: Non te tradent. Audi, quæso, vocem Domini, quam ego loquor ad te, et bene tibi erit, et vivet anima tua.

But Jeremiah said, “They will not deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the LORD’s voice, in that which I speak to you; so it will be well with you, and your soul will live.

21 Quod si nolueris egredi, iste est sermo quem ostendit mihi Dominus:

But if you refuse to go out, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

22 ecce omnes mulieres quæ remanserunt in domo regis Juda educentur ad principes regis Babylonis, et ipsæ dicent: Seduxerunt te, et prævaluerunt adversum te, viri pacifici tui: demerserunt in cœno et in lubrico pedes tuos, et recesserunt a te.

‘Behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah’s house will be brought out to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women will say, “Your familiar friends have turned on you, and have prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mire, they have turned away from you.”

23 Et omnes uxores tuæ et filii tui educentur ad Chaldæos: et non effugies manus eorum, sed in manu regis Babylonis capieris, et civitatem hanc comburet igni.

They will bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans. You will not escape out of their hand, but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burned with fire.’”

24 Dixit ergo Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Nullus sciat verba hæc, et non morieris.

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know of these words, and you will not die.

25 Si autem audierint principes quia locutus sum tecum, et venerint ad te, et dixerint tibi: Indica nobis quid locutus sis cum rege: ne celes nos, et non te interficiemus: et quid locutus est tecum rex:

But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, ‘Declare to us now what you have said to the king; do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also tell us what the king said to you;’

26 dices ad eos: Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci juberet in domum Jonathan, et ibi morerer.

then you shall tell them, ‘I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.’”

27 Venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Jeremiam, et interrogaverunt eum, et locutus est eis juxta omnia verba quæ præceperat ei rex: et cessaverunt ab eo: nihil enim fuerat auditum.

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

28 Mansit vero Jeremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem quo capta est Jerusalem: et factum est ut caperetur Jerusalem.

So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.