Jeremiæ 21

1 Verbum, quod factum est ad Ieremiam a Domino, quando misit ad eum rex Sedechias Phassur filium Melchiae, et Sophoniam filium Maasiae sacerdotem, dicens:

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,

2 Interroga pro nobis Dominum, quia Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis praeliatur adversum nos: si forte faciat Dominus nobiscum secundum omnia mirabilia sua, et recedat a nobis.

“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”

3 Et dixit Ieremias ad eos: Sic dicetis Sedechiae:

But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that

4 Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Ecce ego convertam vasa belli, quae in manibus vestris sunt, et quibus vos pugnatis adversum regem Babylonis, et Chaldaeos, qui obsident vos in circuitu murorum: et congregabo ea in medio civitatis huius.

this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.

5 Et debellabo ego vos in manu extenta, et in brachio forti, et in furore, et in indignatione, et in ira grandi.

And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.

6 Et percutiam habitatores civitatis huius, homines et bestiae pestilentia magna morientur.

I will strike down the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a terrible plague.’

7 Et post haec ait Dominus: dabo Sedechiam regem Iuda, et servos eius, et populum eius, et qui derelicti sunt in civitate hac a peste et gladio, et fame, in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis, et in manu inimicorum eorum, et in manu quaerentium animam eorum, et percutiet eos in ore gladii, et non flectetur, neque parcet, nec miserebitur.

‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’

8 Et ad populum hunc dices: Haec dicit Dominus: Ecce ego do coram vobis viam vitae, et viam mortis.

Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

9 Qui habitaverit in urbe hac, morietur gladio, et fame, et peste: qui autem egressus fuerit, et transfugerit ad Chaldaeos, qui obsident vos, vivet, et erit ei anima sua, quasi spolium.

Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.

10 Posui enim faciem meam super civitatem hanc in malum, et non in bonum, ait Dominus: in manu regis Babylonis dabitur, et exuret eam igni.

For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’

11 Et domui regis Iuda: Audite verba Domini,

Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD.

12 domus David, haec dicit Dominus: Iudicate mane iudicium, et eruite vi oppressum de manu calumniantis: ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat propter malitiam studiorum vestrorum.

O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.

13 Ecce ego ad te habitatricem vallis solidae atque campestris, ait Dominus: qui dicitis: Quis percutiet nos? et quis ingredietur domos nostras?

Behold, I am against you who dwell above the valley, atop the rocky plateau— declares the LORD— you who say, “Who can come against us? Who can enter our dwellings?”

14 Et visitabo super vos iuxta fructum studiorum vestrorum, dicit Dominus: et succendam ignem in saltu eius: et devorabit omnia in circuitu eius.

I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forest that will consume everything around you.’”