Jeremiæ 38

1 Audivit autem Saphatias filius Mathan, et Gedelias filius Phassur, et Iuchal filius Selemiae, et Phassur filius Melchiae, sermones, quos Ieremias loquebatur ad omnem populum, dicens:

Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words that Jeremias spoke to all the people, saying:

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

Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shell remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live.

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

Thus saith the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall 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 iuxta verba haec: siquidem homo iste non quaerit pacem populo huic, sed malum.

And the princes said to the king: We beseech thee that this man may be put to death: for on purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil.

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

And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing.

6 Tulerunt ergo Ieremiam, et proiecerunt eum in lacum Melchiae filii Amelech, qui erat in vestibulo carceris: et submiserunt Ieremiam funibus in lacum, in quo non erat aqua, sed lutum: descendit itaque Ieremias in coenum.

Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water, but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.

7 Audivit autem Abdemelech Aethiops vir eunuchus, qui erat in domo regis quod misissent Ieremiam in lacum: porro rex sedebat in porta Beniamin.

Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremias in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.

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

And Abdemelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying:

9 Domine mi rex, male fecerunt viri isti omnia quaecumque perpetrarunt contra Ieremiam 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 against Jeremias the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.

10 Praecepit itaque rex Abdemelech Aethiopi, dicens: Tolle tecum hinc triginta viros, et leva Ieremiam prophetam de lacu antequam moriatur.

Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremias the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

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

So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king’s house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremias into the dungeon.

12 Dixitque Abdemelech Aethiops ad Ieremiam: Pone veteres pannos, et haec scissa et putrida sub cubito manuum tuarum: et super funes: fecit ergo Ieremias sic:

And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremias: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremias did so.

13 Et extraxerunt Ieremiam funibus, et eduxerunt eum de lacu: mansit autem Ieremias in vestibulo carceris.

And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.

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

And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremias the prophet to him to the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremias: I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me.

15 Dixit autem Ieremias ad Sedechias: Si annunciavero tibi, numquid non interficies me? et si consilium dedero tibi, non me audies.

Then Jeremias said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to thee, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.

16 Iuravit ergo rex Sedechias Ieremiae clam, dicens: Vivit Dominus, qui fecit nobis animam hanc, si occidero te, et si tradidero te in manus virorum istorum, qui quaerunt animam tuam.

Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremias, in private, saying: As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.

17 Et dixit Ieremias ad Sedechias: Haec dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israel: Si profectus exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, vivet anima tua, et civitas haec non succendetur igne: et salvus eris tu, et domus tua.

And Jeremias said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If thou wilt take a resolution and go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thy house.

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

But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.

19 Et dixit rex Sedechias ad Ieremiam: Solicitus sum propter Iudaeos, qui transfugerunt ad Chaldaeos: ne forte tradar in manus eorum, et illudant mihi.

And king Sedecias said to Jeremias: I am afraid because of the Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered into their hands, and they should abuse me.

20 Respondit autem Ieremias: Non te tradent. audi quaeso vocem Domini, quam ego loquor ad te, et bene tibi erit, et vivet anima tua.

But Jeremias answered: They shall not deliver thee: hearken, I beseech thee, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to thee, and it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

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

But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord hath shewn me:

22 Ecce omnes mulieres, quae remanserunt in domo regis Iuda, educentur ad principes regis Babylonis: et ipsae dicent: Seduxerunt te, et praevaluerunt adversum te viri pacifici tui, demerserunt in coeno, et in lubrico pedes tuos, et recesserunt a te.

Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Thy men of peace have deceived thee, and have prevailed against thee, they have plunged thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery place, and they have departed from thee.

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

And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.

24 Dixit ergo Sedechias ad Ieremiam: Nullus sciat verba haec, et non morieris.

Then Sedecias said to Jeremias: Let no man know these words, and thou shalt 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 shall hear that I have spoken with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what thou hast said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill thee: and also what the king said to thee:

26 Dices ad eos: Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci iuberet in domum Ionathan, et ibi morerer.

Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.

27 Venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Ieremiam, et interrogaverunt eum: et locutus est eis iuxta omnia verba, quae praeceperat ei rex, et cessaverunt ab eo: nihil enim fuerat auditum.

So all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard.

28 Mansit vero Ieremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem, quo capta est Ierusalem: et factum est ut caperetur Ierusalem.

But Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.