Jeremia 38

1 Ary Safatia, zanak’ i Matana, sy Gedalia, zanak’ i Pasora, sy Jokala, zanak’ i Semelia, ary Pasora, zanak’ i Malkia, dia nandre ny teny izay efa nolazain’ i Jeremia tamin’ ny vahoaka rehetra nanao hoe:

[Four officials, ] Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malkijah, heard what I had been telling all the people.

2 Izao no lazain’ i Jehovah: Izay mitoetra amin’ ity tanàna ity dia ho fatin-tsabatra sy mosary ary areti-mandringana; fa izay mivoaka hanatona ny Kaldeana kosa no ho velona; fa ny ainy no ho babony, ka ho velona izy.

[I had been telling them] that Yahweh was saying, “Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die. They will be killed by [their enemies’] swords or from famines or from diseases. But those who surrender to the Babylonian army, they will be spared. They will not be killed.

3 Izao no lazain’ i Jehovah: Ity tanàna ity dia hatolotra eo an-tànan’ ny miaramilan’ ny mpanjakan’ i Babylona tokoa ka ho afany.

Yahweh also says that the army of the King of Babylon will certainly capture this city [DOU].”

4 Dia hoy ny mpanapaka tamin’ ny mpanjaka: Trarantitra ianao, aoka hovonoina ity lehilahy ity; fa mampiraviravy tanana ny miaramila izay sisa amin’ ity tanàna ity mbamin’ ny olona rehetra izy noho ny nitenenany taminy araka izany teny izany; fa ity lehilahy ity tsy mba mitady izay hiadanan’ ity firenena ity, fa izay hahatonga loza aminy kosa.

So those officials [went] to the king and said, “This man [Jeremiah] should be executed! Because of what he is saying, he is discouraging our soldiers who remain in the city. He is also discouraging the people. He is not saying things that will help us; he is saying things that will defeat us.”

5 Dia hoy Zedekia mpanjaka: Indro, eo an-tananareo izy; fa ny mpanjaka tsy mahefa na inona na inona hisakana anareo.

King Zedekiah said, “All right, do to him what you want to; I do not have the power to stop you.”

6 Ary naka an’ i Jeremia izy ka nandatsaka azy tao amin’ ny lavaka famorian-dranon’ i Malkia, zanak’ andriana, izay tao amin’ ny kianjan’ ny trano fiambenana; ary nampidininy tamin’ ny mahazaka Jeremia. Ary tsy nisy rano tao amin’ ny lavaka, fa fotaka fotsiny ihany, ka dia nilentika tamin’ ny fotaka Jeremia.

So those officials took me from my cell and lowered me by ropes into a well in the courtyard. The well belonged to Malkijah, who was a son of the king. There was no water in the well, but there was [a lot of] mud, so I sank [down deep] into the mud.

7 Ary Ebeda-meleka Etiopiana, tandapa anankiray tao amin’ ny tranon’ ny mpanjaka, raha nandre ny nandatsahany an’ i Jeremia tao amin’ ny lavaka (nipetraka teo amin’ ny vavahadin’ ny Benjamina ny mpanjaka androtr’ iny),

But Ebed-Melech, a palace official from Ethiopia, heard [someone say] that I was in the well. [At that time] the king was deciding/judging people’s cases at the Benjamin Gate.

8 dia nivoaka avy tao an-tranon’ ny mpanjaka izy ka nanao tamin’ ny mpanjaka hoe:

Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to the king,

9 Ry tompokolahy mpanjaka, ratsy avokoa izay rehetra nataon’ ity firenena ity tamin’ i Jeremia mpaminany, fa nataony tao an-davaka izy ka ho faty mosary ao amin’ izay itoerany, satria tsy misy mofo intsony ato an-tanàna.

“Your majesty, those men have done a very evil thing. They have put the prophet Jeremiah in a well. [Almost] all the food in the city is gone, [so they will not be able to bring him any food] and as a result he will die from hunger!”

10 Ary ny mpanjaka nandidy an’ i Ebeda-meleta Etiopiana hoe: Mitondrà telo-polo lahy hiaraka aminao hampakatra an’ i Jeremia mpaminany hiala ao anaty lavaka, dieny tsy mbola maty izy.

So the king told Ebed-Melech, “Take thirty of my men/soldiers with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the well, in order that he does not die!”

11 Ary Ebeda-meleka nitondra ny olona niaraka taminy, ka dia lasa nankany amin’ ny tranon’ ny mpanjaka eo ambanin’ ny trano firaketana, ary naka lamba rovitra sy vorodamba tao izy, ka nampidininy tamin’ ny mahazaka ho ao amin’ ny lavaka izany ho ao amin’ i Jeremia.

So Ebed-Melech took thirty men with him and they went into a room in the palace below the room where they stored very valuable things. There they found some old rags and discarded clothing. They took those things and went to the well. They fastened them to a rope and lowered the rope to me.

12 Dia hoy Ebeda-meleka Etiopiana tamin’ i Jeremia: Ataovy eo ambanin’ ny helikao ireto lamba rovitra sy vorodamba ireto ho efitry ny mahazaka, dia nataon’ i Jeremia izany;

Then Ebed-Melech called down to me, “Put these rags underneath your armpits, to protect you from [being injured by] the ropes!” So I did that.

13 ka dia nosintoniny tamin’ ny mahazaka Jeremia ka nakariny avy tao anaty lavaka, ary dia nitoetra teo amin’ ny kianjan’ ny trano fiambenana izy.

Then they pulled me out of the well. I [returned] to the courtyard where the palace guards stayed, and I stayed there.

14 Ary Zedekia mpanjaka naniraka naka an’ i Jeremia mpaminany hankao aminy tao amin’ ny fidirana fahatelo, izay ao an-tranon’ i Jehovah. Dia hoy ny mpanjaka tamin’ i Jeremia: Hanontany zavatra kely aminao aho, ka aza anafenana.

[One day] King Zedekiah summoned me, and I was brought to the king, [who was waiting for me] at the entrance of the temple. He said to me, “I want to ask you something. I want you [to answer me truthfully, and] and to not conceal anything.”

15 Ary hoy Jeremia tamin’ i Zedekia: Raha ambarako anao, dia tsy hovonoinao tokoa va re aho? Fa na dia omeko saina aza ianao, dia tsy hihaino ahy tsinona.

I replied, “If I tell you [the truth], you will [command that I] be executed. And if I give you [good] advice, you will not pay attention to what I say.”

16 Ary Zedekia mpanjaka nianiana mangingina tamin’ i Jeremia nanao hoe: Raha velona koa Jehovah, Izay nanao izao fanahintsika izao, dia tsy hamono anao tokoa aho, na hanolotra anao eo an-tànan’ ireto olona mitady ny ainao ireto.

But King Zedekiah secretly promised me, “[Tell me the truth]! And as surely as Yahweh lives, I will not [cause] you to be executed, and I will not hand you over to those who are wanting to kill you.”

17 Dia hoy Jeremia tamin’ i Zedekia: Izao ary no lazain’ i Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny maro, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely: Raha mivoaka hanatona ny mpanapaky ny mpanjakan’ i Babylona tokoa ianao, dia ho velona ny ainao, sady tsy hodorana amin’ ny afo ity tanàna ity, fa ho velona ianao sy ny mpianakavinao;

[So] then I said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you and your family will (be spared/not be killed), and this city will not be burned.

18 fa raha tsy mivoaka hanatona ny mpanapaky ny mpanjakan’ i Babylona kosa ianao, dia hatolotra eo an-tànan’ ny Kaldeana ity tanàna ity, sady hodorany amin’ ny afo izy, ary tsy ho afa-mandositra ny tànany ianao.

But if you refuse to surrender to them, you will not escape. And the army from Babylonia will capture this city and completely burn it.’”

19 Ary hoy Zedekia mpanjaka tamin’ i Jeremia: Matahotra ny Jiosy izay efa nanatona ny Kaldeana aho, fandrao hatolony eo an-tànany aho ka hataony fihomehezana.

The king replied, “But I am afraid [to surrender to the soldiers from Babylon], because their officers may hand me over to the people of Judah who have already joined the soldiers from Babylonia, and those people from Judah will mistreat me.”

20 Fa hoy Jeremia: Tsy hanolotra anao izy tsy akory. Trarantitra ianao, ankatoavy ny tenin’ i Jehovah, izay lazaiko aminao, mba hahita soa ianao, ka ho velona ny ainao.

I replied, “If you obey Yahweh by doing what I tell you to do, they will not hand you over to our people. Things will go well for you, and you will remain alive.

21 Fa raha tsy mety mivoaka kosa ianao, dia izao no teny efa nasehon’ i Jehovah ahy:

But if you refuse to surrender, this is what Yahweh has revealed to me:

22 Indreo, ny vehivavy rehetra izay sisa ao an-tranon’ ny mpanjakan’ ny Joda dia ho entina mivoaka ho any amin’ ny mpanapaky ny mpanjakan’ i Babylona, ary ireo vehivavy ireo dia hanao hoe: Ireo sakaizanao no nitaona anao sady naharesy anao; Ary latsaka tao amin’ ny honahona ny tongotrao, dia nilaozany nihemotra ianao.

All the women who remain in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the king of Babylon. Then those women will say to you: ‘You had friends whom [you thought] you could trust, but they have deceived you and caused you to make a wrong decision. Now [it is as though] you are stuck in mud, and your friends have abandoned you.’

23 Ny vadinao rehetra sy ny zanakao dia ho entina mivoaka ho any amin’ ny Kaldeana; ary ianao tsy ho afa-mandositra ny tànany, fa ho azon’ ny tanan’ ny mpanjakan’ i Babylona; ary noho ianao no handoroana ity tanàna ity amin’ ny afo.

All of your wives and children [in the city] will be led out to the soldiers from Babylonia, and you also will not escape. [The soldiers of] the King of Babylon will seize you, and they will burn down this city.”

24 Dia hoy Zedekia tamin’ i Jeremia: Aoka tsy ho ren’ olona ary izany teny izany, mba tsy ho faty ianao.

Then Zedekiah said to me, “Do not tell anyone what you told me; if you tell anyone, my officials may kill you.

25 Fa raha ren’ ny mpanapaka fa niresaka taminao aho, ary tonga aminao izy ka manao aminao hoe: Ambarao aminay ankehitriny izay nolazainao tamin’ ny mpanjaka, aza afenina anay, fa tsy hamono anao izahay; ary ambarao koa izay nolazain’ ny mpanjaka taminao;

If my officials find out that I talked to you, perhaps they will come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you do not tell us, we will kill you.’

26 dia ataovy aminy hoe: Noborahina teo anatrehan’ ny mpanjaka ny fifonako, mba tsy hamerenany ahy ho faty any amin’ ny tranon’ i Jonatana.

If that happens, [just] tell them that you pleaded with me not to send you back to the [dungeon/cell in] Jonathan’s house, [because you were afraid that] you would die [if you were put there again].”

27 Ary nankany amin’ i Jeremia ny mpanapaka rehetra ka nanontany azy; dia nolazainy taminy araka izay teny rehetra nandidian’ ny mpanjaka azy. Ary tsy niresaka taminy intsony ireo, ka dia tsy re ny raharaha.

And [that is what happened]. The king’s officials came to me and asked [why the king had summoned me. But] I told them what the king told me to tell them. So they did not ask me any more [questions], because no one had heard what the king and I had said to each other.

28 Ary Jeremia nitoetra teo amin’ ny kianjan’ ny trano fiambenana mandra-pahatongan’ ny andro nanafahana an’ i Jerosalema.

So I remained being guarded in the courtyard [of the palace], until the day that [the army of Babylonia] captured Jerusalem.