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Jeremiah 38

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1 καὶ ἤκουσεν Σαφατιας υἱὸς Μαθαν καὶ Γοδολιας υἱὸς Πασχωρ καὶ Ιωαχαλ υἱὸς Σελεμιου τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐλάλει Ιερεμιας ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν λέγων 2 οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ καὶ ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος πρὸς τοὺς Χαλδαίους ζήσεται καὶ ἔσται ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς εὕρεμα καὶ ζήσεται 3 ὅτι οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος παραδιδομένη παραδοθήσεται ἡ πόλις αὕτη εἰς χεῖρας δυνάμεως βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος καὶ συλλήμψεται αὐτήν 4 καὶ εἶπαν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναιρεθήτω δὴ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐκλύει τὰς χεῖρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν πολεμούντων τῶν καταλειπομένων ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ τὰς χεῖρας παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ λαλῶν πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος οὐ χρησμολογεῖ εἰρήνην τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ ἀλ{L'} ἢ πονηρά 5 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἐν χερσὶν ὑμῶν ὅτι οὐκ ἠδύνατο ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς αὐτούς 6 καὶ ἔρριψαν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν λάκκον Μελχιου υἱοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ὃς ἦν ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῆς φυλακῆς καὶ ἐχάλασαν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν λάκκον καὶ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ οὐκ ἦν ὕδωρ ἀλ{L'} ἢ βόρβορος καὶ ἦν ἐν τῷ βορβόρῳ

1 Still Jeremias would speak out before all the people; and among those who lis-tened to him were Saphatias son of Mathan, Gedelias son of Phassur, Juchal son of Selemias, and Phassur son of Melchias. 2 This message they heard him proclaim from the Lord: To remain in this city means death by sword, famine and pestilence; go over to the Chaldaeans, you shall have your lives for guerdon, and be spared. 3 And this: Past doubt, the city will fall into the hands of the king of Babylon, by right of capture. 4 And they urged the king, these notables, to make an end of him; He goes about, said they, to weaken the resolve of the garrison, and of the people at large, by talking in this fashion; there is malice here, not good will. 5 He is at your disposal, king Sedecias answered; not for a king to withstand you! 6 So they had their way with Jeremias; he should be left helpless in the cistern of Melchias the son of Amelech,[1] there in the court where the prisoners were kept. Into the cistern they lowered him with ropes; there was no water in it now, only mire, and into the mire he sank.

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: 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. 3 Hæc dicit Dominus: Tradendo tradetur civitas hæc in manu exercitus regis Babylonis, et capiet eam. 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. 5 Et dixit rex Sedecias: Ecce ipse in manibus vestris est: nec enim fas est regem vobis quidquam negare. 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.

7 καὶ ἤκουσεν Αβδεμελεχ ὁ Αἰθίοψ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν οἰκίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως ὅτι ἔδωκαν Ιερεμιαν εἰς τὸν λάκκον καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἦν ἐν τῇ πύλῃ Βενιαμιν 8 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπεν 9 ἐπονηρεύσω ἃ ἐποίησας τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον τοῦτον ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ λιμοῦ ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν ἔτι ἄρτοι ἐν τῇ πόλει 10 καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Αβδεμελεχ λέγων λαβὲ εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου ἐντεῦθεν τριάκοντα ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἀνάγαγε αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ 11 καὶ ἔλαβεν Αβδεμελεχ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ὑπόγειον καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν παλαιὰ ῥάκη καὶ παλαιὰ σχοινία καὶ ἔρριψεν αὐτὰ πρὸς Ιερεμιαν εἰς τὸν λάκκον 12 καὶ εἶπεν ταῦτα θὲς ὑποκάτω τῶν σχοινίων καὶ ἐποίησεν Ιερεμιας οὕτως 13 καὶ εἵλκυσαν αὐτὸν τοῖς σχοινίοις καὶ ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου καὶ ἐκάθισεν Ιερεμιας ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῆς φυλακῆς

7 But there was an Ethiopian chamberlain at the court, named Abdemelech, that heard how Jeremias had been let down into the cistern; and as the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, 8 this Abdemelech came out from the palace and remonstrated with him. 9 My lord king, he said, here is foul wrong done to the prophet Jeremias; they have let him down into a cistern, where he will die of hunger, such lack of bread there is in the city. 10 Why then, said the king to Abdemelech the Ethiopian, take thirty[2] men with thee, and rescue Jeremias from the cistern while there is yet life in him. 11 So Abdemelech took the men with him, made his way into the palace, beneath the store-chamber, took old rags and clouts that lay mouldering there, and let them down by ropes to Jeremias in the cistern. 12 Here be torn things and mouldering, the Ethiopian said to Jeremias, but thou mayst put these under thy arm-pits, and the ropes under these again. Jeremias obeyed, 13 and they pulled him up by the ropes till he was clear of the cistern; but the courtyard was his prison still.

7 Audivit autem Abdemelech Æthiops, vir eunuchus, qui erat in domo regis, quod misissent Jeremiam in lacum. Porro rex sedebat in porta Benjamin: 8 et egressus est Abdemelech de domo regis, et locutus est ad regem, dicens: 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. 10 Præcepit itaque rex Abdemelech Æthiopi, dicens: Tolle tecum hinc triginta viros, et leva Jeremiam prophetam de lacu, antequam moriatur. 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. 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, 13 et extraxerunt Jeremiam funibus, et eduxerunt eum de lacu: mansit autem Jeremias in vestibulo carceris.

14 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν ασελισι τὴν ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς ἐρωτήσω σε λόγον καὶ μὴ δὴ κρύψῃς ἀ{P'} ἐμοῦ ῥῆμα 15 καὶ εἶπεν Ιερεμιας τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω σοι οὐχὶ θανάτῳ με θανατώσεις καὶ ἐὰν συμβουλεύσω σοι οὐ μὴ ἀκούσῃς μου 16 καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς λέγων ζῇ κύριος ὃς ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν τὴν ψυχὴν ταύτην εἰ ἀποκτενῶ σε καὶ εἰ δώσω σε εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων τούτων 17 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ιερεμιας οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ἐὰν ἐξελθὼν ἐξέλθῃς πρὸς ἡγεμόνας βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή σου καὶ ἡ πόλις αὕτη οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇ ἐν πυρί καὶ ζήσῃ σὺ καὶ ἡ οἰκία σου 18 καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ἐξέλθῃς δοθήσεται ἡ πόλις αὕτη εἰς χεῖρας τῶν Χαλδαίων καὶ καύσουσιν αὐτὴν ἐν πυρί καὶ σὺ οὐ μὴ σωθῇς 19 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Ιερεμια ἐγὼ λόγον ἔχω τῶν Ιουδαίων τῶν πεφευγότων πρὸς τοὺς Χαλδαίους μὴ δώσειν με εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ καταμωκήσονταί μου 20 καὶ εἶπεν Ιερεμιας οὐ μὴ παραδῶσίν σε ἄκουσον τὸν λόγον κυρίου ὃν ἐγὼ λέγω πρὸς σέ καὶ βέλτιον ἔσται σοι καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή σου 21 καὶ εἰ μὴ θέλεις σὺ ἐξελθεῖν οὗτος ὁ λόγος ὃν ἔδειξέν μοι κύριος 22 καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ καταλειφθεῖσαι ἐν οἰκίᾳ βασιλέως Ιουδα ἐξήγοντο πρὸς ἄρχοντας βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος καὶ αὗται ἔλεγον ἠπάτησάν σε καὶ δυνήσονταί σοι ἄνδρες εἰρηνικοί σου καὶ καταλύσουσιν ἐν ὀλισθήμασιν πόδας σου ἀπέστρεψαν ἀπὸ σοῦ 23 καὶ τὰς γυναῖκάς σου καὶ τὰ τέκνα σου ἐξάξουσιν πρὸς τοὺς Χαλδαίους καὶ σὺ οὐ μὴ σωθῇς ὅτι ἐν χειρὶ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος συλλημφθήσῃ καὶ ἡ πόλις αὕτη κατακαυθήσεται

14 Then king Sedecias would have the prophet come to him by the third door of the palace, the one that leads to the temple. I have a question to ask thee, he said to Jeremias; hide nothing from me. 15 Why, Jeremias answered, if I tell thee what I know, thou wilt but kill me, and if I give thee advice, thou wilt not heed it. 16 But king Sedecias took a secret oath, As the Lord is a living God, the Lord who gave us this breath we breathe, slay thee I will not, nor hand thee over to thy mortal enemies. 17 Thereupon Jeremias told him a message from the Lord, the God of hosts: Go out and give thyself up to Nabuchodonosor’s chieftains, and thy life shall be safe, nor shall there be any burning of the city; thou and thine shall be spared. 18 If thou dost not give thyself up to them, then the Chaldaeans shall gain mastery of the city and burn it to the ground, and for thyself there is no escaping them. 19 Yet my heart misgives me, Sedecias told him, over the Jews that have already made their submission; what if I should be handed over to these, and they wreak their spite on me? 20 That shall not be, Jeremias answered. Give heed, only give heed, to this message from the Lord I bear thee; so thou shalt speed well, and life be granted thee. 21 Refuse to yield, and here is the doom he has made known to me. 22 Never a woman that is left in the palace of the kings of Juda but shall be spoil for the chieftains of the king of Babylon! And as they are led away, this shall be their lament: False friend fooled thee, and had the better of thee; feet fast in the treacherous morass has left thee! 23 Wife of thine and son of thine led away into the enemy’s camp, and thou thyself powerless to escape; thyself the king of Babylon shall take prisoner, and burn thy city to the ground.

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. 15 Dixit autem Jeremias ad Sedeciam: Si annuntiavero tibi, numquid non interficies me? et si consilium dedero tibi, non me audies. 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. 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. 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. 19 Et dixit rex Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Sollicitus sum propter Judæos qui transfugerunt ad Chaldæos, ne forte tradar in manus eorum, et illudant mihi. 20 Respondit autem Jeremias: Non te tradent. Audi, quæso, vocem Domini, quam ego loquor ad te, et bene tibi erit, et vivet anima tua. 21 Quod si nolueris egredi, iste est sermo quem ostendit mihi Dominus: 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. 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.

24 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς ἄνθρωπος μὴ γνώτω ἐκ τῶν λόγων τούτων καὶ σὺ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς 25 καὶ ἐὰν ἀκούσωσιν οἱ ἄρχοντες ὅτι ἐλάλησά σοι καὶ ἔλθωσιν πρὸς σὲ καὶ εἴπωσίν σοι ἀνάγγειλον ἡμῖν τί ἐλάλησέν σοι ὁ βασιλεύς μὴ κρύψῃς ἀ{F'} ἡμῶν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀνέλωμέν σε καὶ τί ἐλάλησεν πρὸς σὲ ὁ βασιλεύς 26 καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς ῥίπτω ἐγὼ τὸ ἔλεός μου κα{T'} ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀποστρέψαι με εἰς οἰκίαν Ιωναθαν ἀποθανεῖν ἐκεῖ 27 καὶ ἤλθοσαν πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες πρὸς Ιερεμιαν καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτόν καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους οὓς ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς καὶ ἀπεσιώπησαν ὅτι οὐκ ἠκούσθη λόγος κυρίου 28 καὶ ἐκάθισεν Ιερεμιας ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῆς φυλακῆς ἕως χρόνου οὗ συνελήμφθη Ιερουσαλημ

24 On peril of thy life, king Sedecias warned him, let none hear what has passed between us. 25 If it reach the ears of the nobles that we have had speech together, and they bid thee repeat what thou saidst, or what said the king, hiding nothing as thou holdest thy life dear, then be this thy answer, 26 Why, I pleaded my suit with the king’s grace that he would not have me sent back to Jonathan’s house, to die there.[3] 27 Come and ask him they did, and he answered as the king bade him; so with that they let him be; nothing had been overheard. 28 This imprisonment of Jeremias in the courtyard lasted until the taking of Jerusalem; for, sure enough, Jerusalem was taken.

24 Dixit ergo Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Nullus sciat verba hæc, et non morieris. 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: 26 dices ad eos: Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci juberet in domum Jonathan, et ibi morerer. 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. 28 Mansit vero Jeremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem quo capta est Jerusalem: et factum est ut caperetur Jerusalem.

[1] See note on 36.26.

[2] Some suspect the word ‘thirty’ of being a copyist’s mistake for ‘three’.

[3] Some authors hold that Jeremias had in fact repeated, on this occasion, the appeal made in 37.19 above; otherwise he would not have been induced to adopt the king’s expedient.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd