1 ف ِي بِدايَةِ حُكمِ يَهُوياقِيمَ بْنِ يُوشِيّا مَلِكِ يَهُوذا، جاءَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ إلَيَّ.

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying,

2 ه َذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «قِفْ فِي ساحَةِ بَيتِ اللهِ ، وَتَكَلَّمْ إلَى سُكّانِ مُدُنِ يَهُوذا القَادِمِينَ لِيَسجُدُوا فِي بَيتِ اللهِ. تَكَلَّمْ إلَيْهِمْ بِكُلِّ الكَلامِ الَّذِي أوصَيتُكَ بِأنْ تَقُولَهُ لَهُمْ، وَلا تُنقِصْ كَلِمَةً مِنهُ.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord ’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord ’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.

3 ف َرُبَّما يَسمَعُونَ، وَيَتُوبُونَ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِمُ الشِّرِّيرِ. حينَئِذٍ، سَأتَراجَعُ عَنِ الدَّمارِ الَّذِي كُنْتُ سَأُنِزِلُهُ بِهِمْ بِسَبَبِ شَرِّ أعمالِهِمْ.

Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.’

4 « قُلْ لَهُمْ، هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: ‹إنْ لَمْ تَسمَعُوا لِي وَتَسلُكُوا بِحَسَبِ شَرِيعَتِي الَّتِي وَضَعتُها أمامَكُمْ،

And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you,

5 ل ِتَستَمِعُوا إلَى كَلامِ خُدّامِي الأنبِياءِ، الَّذِينَ أرسَلتُهُمْ إلَيكُمْ بِإلحاحٍ، فَلَمْ تَستَمِعُوا لَهُمْ –

to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded),

6 ف َإنِّي سَأجعَلُ هَذا الهَيكَلَ كَشِيلُوهَ. وَسَأُحَوِّلُ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةَ إلَى لَعنَةٍ لِكُلِّ أُمَمِ الأرْضِ.›»

then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”

7 ف َسَمِعَ الكَهَنَةُ وَالأنبِياءُ وَكُلُّ الشَّعبِ إرمِيا وَهُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهَذا الكَلامِ فِي بَيتِ اللهِ.

So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.

8 و َعِندَما أنهَى إرمِيا كَلامَهُ عَنْ كُلِّ شَيءٍ أمَرَهُ اللهُ بِقَولِهِ لِكُلِّ الشَّعبِ، قَبَضَ الكَهَنَةُ وَالأنبِياءُ وَكُلُّ الشَّعبِ عَلَيهِ، وَقالُوا لَهُ: «يَنْبَغِي أنْ تَمُوتَ.

Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You will surely die!

9 ف َلِماذا تَتَنَبَّأُ بِاسْمِ اللهِ وَتَقُولُ: ‹هَذا البَيتُ سَيَكُونُ مِثلَ شِيلُوهَ، وَسُكّانُ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ سَيَفنُونَ؟›» وَاجتَمَعَ كُلُّ الشَّعبِ حَولَ إرمِيا فِي هَيْكَلِ اللهِ.

Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without an inhabitant’?” And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

10 و َسَمِعَ رُؤَساءُ يَهُوذا هَذا الكَلامَ، فَصَعِدُوا مِنَ القَصرِ إلَى بَيتِ اللهِ وَجَلَسُوا فِي مَدخَلِ البَوّابَةِ الجَدِيدَةِ فِي بَيتِ اللهِ.

When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the Lord ’s house.

11 ف َقالَ الكَهَنَةُ وَالأنبِياءُ لِلرُّؤَساءِ وَكُلِّ الشَّعبِ: «يَنْبَغِي أنْ يُحكَمَ عَلَى هَذا الرَّجُلِ بِالمَوْتِ لأنَّهُ تَنَبَّأ ضِدَّ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ كَما سَمِعْتُمْ بِآذانِكُمْ.»

And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, “This man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”

12 ف َقالَ إرمِيا لِكُلِّ الرُّؤَساءِ وَلِكُلِّ الشَّعبِ: «أرسَلَنِي اللهُ لأتَنَبَّأ عَلَى هَذا البَيتِ وَعَلَى هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ بِكُلَّ الكَلامِ الَّذِي سَمِعْتُمُوهُ.

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard.

13 و َالآنَ، أصلِحُوا طُرُقَكُمْ وَأعمالَكُمْ وَأطِيعُوا صَوتَ إلَهِكُمْ. حِينَئِذٍ، يَتَراجَعُ اللهُ عَنِ الدَّمارِ الَّذِي كانَ سَيُنِزِلُهُ بِكُمْ.

Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you.

14 أ مّا أنا فَفِي أيدِيكُمْ. افعَلُوا بِي ما يَحسُنُ فِي عُيُونِكُمْ.

As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.

15 و َلَكِنْ يَنْبَغِي أنْ تَعلَمُوا بِأنَّكُمْ إنْ قَتَلتُمُونِي، فَإنَّكُمْ تَضَعُونَ ذَنبَ دَمٍ بَرِيءٍ عَلَيكُمْ وَعَلَى هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ وَعَلَى سُكّانِها. لأنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أرسَلَنِي إلَيكُمْ لأتَكَلَّمَ بِهَذا الكَلامِ فِي مَسامِعِكُمْ.»

But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

16 ف َقالَ الرُّؤَساءُ وَكُلُّ الشَّعبِ لِلكَهَنَةِ وَالأنبِياءِ: «لا يَنْبَغِي أنْ يُحكَمَ عَلَى هَذا الرَّجُلِ بِالمَوْتِ، لأنَّهُ تَكَلَّمَ إلَينا بِاسْمِ إلَهِنا.»

So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

17 و َوَقَفَ رِجالٌ مِنْ شُيُوخِ الأرْضِ وَقالُوا لِكُلِّ جَماعَةِ الشَّعبِ:

Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying:

18 « كانَ مِيخا المُورِشتِيُّ يَتَنَبَّأُ فِي أيّامِ حَزَقِيّا، مَلِكِ يَهُوذا، وَقالَ لِبَنِي يَهُوذا: ‹هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ: ‹سَتَكُونُ صِهْيَوْنُ حَقلاً مَحرُوثاً، وَالقُدسُ كَومَةَ خَرابٍ، وَجَبَلُ الهَيكَلِ تَلَّةً تَنبُتُ فِيها الشُّجَيراتُ.›

“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest.”’

19 ف َهَلْ قَتَلَهُ حَزَقِيّا مَلِكُ يَهُوذا، أوْ بَنُو يَهُوذا؟ ألَمْ يَخَفْ حَزَقِيّا اللهَ وَطَلَبَ رَحمَةَ اللهِ ؟ ألَمْ يَتَراجَعِ اللهُ عَنِ الدَّمارِ الَّذِي كانَ سَيُنِزِلُهُ بِهِمْ؟ أمّا نَحنُ، فَنُوشِكُ أنْ نَأتِيَ بِكارِثَةٍ عَلَى أنفُسِنا.»

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and seek the Lord ’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

20 و َكانَ هُناكَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ تَنَبَّأ بِاسْمِ اللهِ ، اسْمُهُ أُورِيّا بْنُ شِمْعِيا مِنْ قِرْياتِ يَعارِيمَ. وَقَدْ تَنَبَّأ ضِدَّ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ وَهَذِهِ الأرْضِ وَقالَ ما قالَهُ إرْمِيا.

Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.

21 و َقَدْ سَمِعَهُ المَلِكُ يَهُوياقِيمُ وَكُلُّ جُنُودِهِ وَكُلُّ رُؤَسائِهِ، وَسَعَى المَلِكُ لِقَتلِهِ. فَسَمِعَ أُورِيّا هَذا الأمرَ، فَخافَ وَهَرَبَ إلَى مِصرَ.

And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt.

22 ف َأرسَلَ المَلِكُ يَهُوياقِيمُ ألْناثانَ بْنَ عَكْبُورَ وَمَعَهُ بَعضُ الرِّجالِ إلَى مِصرَ.

Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt.

23 ف َأحضَرُوا أُورِّيا مِنْ مِصْرَ إلَى المَلِكِ يَهُوياقِيمَ. فَقَطَعَ رَأسَهُ بِالسَّيفِ وَطَرَحَ جُثَّتَهُ إلَى مَقبَرَةِ العامَّةِ.»

And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

24 أ مّا أخِيقامُ بْنُ شافانَ فَحَمَى إرْمِيا، وَحالَ دُونَ تَسلِيمِ إرْمِيا لِقادَةِ الشَّعبِ لِيَقتُلُوهُ.

Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.