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, came this word from Yahweh, 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.

Yahweh says: Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them; don’t diminish a word.

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

It may be they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do to 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،

You shall tell them, Yahweh says: 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 listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but you have not listened;

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.

The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in Yahweh’s house.

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.

When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall 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 Yahweh’s name, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? All the people were gathered to Jeremiah in Yahweh’s house.

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 Yahweh’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Yahweh’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.»

Then spoke the priests and the prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; 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 spoke Jeremiah to all the princes and to all the people, saying, Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city 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 Yahweh your God’s voice; and Yahweh will repent him of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

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

But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes.

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.»

Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for of a truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.

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

Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.

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

Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, 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 the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Yahweh of Armies says: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a 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 put him to death? Didn’t he fear Yahweh, and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls.

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.

There was also a man who prophesied in Yahweh’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he 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 Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt:

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

and Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt;

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

and they fetched Uriah out of 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.

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