1 و َجاءَتْ هَذِهِ الكَلِمَةُ إلَى إرْمِيا مِنَ اللهِ ، عِندَما كانَ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ مَلِكُ بابِلَ وَجَيشُهُ وَكُلُّ مَمالِكِ الأرْضِ الَّتِي سَيطَرَ عَلَيها وَكُلُّ شُعُوبِهِمْ يُحارِبُونَ مَدينَةَ القُدْسِ وَمُدُنِها.

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying,

2 « هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ: ‹اذْهَبْ وَتَكَلَّمْ إلَى صِدْقِيّا مَلِكِ يَهُوذا، وَقُلْ لَهُ هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: سَأُسَلِّمُ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةَ لِيَدِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ حَتَّى يُحرِقَها بِالنّارِ.

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘ Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.

3 و َأنتَ يا صِدْقِيّا لَنْ تَنجُوَ مِنْ يَدِهِ، لأنَّكَ سَتُمسَكُ وَتُسَلَّمُ لِيَدِهِ. سَتَرَى مَلِكَ بابِلَ عَيناً لِعَينٍ، وَسَيَتَكَلَّمُ مَعَكَ وَجهاً لِوَجهٍ، ثُمَّ سَتَذهَبُ إلَى بابِلَ.

You will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be captured and delivered into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.’”’

4 ل َكِنِ اسْمَعْ كَلِمَةَ اللهِ يا صِدْقِيّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذا. هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ عَنكَ: لَنْ تَمُوتَ فِي المَعرَكَةِ،

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword.

5 ل َكِنَّكَ سَتَمُوتُ بِسَلامٍ. وَكَما أحرَقُوا بَخُوراً لإكرامِ آبائِكَ، فَسَيُحرِقُونَ لَكَ وَسَيَنُوحُونَ عَلَيكَ وَيَقُولُونَ: ‹آهٍ يا مَولايَ.› فَأنا قَدْ تَكَلَّمْتُ.» يَقُولُ اللهُ.

You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares the Lord.

6 ف َتَكَلَّمَ إرْمِيا النَّبِيُّ بِكُلِّ هَذا الكَلامِ إلَى المَلِكِ صِدْقِيّا مَلِكِ يَهُوذا فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ.

Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem

7 ب َينَما كانَ جَيشُ بابِلَ يُحارِبُ مَدينَةَ القُدْسِ وَمَدينَتِي يَهُوذا اللَّتِينِ بَقِيَتا، أي لَخِيشَ وَعَزِيقَةَ – وَهُما المَدِينَتانِ الوَحِيدَتانِ الحَصِينَتَانِ الباقِيَتانِ مِنْ مُدُنِ يَهُوذا. الشَّعبِ يكسِرُ العهد

when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

8 ه َذِهِ هِيَ الكَلِمَةُ الَّتِي جاءَتْ إلَى إرْمِيا مِنَ اللهِ ، بَعدَ أنْ قَطَعَ المَلِكُ صِدْقِيّاً عَهداً مَعَ كُلِّ الشَّعبِ الَّذِي كانَ فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ بِأنْ يأمُرَ بِعِتْقِهِمْ.

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them:

9 ف َكانَ عَلَى كُلِّ واحِدٍ أنْ يُعتِقَ عَبِيدَهُ وَإماءَهُ العِبرانِيِّينَ، حَتَّى لا يَستَعبِدَ اليَهُودِيُّ أخاهُ اليَهُودِيَّ.

that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage.

10 ف َأطاعَ هَذا القَرارَ جَميعُ الرُّؤَساءِ وَجَميعُ الشَّعبِ. وَتَعَهَّدُوا بِإطلاقِ العَبِيدَ وَالجَواريَ، وَبِأنْ لا يَستَعبِدُوا مِنهُمْ أحَداً فِيما بَعْدُ.

And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free.

11 ل َكِنَّهُمْ عادُوا وَاستَعبَدُوا العَبِيدِ وَالجَوارِيَ الَّذِينَ كانُوا قَدْ أعتَقُوهُمْ، فَجَعَلُوهُمْ تَحتَ العُبُودِيَّةِ مِنْ جَديدٍ.

But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.

12 و َجاءَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ إلَى إرْمِيا فَقالَ:

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

13 « هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ، إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ: ‹قَدْ قَطَعْتُ عَهداً مَعَ آبائِكَ عِندَما أخرَجتُهُمْ مِنْ أرْضِ مِصرَ حَيثُ كانُوا عَبِيداً، وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ:

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying,

14 ‹ فِي نِهايَةِ كُلِّ سَبعِ سِنِينَ عَلَى كُلِّ واحِدٍ أنْ يُعتِقَ أخاهُ العِبرانِيَّ الَّذِي بِيعَ لَهُ. يَنْبَغِي أنْ يَخدِمَكَ سِتَّ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يُطلَقُ حُرّاً. وَلَكِنَّ آباؤُكُمْ لَمْ يُطِيعُونِي وَلَمْ يَفَتَحُوا آذانَهُمْ لِي.

“ At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.

15 ل َكِنَّكُمُ اليَومَ تُبْتُمْ وَعَمِلتُمْ ما هُوَ صالِحٌ أمامِي، إذْ أعتَقَ أحَدُكُمُ الآخَرَ. وَقَدْ قَطَعْتُمْ عَهداً أمامِيَ فِي البَيتِ الَّذِي يَحمِلُ اسْمِيَ.

Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.

16 ل َكِنَّكُمْ عُدتُمْ وَنَجَّستُمُ اسْمِيَ، إذْ أرجَعَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنكُمْ عَبدَهُ وَأمَتَهُ الَّذِينَ أطلَقُوهُمْ أحراراً، لأنَّ هَذا ما رَغِبُوا بِهِ، وَقَدْ أخضَعتُمُوهُمْ لِيَكُونُوا لَكُمْ عَبِيداً وَجَوارِيَ.›»

Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants.”’

17 ل ِذَلِكَ هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: «لَمْ تُطِيعُونِي بإطلاقِ إبناءِ شَعبِكُمْ، فَأنا إذَنْ سَأُطلِقُكُمْ،» يَقُولُ اللهُ ، «سَأُطلِقُكُمْ لِلسَّيفِ وَالوَبَاءِ وَالجُوعِ، وَسَأجعَلُكُمْ عِبرَةً تُرْعِبُ جَميعَ مَمالِكِ الأرْضِ.

“Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 س َأجعَلُ الرِّجالَ الَّذِينَ نَقَضُوا عَهدِي وَلَمْ يُحافِظُوا عَلَى كَلامِ العَهدِ الَّذِي قَطَعُوهُ أمامِي، كَالبَقَرَةِ الَّتِي قَطَعُوها مِنَ الوَسَطِ وَاجتازُوا بَينَ نِصفَيها.

I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts—

19 ي َنطَبِقُ هَذا عَلَى رُؤَساءِ يَهُوذا وَرُؤَساءِ القُدْسِ وَالخُدّامِ وَالكَهَنَةِ وَعَلَى كُلِّ شَعبِ الأرْضِ الَّذِينَ اجتازُوا بَينَ نِصفَيِّ البَقَرَةِ.

the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—

20 س َأُسَلِّمُهُمْ إلَى يَدِ أعدائِهِمْ وَيَدِ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ قَتلَهُمْ. وَسَتَكُونُ جُثَثُهُمْ طَعاماً لِطُيُورِ السَّماءِ وَوُحُوشِ الأرْضِ.

I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

21 س َأُسَلِّمُ صِدْقِيّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذا وَرُؤَساءَهُ إلَى يَدِ أعدائِهِمْ وَلِيَدِ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ قَتلَهُمْ، وَلِيَدِ جَيشِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ الَّذِي انسَحَبَ عَنكُمْ.

Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you.

22 س َأُعطِي أمراً،» يَقُولُ اللهُ ، فَأُعِيدُهُمْ إلَى هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَسَيُحارِبُونَها وَيَفتَحُونَها وَيَحرِقُونَها بِالنّارِ. وَسَأُحَوِّلُ مُدُنَ يَهُوذا إلَى خَرابٍ بِلا ساكِنٍ فِيها.»

Behold, I am going to command,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’”