1 و َشَفَطْيا بْنُ مَتّانَ وَجَدَلْيا بْنُ فَشحُورَ وَيُوخَلُ بْنُ شَلَمْيا وَفَشحُورُ بْنُ مَلْكِيّا سَمِعُوا الكَلامَ الَّذِي كانَ إرْمِيا يَقُولُهُ لِكُلِّ الشَّعبِ، إذْ قالَ:

Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying,

2 « هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: ‹الَّذِي يَبقَى فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ سَيَمُوتُ فِي المَعرَكَةِ أوْ مِنَ الجُوعِ أوِ الوَباءِ، وَأمّا الَّذِي يَخرُجُ إلَى البابِلِيِّينَ فَسَيَحيا، إذْ سَتَكُونُ حَياتُهُ لَهُ كَغَنِيمَةٍ، وَسَيَحيا.

“Thus says the Lord, ‘He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive.’

3 ف َهَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: هَذِهِ المَدِينَةُ سَتُسَلَّمُ إلَى يَدِ جَيشِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ وَسَيَستَولُونَ عَلَيها.›»

Thus says the Lord, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.’”

4 ث ُمَّ قالَ الرُّؤَساءُ لِلمَلِكِ: «هَذا الرَّجُلُ يَنْبَغِي أنْ يُعدَمَ، لأنَّهُ يُثَبِّطُ عَزِيمَةَ الجُنُودِ الباقِينَ فِي المَدِينَةِ، وَعَزِيمَةَ جَمِيعِ الشَّعبِ، بِقَولِهِ مِثلَ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ لَهُمْ. هَذا الرَّجُلَ لا يَسعَى إلَى سَلامِ الشَّعبِ، بَلْ إلَى ضَرَرِهِ.»

Then the officials said to the king, “Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm.”

5 ف َقالَ المَلِكُ صِدْقِيّا: «اعمَلُوا بِهِ ما تُرِيدُونَ، فَالمَلِكُ لا يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَمنَعَكُمْ.»

So King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you.”

6 ف َأخَذُوا إرْمِيا وَألقُوهُ فِي بِئْرِ مَلْكِيّا ابنِ المَلِكِ الَّذِي كانَ فِي ساحَةِ السِّجنِ. فَأنزَلُوا إرْمِيا بِحِبالٍ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِي البِئْرِ ماءٌ، بَلْ وَحلٌ فَقَطْ. فَغاصَ إرْمِيا فِي الوَحلِ.

Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

7 و َسَمِعَ عَبدُمَلِكُ الكُوشِيُّ – وَهُوَ مِنْ عَبِيدِ القَصرِ – بِأنَّ إرْمِيا قَدْ أُلقِيَ فِي البِئْرِ. وَكانَ المَلِكُ جالِساً عِنْدَ بَوّابَةِ بَنْيامِيْنَ،

But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, while he was in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin;

8 ف َذَهَبَ عَبدُ مَلِكُ مِنَ القَصرِ وَتَكَلَّمَ إلَى المَلِكِ وَقالَ:

and Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and spoke to the king, saying,

9 « مَولايَ المَلِكُ، هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالُ صَنَعُوا شَرّاً فِي كُلِّ ما عَمِلُوهُ بِإرْمِيا النَّبِيِّ. فَقَدْ أخطَأُوا بِإلقائِهِ فِي البِئْرِ. سَيَمُوتُ هُناكَ لأنَّهُ لا يُوجَدُ طَعامٌ فِي المَدِينَةِ.»

“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 ف َأمَرَ المَلِكُ عَبْدَمَلِكَ الكُوشِيَّ: «خُذْ ثَلاثَةَ رِجالٍ تَحتَ إمرَتِكَ، وَأصعِدْ إرْمِيا النَّبِيَّ قَبلَ أنْ يَمُوتَ.»

Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies.”

11 ف َأخَذَ عَبدُمَلِكُ الرِّجالَ تَحتَ إمرَتِهِ وَجاءَ إلَى القَصرِ أسفَلَ المَخزَنِ، وَأخَذَ مِنْ هُناكَ بَعضَ الثِّيابِ الرَّثَّةِ وَالبالِيَةِ، وَأنزَلَها إلَى إرْمِيا بِالحِبالِ.

So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went into the king’s palace to a place beneath the storeroom and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah.

12 و َقالَ عَبدُمَلِكُ الكُوشِيُّ لإرْمِيا: «ضَعِ الثِّيابَ الرَّثَّةَ وَالبالِيَةَ تَحتَ إبطَيكَ، بَينَ الحِبالِ وَجِلدِكَ.» فَفَعَلَ إرْمِيا كَما قالَ لَهُ.

Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes”; and Jeremiah did so.

13 ث ُمَّ سَحَبُوا إرْمِيا بِالحِبالِ وَأخرَجُوهُ مِنَ البِئْرِ. وَبَقِيَ إرْمِيا فِي ساحَةِ السِّجنِ. صِدْقِيّا يَستَدعي إرْمِيا

So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse.

14 و َأرسَلَ المَلِكُ صِدْقِيّا فَأحضَرَ إرْمِيا النَّبِيَّ إلَيهِ. وَقابَلَهُ عِندَ البَوّابَةِ الثّالِثَةِ فِي هَيكَلِ اللهِ. وَقالَ المَلِكُ لإرْمِيا: «سَأسألُكَ عَنْ أمرٍ، فَلا تُخفِ عَنِّي شَيئاً.»

Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the Lord; and the king said to Jeremiah, “I am going to ask you something; do not hide anything from me.”

15 ف َقالَ إرْمِيا لِصِدْقِيّا: «ألَنْ تَقتُلَنِي إنْ أخبَرْتُكَ؟ وَإنْ أعْطَيتُكَ نَصِيحَةً فَهَلْ تَستَمِعُ إلَيَّ؟»

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “ If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

16 ف َأقسَمَ المَلِكُ لإرْمِيا بِالسِّرِّ وَقالَ: «أُقسِمُ بِاللهِ الحَيِّ الَّذِي صَنَعَنا وَأعطانا حَياةً، لَنْ أقتُلَكَ، وَلَنْ أُسَلِّمَكَ إلَى يَدِ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالِ الَّذِينَ يَسعُونَ إلَى قَتلِكَ.»

But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret saying, “As the Lord lives, who made this life for us, surely I will not put you to death nor will I give you over to the hand of these men who are seeking your life.” Interview with Zedekiah

17 ح ِينَئِذٍ، قالَ إرْمِيا لِصِدْقِيّا: «هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ الإلَهُ القَديرِ، إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ: ‹إنْ خَرَجْتَ إلَى قادَةِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ فَإنَّكَ سَتَحيا، وَلَنْ تُحرَقَ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةُ بِالنّارِ، وَسَتَحيا أنتَ وَأهلُ بَيتِكَ.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive.

18 ل َكِنْ إنْ لَمْ تَخرُجْ إلَى قادَةِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ فَإنَّ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةَ سَتُسَلَّمُ إلَى أيَدِي البابِلِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ سَيُحرِقُونَها، أمّا أنتَ فَلَنْ تَنجُوَ مِنْ يَدِهِمْ.›»

But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.’”

19 ف َقالَ المَلِكُ صِدْقِيّا لإرْمِيا: «أنا خائِفٌ مِنَ اليَهُودِ الَّذِينَ هَرَبُوا إلَى البابِلِيِّينَ. فَهُمْ سَيُسَلِّمُونَي إلَيْهِمْ لِيَستَهزِئُوا بِي.»

Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me.”

20 ف َقالَ إرْمِيا: «لَنْ يَحدُثَ هَذا. أطِعْ كَلِمَةَ اللهِ الَّتِي جاءَتْ إلَيكَ وَالَّتِي أنا أتَكَلَّمُ بِها إلَيكَ. حِينَئِذٍ، سَتَكُونُ الأُمُورُ لِخَيرِكَ، وَأنتَ سَتَحيا.

But Jeremiah said, “They will not give you over. Please obey the Lord in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

21 ل َكِنْ إنْ رَفَضْتَ أنْ تَخرُجَ إلَى البابِلِيِّينَ فَإنَّ هَذا ما أظهَرَهُ اللهُ لِي:

But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the Lord has shown me:

22 ك ُلُّ النِّساءِ الباقِياتِ فِي بَيتِ مَلِكِ يَهُوذا سَيُقَدْنَ إلَى قادَةِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ، وَسَيَقُلْنَ: ‹حُلَفاؤُكَ خانُوكَ وَغَلَبُوكَ. غاصَتْ رِجلاكَ فِي الوَحلِ، وَقَدْ تَرَكُوكَ.›

‘Then behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, “ Your close friends Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back.”

23 « كُلُّ نِسائِكَ وَأولادِكَ سَيُخرَجُونَ إلَى البابِلِيِّينَ، وَأنتَ لَنْ تَنجُوَ مِنْ يَدِهِمْ، لأنَّ مَلِكَ بابِلَ سَيَقبِضُ عَلَيكَ، وَهَذِهِ المَدِينَةُ سَتُحرَقُ بِالنّارِ.»

They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.’”

24 ح ِينَئِذٍ، قالَ صِدْقِيّا لإرْمِيا: «إنْ كُنتَ لا تُخبِرُ أحَداً عَنْ هَذا النِّقاشِ فَإنَّكَ لَنْ تَمُوتَ.

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know about these words and you will not die.

25 و َإنْ سَمِعَ الرُّؤَساءُ بِأنِّي تَكَلَّمْتُ مَعَكَ وَأتُوا إلَيكَ وَقالُوا لَكَ: ‹أخبِرْنا بِما قُلْتَهُ لِلمَلِكِ، وَإنْ كُنتَ لا تُخفِي شَيئاً عَنّا فَإنَّكَ لَنْ تَمُوتَ. وَماذا قالَ المَلِكُ لَكَ؟›

But if the officials hear that I have talked with you and come to you and say to you, ‘Tell us now what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us and we will not put you to death,’

26 ف َحِينَئِذٍ، قُلْ لَهُمْ: ‹كُنتُ أتَرَجَّى المَلِكَ بِأنْ لا يُرجِعَنِي إلَى بَيتِ يُوناثانَ لأمُوتَ هُناكَ.›»

then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my petition before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

27 و َجاءَ كُلُّ الرُّؤَساءِ إلَى إرْمِيا وَسَألُوهُ، فَأجابَهُمْ كَما قالَ لَهُ المَلِكُ. وَلِذا تَوَقَّفُوا عَنْ مُضايَقَتِهِ لأنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسمَعُوا النِّقاشَ الّذِي دارَ بَيْنَهُما.

Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. So he reported to them in accordance with all these words which the king had commanded; and they ceased speaking with him, since the conversation had not been overheard.

28 و َبَقِيَ إرْمِيا فِي ساحَةِ السِّجنِ إلَى اليَومِ الّذِي استَولَى فِيهِ البابِلِيُّونَ عَلَى مَدِينَةِ القُدسِ.

So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse until the day that Jerusalem was captured.