1 ج اءَتْ هَذِهِ الكَلِمَةُ إلَى إرْمِيا مِنَ اللهِ ، بَعدَ أنْ أطلَقَهُ نَبُوزَرادانُ، رَئِيسُ الحَرَسِ، وَتَرَكَهُ لِيَذهَبَ مِنَ الرّامَةِ. عِندَما وَجَدَهُ، كانَ مَربُوطاً بِقُيُودٍ وَسَطَ الَّذِينَ سُبُوا مِنَ مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ وَيَهُوذا إلَى بابِلَ.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were taken as exiles to Babylon.

2 ف َأخَذَ رَئِيسُ الحَرَسِ إرْمِيا وَقالَ لَهُ: « إلَهُكَ جاءَ بِهَذِهِ الكارِثَةِ عَلَى هَذا المَكانِ.

And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, The Lord your God pronounced evil upon this place.

3 ص َنَعَ اللهُ هَذا وَعَمِلَ كَما قالَ، لأنَّكُمْ أخطَأتُمْ إلَى اللهِ وَلَمْ تُطِيعُوا صَوتَهُ. فَحَدَثَ هَذا لَكُمْ.

Now the Lord has brought it about and has done as He said: because you have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you.

4 و َالآنَ قَدْ أطلَقْتُكَ مِنْ قُيُودِكَ الَّتِي عَلَى يَدَيكَ. فَإنْ أرَدْتَ أنْ تَأتِيَ مَعِي إلَى بابِلَ، تَعالَ، وَأنا سَأهتَمُّ بِكَ. وَلَكِنْ إنْ لَمْ تَستَحسِنْ أنْ تَأتِيَ مَعِي إلَى بابِلَ، فَلا تَأْتِ. كُلُّ الأرْضِ أمامَكَ، فَاذهَبْ حَيثُ تُحِبُّ وَتَستَحسِنُ.

Now, see, I am freeing you today from the chains upon your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will keep an eye on you and look after you well. But if it seems bad to you to come with me to Babylon, then do not do it. Behold, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good, right, and convenient for you to go, go there.

5 و َإنْ أرَدْتَ، فَارْجِعْ إلَى جَدَلْيا بْنِ أخِيقامَ بْنِ شافانَ الَّذِي عَيَّنَهُ مَلِكُ بابِلَ كَمُشرِفٍ عَلَى مُدُنِ يَهُوذا، وَابقَ هُناكَ مَعَهُ وَسَطَ الشَّعبِ، أوِ اذْهَبْ إلَى أيِّ مَكانٍ تَراهُ مُناسِباً لَكَ.» وَأعطاهُ رَئِيسُ الحَرَسِ زاداً وَهَدِيَّةً وَأرسَلَهُ.

While was hesitating, said, Go back then to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right for you to go. So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present and let him go.

6 و َأتَى إرْمِيا إلَى جَدَلْيا بْنِ أخِيقامَ فِي المِصفاةِ، وَبَقِيَ مَعَهُ وَسَطَ الشَّعبِ الَّذِي بَقِيَ فِي الأرْضِ. جَدَلْيا حاكِمُ يَهُوذا

Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land.

7 و َسَمِعَ كُلُّ قادَةِ الجُيُوشِ الَّذِينَ كانُوا فِي الحَقلِ وَرِجالُهُمْ أنَّ مَلِكَ بابِلَ عَيَّنَ جَدَلْيا بْنَ أخِيقامَ حاكِماً فِي الأرْضِ، وَأنَّهُ جَعَلَهُ مَسؤُولاً عَنِ الرِّجالِ وَالنِّساءِ وَالأطفالِ، مِنْ فُقَراءِ الأرْضِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُسبَوْا إلَى بابِلَ.

Now when all the captains of the forces that were in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon,

8 و َأتَى الرِّجالُ التّالِيَةُ أسماؤُهُمْ إلَى جَدَلْيا فِي المِصفاةِ: إسْماعِيلُ بْنُ نَثَنْيا وَيُوحانانُ وَيُوناثانُ ابنا قارِيحَ، وَسَرايا بْنُ تَنحُومَثَ، وَأبناءُ عُوفايَ النَّطُوفاتِيِّ، وَيَزَنْيا بْنُ المَعكِيِّ. أتَى هَؤُلاءِ مَعَ رِجالِهِمْ إلَى جَدَلْيا فِي المِصفاةِ.

They went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.

9 و َأقسَمَ جَدَلْيا بْنُ أخِيقامَ بْنُ شافانَ لَهُمْ وَلِرِجالِهِمْ فَقالَ: «لا تَخافُوا مِنْ أنْ تَخدِمُوا البابِلِيِّينَ. فَاسكُنُوا وَاخدِمُوا مَلِكَ بابِلَ. حِينَئِذٍ، سَتَكُونُونَ بِخَيرٍ.

And Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans; dwell in land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

10 أ مّا أنا فَسَأبقَى فِي المِصفاةِ لأُمَثِّلَكُمْ أمامَ البابِلِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ يَأتُونَ إلَينا. أمّا أنتُمْ فَاجمَعُوا نَبيذَكُمْ وَثِمارَكُمْ وَزَيتَكُمْ وَضَعُوها فِي آنِيَتِكُمْ. وَاسكُنُوا فِي مُدُنِكُمُ الَّتِي أخَذْتُمُوها.»

As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah to stand before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather the juice, summer fruits and oil, and store them in your utensils, and dwell in your cities that you have seized.

11 و َسَمِعَ كُلُّ اليَهُودِ الَّذِينَ كانُوا فِي مُوآبَ وَوَسَطَ العَمُّونِيِّينَ وَفِي أدُومَ، وَفِي كُلِّ الأماكِنِ الأُخرَى، بِأنَّ مَلِكَ بابِلَ قَدْ أبقَى عَلَى بَعْضِ شَعبِ يَهُوذا، وَأنَّهُ قَدْ عَيَّنَ جَدَلْيا بْنَ أخِيقامَ بْنَ شافانَ مُشرِفاً عَلَيهِمْ.

Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab and among the people of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had set over them Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,

12 ف َرَجِعَ كُلُّ اليَهُودِ مِنْ كُلِّ الأماكِنِ الَّتِي كانُوا قَدْ طُرِدُوا إلَيها، وَأتُوا إلَى أرْضِ يَهُوذا، إلَى جَدَلْيا، فِي المِصفاةِ. وَجَمَعُوا الكَثِيرَ مِنَ النَّبيذِ وَالفاكِهَةِ.

Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered a great abundance of juice and summer fruits.

13 و َأتَى يُوحانانُ وَكُلُّ قادَةِ الجُيُوشِ، الَّذِينَ فِي الحُقُولِ، إلَى جَدَلْيا فِي المصفاةِ،

Moreover, Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah

14 و َقالُوا لَهُ: «هَلْ تَعرِفُ أنَّ بَعلِيسَ مَلِكَ العَمُّونِيِّينَ قَدْ أرسَلَ إسماعِيلَ بْنَ نَثَنْيا لِيَقتُلَكَ؟» وَلَكِنَّ جَدَلْيا بْنَ أخِيقامَ لَمْ يُصَدِّقْهُمْ.

And said to him, Do you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

15 ث ُمَّ أتَى يُوحانانُ بْنُ قارِيحَ سِرّاً إلَى جَدَلْيا فِي المِصفاةِ، وَقالَ لَهُ: «دَعْنِي أذهَبْ فَأقتُلَ إسْماعِيلَ بْنَ نَثَنْيا. وَلَنْ يَعرِفَ أحَدٌ بِهَذا. فَلِماذا نَتْرُكُهُ فَيَقتُلَكَ؟ وَإنْ قَتَلَكَ، سَيَتَشَتَّتُ بَنُو يَهُوذا الَّذِينَ اجتَمَعُوا حَولَكَ. وَقَدْ تَهلِكُ بَقِيَّةُ يَهُوذا.»

Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray you, and I will slay Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no man will know it. Why should he slay you and cause all the Jews who are gathered to you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?

16 و َلَكِنَّ جَدَليا بْنَ أخِيقامَ قالَ لِيُوحانانَ بْنَ قارِيحَ: «لا تَعمَلْ هَذا الأمرَ، لأنَّ ما تَقُولُهُ عَنْ إسْماعِيلَ كَذِبٌ.»

But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely of Ishmael.