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 that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto 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 unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this 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 hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is 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.

And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

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.

Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, 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 went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that 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 which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive 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.

Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, 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 the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the 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, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.

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 that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the 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.

Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

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

Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to 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 unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

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 the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?

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

But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.