1 P alabra que vino a Jeremías de parte del Señor, cuando Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia, y todo su ejército y todos los reinos de la tierra que estaban bajo su dominio y todos los pueblos peleaban contra Jerusalén y contra todas sus ciudades, diciendo:

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 A sí dice el Señor, Dios de Israel: “Ve y habla a Sedequías, rey de Judá, y dile: ‘Así dice el Señor: “He aquí, yo entrego esta ciudad en manos del rey de Babilonia, y él le prenderá fuego.

“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 “ Y tú no escaparás de su mano, sino que ciertamente serás capturado y entregado en su mano; tus ojos verán los ojos del rey de Babilonia, y él te hablará cara a cara, y a Babilonia irás.”’”

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 S in embargo, oye la palabra del Señor, oh Sedequías, rey de Judá. Así dice el Señor acerca de ti: “No morirás a espada;

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 e n paz morirás. Como quemaron especias por tus padres, los reyes anteriores que te precedieron, así quemarán especias por ti, y con ‘¡Ay, señor!’ harán lamento por ti”: Porque yo he hablado la palabra —declara el Señor.

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 E ntonces habló el profeta Jeremías a Sedequías, rey de Judá, todas estas palabras en Jerusalén

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

7 m ientras el ejército del rey de Babilonia peleaba contra Jerusalén y contra todas las ciudades que quedaban en Judá, es decir, Laquis y Azeca, pues sólo éstas quedaban como ciudades fortificadas entre las ciudades de Judá.

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 P alabra que vino a Jeremías de parte del Señor, después que el rey Sedequías había hecho un pacto con todo el pueblo que había en Jerusalén para proclamarles libertad:

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 q ue cada uno debía poner en libertad a su siervo y a su sierva hebreos, para que nadie retuviera a un judío, hermano suyo, en servidumbre.

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 Y obedecieron todos los oficiales y todo el pueblo que habían entrado en el pacto, de que cada uno dejara en libertad a su siervo y cada uno a su sierva, de modo que nadie los mantuviera más en servidumbre; obedecieron y los pusieron en libertad.

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 P ero después se arrepintieron y volvieron a tomar a los siervos y a las siervas a quienes habían dejado en libertad, y los redujeron a servidumbre como siervos y como siervas.

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 E ntonces vino la palabra del Señor a Jeremías, diciendo:

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

13 A sí dice el Señor, Dios de Israel: “Yo hice un pacto con vuestros padres el día que los saqué de la tierra de Egipto, de la casa de servidumbre, diciendo:

“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 ‘ Al cabo de siete años cada uno de vosotros pondrá en libertad al hermano hebreo que le fue vendido y que le ha servido por seis años, y lo enviará libre de junto a sí; pero vuestros padres no me escucharon, ni inclinaron su oído.

“ 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 ‘ Aunque recientemente os habíais arrepentido y habíais hecho lo que es recto ante mis ojos, cada uno proclamando libertad a su prójimo, habiendo hecho un pacto delante de mí en la casa que es llamada por mi nombre,

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 a hora os habéis vuelto atrás y profanado mi nombre, y cada uno ha tomado de nuevo a su siervo y cada uno a su sierva, a quienes habíais dejado libres según su deseo, y los habéis reducido a servidumbre como siervos y como siervas.’”

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 P or tanto, así dice el Señor: “Vosotros no me habéis obedecido proclamando libertad cada uno a su hermano y cada uno a su prójimo. He aquí, proclamo contra vosotros libertad” —declara el Señor — “a la espada, a la pestilencia y al hambre; y haré de vosotros motivo de espanto para todos los reinos de la tierra.

“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 “ Y entregaré a los hombres que han transgredido mi pacto, que no han cumplido las palabras del pacto que hicieron delante de mí, cuando cortaron en dos el becerro y pasaron entre los pedazos,

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 a los oficiales de Judá, a los oficiales de Jerusalén, a los oficiales de la corte, a los sacerdotes y a todo el pueblo de la tierra que pasaron entre los pedazos del becerro;

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 y los entregaré en manos de sus enemigos y en manos de los que buscan su vida. Sus cadáveres servirán de comida para las aves del cielo y para las bestias de la tierra.

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 “ Y a Sedequías, rey de Judá, y a sus oficiales los entregaré en manos de sus enemigos, en manos de los que buscan su vida y en manos del ejército del rey de Babilonia, que se ha retirado de vosotros.

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 “ He aquí, daré órdenes” —declara el Señor — “y los haré volver a esta ciudad, y pelearán contra ella, la tomarán y le prenderán fuego; y haré de las ciudades de Judá una desolación sin habitantes.”

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.’”