Liber Ieremiae, 38

1. audivit autem Saphatias filius Matthan et Gedelias filius Phassur et Juchal filius Selemiæ et Phassur filius Melchiæ sermones quos Hieremias loquebatur ad omnem populum dicens

1. Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words that Jeremias spoke to all the people, saying:

2. hæc dicit Dominus quicumque manserit in civitate hac morietur gladio et fame et peste qui autem profugerit ad Chaldeos vivet et erit anima ejus sospes et vivens

2. Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shell remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence : but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live.

3. hæc dicit Dominus tradenda tradetur civitas hæc in manu exercitus regis Babylonis et capiet eam

3. Thus saith the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

4. et dixerunt principes regi rogamus ut occidatur homo iste de industria enim dissolvit manus virorum bellantium qui remanserunt in civitate hac et manus universi populi loquens ad eos juxta verba hæc siquidem homo hic non quærit pacem populi hujus sed malum

4. And the princes said to the king: We beseech thee that this man may be put to death: for on purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil.

5. et dixit rex Sedecias ecce ipse in manibus vestris est nec enim fas est regem vobis quicquam negare

5. And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing.

6. tulerunt ergo Hieremiam et projecerunt eum in lacu Melchiæ filii Ammelech qui erat in vestibulo carceris et submiserunt Hieremiam in funibus et in lacum non erat aqua sed lutum descendit itaque Hieremias in cænum

6. Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water, but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.

7. audivit autem Abdemelech Æthiops vir eunuchus qui erat in domo regis quod misissent Hieremiam in lacum porro rex sedebat in porta Beniamin

7. Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremias in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.

8. et egressus est Abdemelech de domo regis et locutus est ad regem dicens

8. And Abdemelech went out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying:

9. domine mi rex malefecerunt viri isti omnia quæcumque perpetrarunt contra Hieremiam prophetam mittentes eum in lacum ut moriatur ibi fame non sunt enim panes ultra in civitate

9. My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done against Jeremias the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.

10. præcepit itaque rex Abdemelech Æthiopi dicens tolle tecum hinc triginta viros et leva Hieremiam prophetam de lacu antequam moriatur

10. Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, end draw up Jeremias the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11. adsumptis ergo Abdemelech secum viris ingressus est domum regis quæ erat sub cellario et tulit inde veteres pannos et antiqua quæ conputruerant et submisit ea ad Hieremiam in lacum per funiculos

11. So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king's house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremias into the dungeon.

12. dixitque Abdemelech Æthiops ad Hieremiam pone veteres pannos et hæc scissa et putrida sub cubitu manuum tuarum et subter funes fecit ergo Hieremias sic

12. And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremias: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremias did so.

13. et extraxerunt Hieremiam funibus et eduxerunt eum de lacu mansit autem Hieremias in vestibulo carceris

13. And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.

14. et misit rex Sedecias et tulit ad se Hieremiam prophetam ad ostium tertium quod erat in domo Domini et dixit rex ad Hieremiam interrogo ego te sermonem ne abscondas a me aliquid

14. And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremias the prophet to him to the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremias: I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me.

15. dixit autem Hieremias ad Sedeciam si adnuntiavero tibi numquid non interficies me et si consilium tibi dedero non me audies

15. Then Jeremias said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to thee, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.

16. juravit ergo rex Sedecias Hieremiæ clam dicens vivit Dominus qui fecit nobis animam hanc si occidero te et si tradidero te in manu virorum istorum qui quærunt animam tuam

16. Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremias, in private, saying: As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.

17. et dixit Hieremias ad Sedeciam hæc dicit Dominus exercituum Deus Israël si profectus exieris ad principes regis Babylonis vivet anima tua et civitas hæc non succendetur igni et salvus eris tu et domus tua

17. And Jeremias said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If thou wilt take a resolution and go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thy house.

18. si autem non exieris ad principes regis Babylonis tradetur civitas hæc in manu Chaldeorum et succendent eam igni et tu non effugies de manu eorum

18. But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.

19. et dixit rex Sedecias ad Hieremiam sollicitus sum propter Judæos qui transfugerunt ad Chaldeos ne forte tradar in manus eorum et inludant mihi

19. And king Sedecias said to Jeremias: I am afraid because of the Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered into their hands, and they should abuse me.

20. respondit autem Hieremias non te tradent audi quæso vocem Domini quam ego loquor ad te et bene tibi erit et vivet anima tua

20. But Jeremias answered: They shall not deliver thee: hearken, I beseech thee, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to thee, and it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

21. quod si nolueris egredi iste est sermo quem ostendit mihi Dominus

21. But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord hath shewn me:

22. ecce omnes mulieres quæ remanserunt in domo regis Juda educentur ad principes regis Babylonis et ipsæ dicent seduxerunt te et prævaluerunt adversum te viri pacifici tui demerserunt in cæno et lubrico pedes tuos et recesserunt a te

22. Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Thy men of peace have deceived thee, and have prevailed against thee, they have plunged thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery place, and they have departed from thee.

23. et omnes uxores tuæ et filii tui educentur ad Chaldeos et non effugies manus eorum sed in manu regis Babylonis capieris et civitatem hanc conburet igni

23. And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.

24. dixit ergo Sedecias ad Hieremiam nullus sciat verba hæc et non morieris

24. Then Sedecias said to Jeremias: Let no man know these words, and thou shalt not die.

25. si autem audierint principes quia locutus sum tecum et venerint ad te et dixerint tibi indica nobis quid locutus sis cum rege ne celes nos et non te interficiemus et quid locutus est tecum rex

25. But if the princes shall hear that I have spoken with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what thou hast said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill thee: and also what the king said to thee:

26. dices ad eos prostravi ego preces meas coram rege ne me reduci juberet in domum Jonathan et ibi morerer

26. Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.

27. venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Hieremiam et interrogaverunt eum et locutus est eis juxta omnia verba quæ præceperat ei rex et cessaverunt ab eo nihil enim fuerat auditum

27. So all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard.

28. mansit vero Hieremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem quo capta est Hierusalem et factum est ut caperetur Hierusalem

28. But Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.