Jeremias 38

The prophet at the instance of the great men is cast into a filthy dungeon: he is drawn out by Abdemelech, and has another conference with the king.

Audivit autem Saphatias filius Mathan, et Gedelias filius Phassur, et Juchal filius Selemiæ, et Phassur filius Melchiæ, sermones quos Jeremias loquebatur ad omnem populum, dicens:

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 Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying:

Hæc dicit Dominus: Quicumque manserit in civitate hac, morietur gladio, et fame, et peste: qui autem profugerit ad Chaldæos, vivet, et erit anima ejus sospes et vivens.

Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shall 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.

Hæc dicit Dominus: Tradendo tradetur civitas hæc in manu exercitus regis Babylonis, et capiet eam.

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.

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 iste non quærit pacem populo huic, sed malum.

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.

Et dixit rex Sedecias: Ecce ipse in manibus vestris est: nec enim fas est regem vobis quidquam negare.

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

Tulerunt ergo Jeremiam, et projecerunt eum in lacum Melchiæ filii Amelech, qui erat in vestibulo carceris: et submiserunt Jeremiam funibus in lacum, in quo non erat aqua, sed lutum: descendit itaque Jeremias in cœnum.

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

Audivit autem Abdemelech Æthiops, vir eunuchus, qui erat in domo regis, quod misissent Jeremiam in lacum. Porro rex sedebat in porta Benjamin:

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

et egressus est Abdemelech de domo regis, et locutus est ad regem, dicens:

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

Domine mi rex, male fecerunt viri isti omnia quæcumque perpetrarunt contra Jeremiam prophetam, mittentes eum in lacum, ut moriatur ibi fame: non sunt enim panes ultra in civitate.

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

Præcepit itaque rex Abdemelech Æthiopi, dicens: Tolle tecum hinc triginta viros, et leva Jeremiam prophetam de lacu, antequam moriatur.

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

Assumptis ergo Abdemelech secum viris, ingressus est domum regis, quæ erat sub cellario, et tulit inde veteres pannos, et antiqua quæ computruerant, et submisit ea ad Jeremiam in lacum per funiculos.

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 Jeremiah into the dungeon.

Dixitque Abdemelech Æthiops ad Jeremiam: Pone veteres pannos, et hæc scissa et putrida, sub cubito manuum tuarum, et super funes. Fecit ergo Jeremias sic,

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

et extraxerunt Jeremiam funibus, et eduxerunt eum de lacu: mansit autem Jeremias in vestibulo carceris.

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

Et misit rex Sedecias, et tulit ad se Jeremiam prophetam ad ostium tertium quod erat in domo Domini: et dixit rex ad Jeremiam: Interrogo ego te sermonem, ne abscondas a me aliquid.

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

Dixit autem Jeremias ad Sedeciam: Si annuntiavero tibi, numquid non interficies me? et si consilium dedero tibi, non me audies.

Then Jeremiah 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.

Juravit ergo rex Sedecias Jeremiæ clam, dicens: Vivit Dominus, qui fecit nobis animam hanc, si occidero te, et si tradidero te in manus virorum istorum qui quærunt animam tuam.

Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremiah, 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.

Et dixit Jeremias 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.

And Jeremiah 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.

Si autem non exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, tradetur civitas hæc in manus Chaldæorum, et succendent eam igni: et tu non effugies de manu eorum.

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 hand.

Et dixit rex Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Sollicitus sum propter Judæos qui transfugerunt ad Chaldæos, ne forte tradar in manus eorum, et illudant mihi.

And king Sedecias said to Jeremiah: 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.

Respondit autem Jeremias: Non te tradent. Audi, quæso, vocem Domini, quam ego loquor ad te, et bene tibi erit, et vivet anima tua.

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

Quod si nolueris egredi, iste est sermo quem ostendit mihi Dominus:

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

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 cœno et in lubrico pedes tuos, et recesserunt a te.

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.

Et omnes uxores tuæ et filii tui educentur ad Chaldæos: et non effugies manus eorum, sed in manu regis Babylonis capieris, et civitatem hanc comburet igni.

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.

Dixit ergo Sedecias ad Jeremiam: Nullus sciat verba hæc, et non morieris.

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

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:

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:

dices ad eos: Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci juberet in domum Jonathan, et ibi morerer.

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.

Venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Jeremiam, et interrogaverunt eum, et locutus est eis juxta omnia verba quæ præceperat ei rex: et cessaverunt ab eo: nihil enim fuerat auditum.

So all the princes came to Jeremiah, 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.

Mansit vero Jeremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem quo capta est Jerusalem: et factum est ut caperetur Jerusalem.

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