Jeremiah 37

1 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.

1 巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒立约西亚的儿子西底迦代替约雅敬的儿子哥尼雅做犹大王。

2 But he and his officers and the people of the land refused to obey the words that the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

2 西底迦和他的臣仆及人民却没有听从耶和华借耶利米先知说的话。

3 Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”

3 西底迦王派示利米雅的儿子犹甲和玛西雅的儿子祭司西番雅来对耶利米先知说：“求你为我们向我们的上帝耶和华祷告。”

4 Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.

4 当时，耶利米还可以在百姓中自由来往，因为他还没有被囚在狱中。

5 Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

5 那时，法老的军队已从埃及出发，正在围攻耶路撒冷的迦勒底人听见消息就退兵了。

6 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet:

6 耶和华对耶利米先知说：

7 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.

7 “以色列的上帝耶和华这样说，‘犹大王派你们来求问我，你们告诉他：前来支援你们的法老军队必返回本国埃及，

8 Then the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.

8 而迦勒底人必卷土重来，攻占这城，将它付之一炬。

9 This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not!

9 耶和华说，你们不要自欺，以为迦勒底人必撤军。其实他们不会撤军。

10 Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”

10 即使你们能打败迦勒底全军，他们营中受伤的残兵也必起来烧毁这城。’”

11 When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,

11 当迦勒底人因害怕法老的军队而从耶路撒冷撤军的时候，

12 Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people.

12 耶利米起身离开耶路撒冷，前往便雅悯境内去接收他在同族中应得的地业。

13 But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”

13 当耶利米先知来到便雅悯门时，哈拿尼亚的孙子、示利米雅的儿子守门官伊利雅逮捕了他，说：“你想去投奔迦勒底人！”

14 “That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.

14 耶利米说：“胡说，我不是去投奔迦勒底人。”但伊利雅不信，就把他抓起来押到众官长那里。

15 The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.

15 官长们大怒，命人打耶利米，把他囚禁在书记约拿单的房子里，因为他们已把这房子改作监牢。

16 So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.

16 耶利米被囚禁在地牢中许多天。

17 Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

17 后来，西底迦王派人把他带到自己的宫中，私下问他：“耶和华有什么话给你吗？”耶利米说：“有，你要被交在巴比伦王手中。”

18 Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison?

18 耶利米又问他：“我在什么事上得罪了你、你的臣仆或人民，以致你们把我囚在监牢中？

19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?

19 那些曾向你们预言‘巴比伦王绝不会来这里攻打你们’的先知如今在哪里呢？

20 But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”

20 现在，我主我王啊，请恩准我的恳求！求你不要把我送回书记约拿单的房子，免得我死在那里。”

21 So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

21 于是，西底迦王下令把耶利米囚在护卫的院子里，派人每天从饼铺取一个饼给他，直到城中绝粮。耶利米就这样住在护卫的院子里。