Jeremiah 38

1 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:

1 玛坦的儿子示法提雅、巴施户珥的儿子基大利、示利米雅的儿子犹甲、玛基雅的儿子巴施户珥听见耶利米对众人说：

2 “This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.

2 “耶和华这样说，‘凡留在这城的，必死于刀剑、饥荒和瘟疫；凡出去向迦勒底人投降的，必保全性命，得以存活。’

3 This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

3 耶和华说，‘这城必落在巴比伦王的军队手中，他们必攻占这城。’”

4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”

4 这几位官长就对西底迦王说：“求你处死这人！因为他的话令这城的军民士气低落。这人不为人民着想，反要害他们。”

5 “Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”

5 西底迦王说：“你们可以随意处置他，我不会阻止你们。”

6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

6 于是，他们拿住耶利米，用绳子把他缒到王子玛基雅的蓄水池里。那池子在护卫的院子里，池中没有水，只有淤泥。耶利米就陷在淤泥中。

7 Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,

7 那时，王正坐在便雅悯门口。宫廷侍臣古实人以伯·米勒听说他们把耶利米囚在蓄水池里，

8 Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,

8 便离开王宫，去对王说：

9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”

9 “我主我王啊！这些人对耶利米先知太狠毒了。他们把他扔在蓄水池里，他必饿死在那里，因为城中绝粮了。”

10 So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

10 于是，王吩咐古实人以伯·米勒率领三十人，趁耶利米先知还没死，把他从池中救出来。

11 Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

11 以伯·米勒带着他的手下进入王宫，从库房下面的房间拿了些碎布和破衣，用绳索缒到池底给耶利米，

12 Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

12 让他把这些碎布和破衣放在腋下垫绳索。耶利米就照做了。

13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

13 他们便用绳索把耶利米从池中拉上来。耶利米仍留在护卫的院子里。

14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

14 西底迦王派人把耶利米先知带到耶和华殿的第三道门那里与他会面。他对耶利米说：“我要问你一件事，你不可有任何隐瞒。”

15 “If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

15 耶利米说：“我若从实禀告，你一定会杀我。我就是给你建议，你也不会听。”

16 But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

16 于是，他私下向耶利米发誓说：“我凭那赐给我们生命的永活的耶和华起誓，我决不杀你，也不把你交在想杀你的人手中。”

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.

17 耶利米说：“以色列的上帝——万军之上帝耶和华说，‘如果你出去向巴比伦王的将领投降，就可以保住你和你全家的性命，这城也不会被烧毁。

18 But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

18 但如果你不出去向巴比伦王的将领投降，这城必落在迦勒底人手里，被付之一炬，你也逃不掉。’”

19 But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

19 西底迦王说：“我害怕那些已经向迦勒底人投降的犹大人，恐怕迦勒底人会把我交给他们，任由他们羞辱。”

20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

20 耶利米说：“你不会被交给他们的。求你听从耶和华吩咐我对你说的话，这样你就可以平安无事，保全性命。

21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

21 如果你不肯投降，耶和华已让我看到以下景象：

22 All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’

22 所有留在犹大王宫的妇女都必被带到巴比伦王的将领那里，她们会对你说，‘你被好友欺骗和左右，当你陷入泥潭时，他们就离弃了你。’

23 All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

23 “你的嫔妃和儿女必被交给迦勒底人，你也逃不掉，必被巴比伦王所擒。这城也要被付之一炬。”

24 Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.

24 西底迦说：“不可让人知道我和你交谈，否则你会丧命。

25 If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

25 如果有官长听说我和你交谈，前来逼你说出我们谈话的内容，否则就杀死你，

26 then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

26 你可以告诉他们，你是在求我不要把你押回约拿单的房子，以免死在那里。”

27 When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.

27 果然，众官长前来查问耶利米，他就照王的吩咐回复他们，他们便不再追问，因为他跟王的谈话无人知道。

28 And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

28 耶利米被囚在护卫的院子里，一直到耶路撒冷沦陷。