Liber Ieremiae

Ieremiae, chapter 38, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 38 Vulgate

   1 Audivit autem Saphatias fi lius Matthan et Godolias fi lius Phassur et Iuchal filius Selemiae et Phassur filius Melchiae sermones, quos Ieremias loquebatur ad omnem populum dicens:
   2 "Haec dicit Dominus: Quicumque manserit in civitate hac, morietur gladio et fame et peste; qui autem profugerit ad Chaldaeos, vivet, et erit anima eius quasi spolium et vivet.
   3 Haec dicit Dominus: Certe tradetur civitas haec in manu exercitus regis Babylonis, et capiet eam".
   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 iuxta verba haec; siquidem homo iste non quaerit pacem populo huic sed malum".
   5 Et dixit rex Sedecias: "Ecce ipse in manibus vestris est; nequit enim rex vobis quidquam negare".
   6 Tulerunt ergo Ieremiam et proiecerunt eum in lacum Melchiae filii regis, qui erat in vestibulo custodiae. Et submiserunt Ieremiam funibus. Et in lacu non erat aqua sed lutum; descendit itaque Ieremias in caenum.
   7 Audivit autem Abdemelech Aethiops, vir eunuchus, qui erat in domo regis, quod misissent Ieremiam in lacum; porro rex sedebat in porta Beniamin.
   8 Et egressus est Abdemelech de domo regis et locutus est ad regem dicens:
   9 "Domine mi rex, malefecerunt viri isti omnia, quaecumque perpetrarunt contra Ieremiam prophetam, mittentes eum in lacum, ut moriatur ibi fame; non sunt enim panes ultra in civitate".
   10 Praecepit itaque rex Abdemelech Aethiopi dicens: "Tolle tecum hinc triginta viros et leva Ieremiam prophetam de lacu, antequam moriatur".
   11 Assumptis ergo Abdemelech secum viris, ingressus est domum regis, in conclave, quod erat sub thesauro, et tulit inde pannos ex vestibus veteribus et scissis et submisit eos ad Ieremiam in lacum per funiculos.
   12 Dixitque Abdemelech Aethiops ad Ieremiam: "Pone veteres pannos et haec scissa sub scapuli et postea funes". Fecit ergo Ieremias sic;
   13 et extraxerunt Ieremiam funibus et eduxerunt eum de lacu. Mansit autem Ieremias in vestibulo custodiae.
   14 Et misit rex Sedecias et tulit ad se Ieremiam prophetam ad ostium tertium, quod erat in domo Domini; et dixit rex ad Ieremiam: "Interrogo ego te sermonem, ne abscondas a me aliquid".
   15 Dixit autem Ieremias ad Sedeciam: "Si annuntiavero tibi, numquid non interficies me? Et si consilium dedero tibi, non me audies".
   16 Iuravit ergo rex Sedecias Ieremiae clam dicens: "Vivit Dominus, qui fecit nobis animam hanc, non occidam te et non tradam te in manu virorum istorum, qui quaerunt animam tuam".
   17 Et dixit Ieremias ad Sedeciam: "Haec dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israel: Si profectus exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, vivet anima tua, et civitas haec non succendetur igni, et salvus eris tu et domus tua;
   18 si autem non exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, tradetur civitas haec in manu Chaldaeorum, et succendent eam igni, et tu non effugies de manu eorum".
   19 Et dixit rex Sedecias ad Ieremiam: "Sollicitus sum propter Iudaeos, qui transfugerunt ad Chaldaeos, ne forte tradar in manus eorum, et illudant mihi".
   20 Respondit autem Ieremias: "Non te tradent; audi, quaeso, vocem Domini, quam ego loquor ad te, et bene tibi erit, et vivet anima tua.
   21 Quod si nolueris egredi, iste est sermo, quem ostendit mihi Dominus:
   22 Ecce omnes mulieres, quae remanserunt in domo regis Iudae, educentur ad principes regis Babylonis et ipsae dicent: "Seduxerunt te et praevaluerunt adversum te viri pacifici tui; demersi sunt in caeno pedes tui, illi autem recesserunt a te".
   23 Et omnes uxores tuae et filii tui educentur ad Chaldaeos, et non effugies manus eorum, sed in manu regis Babylonis capieris; et civitatem hanc comburet igni".
   24 Dixit ergo Sedecias ad Ieremiam: "Nullus sciat verba haec, et non morieris.
   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",
   26 dices ad eos: "Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci iuberet in domum Ionathan, et ibi morerer" ".
   27 Venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Ieremiam et interrogaverunt eum, et locutus est eis iuxta omnia verba, quae praeceperat ei rex; et cessaverunt ab eo: nihil enim fuerat auditum.
   28 Mansit vero Ieremias in vestibulo custodiae usque ad diem, quo capta est Ierusalem. Et factum est ut caperetur Ierusalem.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,
   2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
   3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.
   4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
   5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.
   6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
   7 ¶ Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
   8 Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying,
   9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
   10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
   11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
   12 And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
   13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
   14 ¶ Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
   15 Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
   16 So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
   17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
   18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
   19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
   20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
   21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:
   22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
   23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
   24 ¶ Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.
   25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
   26 Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
   27 Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.
   28 So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.