¹西底家求耶利米代祷

¹And reign doth king Zedekiah son of Josiah instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had caused to reign in the land of Judah,

²西底家和他的臣仆，以及那地的人民，都不听从耶和华借耶利米先知所传的话。

²and he hath not hearkened, he, and his servants, and the people of the land, unto the words of Jehovah, that He spake by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.

³西底家王差派示利米雅的儿子犹甲和玛西雅祭司的儿子西番雅，去见耶利米先知，说：“请你为我们向耶和华我们的　神祷告。”

³And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Pray, we beseech thee, for us unto Jehovah our God.`

⁴那时，耶利米还可以在民众中间自由行动，因为他们还没有把他关进监狱里。

⁴And Jeremiah is coming in and going out in the midst of the people, (and they have not put him in the prison-house),

⁵法老的军队已经从埃及出来；那些围困耶路撒冷的迦勒底人听见了他们的风声，就从耶路撒冷撤退了。

⁵and the force of Pharaoh hath come out of Egypt, and the Chaldeans, who are laying siege against Jerusalem, hear their report, and go up from off Jerusalem.

⁶那时，耶和华的话临到耶利米先知，

⁶And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

⁷“耶和华以色列的　神这样说：你们要对差派你们来求问我的犹大王这样说：‘看哪！那出来帮助你们的法老的军队，必回到他们的埃及本地去。

⁷`Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Thus do ye say unto the king of Judah, who is sending you unto Me, to seek Me: Lo, the force of Pharaoh that is coming out to you for help hath turned back to its land, to Egypt,

⁸迦勒底人必回来，攻击这城，占领这城，放火烧毁这城。’

⁸and the Chaldeans have turned back, and fought against this city, and captured it, and burnt it with fire.

⁹耶和华这样说：你们不要自己欺骗自己，说：‘迦勒底人必定离开我们！’因为他们必不离开。

⁹`Thus said Jehovah: Lift not up your souls saying, The Chaldeans surely go from off us, for they do not go;

¹⁰即使你们击败了那攻打你们的迦勒底全军，他们中间只剩下一些受重伤的人，他们也必各从自己的帐棚里起来，放火烧毁这城。’”

¹⁰for though ye had smitten all the force of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you, and there were left of them wounded men — each in his tent — they rise, and have burnt this city with fire.`

¹¹耶利米被囚禁迦勒底人的军队因惧怕法老的军队而从耶路撒冷撤退的时候，

¹¹And it hath come to pass, in the going up of the force of the Chaldeans from off Jerusalem, because of the force of Pharaoh,

¹²耶利米离开耶路撒冷，往便雅悯地去，要在那里，在同乡中间，取得自己的产业。

¹²that Jeremiah goeth out from Jerusalem to go [to] the land of Benjamin, to receive a portion thence in the midst of the people.

¹³他到了便雅悯门，那里有一个守卫的长官，名叫伊利雅，是哈拿尼雅的孙子、示利米雅的儿子；他拿住耶利米先知，说：“你想去投降迦勒底人！”

¹³And it cometh to pass, he is at the gate of Benjamin, and there [is] a master of the ward — and his name is Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah — and he catcheth Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Unto the Chaldeans thou art falling.`

¹⁴耶利米说：“这是谎话！我并不是去投降迦勒底人。”但伊利雅不听他，仍拿住他，把他带到众领袖那里。

¹⁴And Jeremiah saith, `Falsehood — I am not falling unto the Chaldeans;` and he hath not hearkened unto him, and Irijah layeth hold on Jeremiah, and bringeth him in unto the heads,

¹⁵众领袖都恼怒耶利米，就吩咐人打他，并且把他关进监里，就是在书记约拿单的房子里，因为他们已把这房子改作监狱。

¹⁵and the heads are wroth against Jeremiah, and have smitten him, and put him in the prison-house — the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it they had made for a prison-house.

¹⁶耶利米进了地牢里的一个囚房，在那里监禁了多日。

¹⁶When Jeremiah hath entered into the house of the dungeon, and unto the cells, then Jeremiah dwelleth there many days,

¹⁷后来，西底家王派人去把他带出来；王在自己的宫中私下问他，说：“从耶和华那里有话来吗？”耶利米回答：“有！”又说：“你必交在巴比伦王的手中。”

¹⁷and the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh him, and the king asketh him in his house in secret, and saith, `Is there a word from Jehovah?` And Jeremiah saith, `There is,` and he saith, `Into the hand of the king of Babylon thou art given.`

¹⁸耶利米再对西底家王说：“我有什么得罪你，或你的臣仆，或这人民，你竟然把我送进监狱里呢？

¹⁸And Jeremiah saith unto the king Zedekiah, `What have I sinned against thee, and against thy servants, and against this people, that ye have given me unto a prison-house?

¹⁹你们的先知曾向你们预言说：‘巴比伦王必不会来攻击你们和这地。’他们现今在哪里呢？

¹⁹And where [are] your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon doth not come in against you, and against this land?

²⁰我主我王啊！现在求你垂听，求你容我向你恳求！不要把我送回书记约拿单的房子去，免得我死在那里。”

²⁰And now, hearken, I pray thee, my lord, O king, let my supplication fall, I pray thee, before thee, and cause me not to return [to] the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I die not there.`

²¹于是西底家王下令，把耶利米拘留在卫兵的院子里；他们每天从饼铺街拿一个饼给他，直到城里的饼都吃光了。耶利米就这样留在卫兵的院子里。

²¹And the king Zedekiah commandeth, and they commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, also to give to him a cake of bread daily from the bakers` street, till the consumption of all the bread of the city, and Jeremiah dwelleth in the court of the prison.