1Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah, heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,
1耶利米在牢狱里
2Thus says Yahweh, He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey, and he shall live.
2“耶和华这样说：‘凡留在这城里的，必因刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫而死；但出去向迦勒底人投降的，必可以活着；他们必捡回自己的性命，得以生存。’
3Thus says Yahweh, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.
3耶和华这样说：‘这城必交在巴比伦王军队的手中，巴比伦王必攻取这城。’”
4Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but the hurt.”
4于是众领袖对王说：“这人应该处死，因为他向这城里剩下的军兵和众民说了这样的话，使他们的手都软弱无力。这人不是为这人民求平安，却是惹来灾祸的。”
5Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he who can do anything against you.
5西底家王说：“看哪！他在你们手中；王不能作什么反对你们。”
6Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
6他们就拿住耶利米，把他丢在王子玛基雅的井里，那井是在卫兵的院子里的；他们用绳子把耶利米缒下去。井里没有水，只有淤泥；耶利米就陷在淤泥中。
7Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin),
7以伯．米勒援救耶利米宫中的臣宰古实人以伯．米勒，在王宫里听见他们把耶利米关在井里的消息（那时，王正在便雅悯门坐着），
8Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,
8以伯．米勒就从王宫里出来，禀告王说：
9My 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 likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.
9“我主我王啊！这些人对耶利米先知所作的一切真是恶毒，他们把他丢在井里；在那地方他必饿死，因为城里再没有粮食了。”
10Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.
10于是王吩咐古实人以伯．米勒说：“你从这里带三十个人，在耶利米先知未死以前，把他从井里拉上来。”
11So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
11以伯．米勒就带人进王宫去，到储物室下面的一个房间，从那里取了些破布烂衣，用绳子缒下井里给耶利米。
12Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put now these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords. Jeremiah did so.
12古实人以伯．米勒对耶利米说：“把这些破布烂衣垫在你的腋下，然后束上绳子。”耶利米就这样作了。
13So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
13于是他们用绳子把耶利米从井里拉出来；这样，耶利米可以住在卫兵的院子里。
14Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of Yahweh: and the king said to Jeremiah, I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me.
14西底家私会耶利米后来，西底家王派人去把耶利米先知带到耶和华殿中的第三道门那里去见他。王对耶利米说：“我要问你一件事，你什么都不可以向我隐瞒。”
15Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? and if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.
15耶利米对西底家说：“我若告诉你，你不是要杀死我吗？我若向你建议，你必不听从我。”
16So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, As Yahweh lives, who made us this soul, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.
16于是西底家王私下向耶利米起誓，说：“我指着那创造我们生命的永活的耶和华起誓：我决不杀死你，也不把你交在这些寻索你性命的人的手里。”
17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel: If you will go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your house.
17耶利米劝西底家出降耶利米对西底家说：“耶和华万军的 神、以色列的 神这样说：‘你若出去归降巴比伦王的将领，你的性命就可以存活；这城也不会被火焚烧，你和你一家都可以存活。
18But if you will 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 you shall not escape out of their hand.
18但你若不出去归降巴比伦王的将领，这城就必交在迦勒底人的手中；他们必放火烧毁这城，你自己也不能从他们的手里逃脱。’”
19Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews who are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
19西底家王对耶利米说：“我害怕那些已向迦勒底人投降的犹大人，恐怕迦勒底人把我交在他们手中，他们就会凌辱我。”
20But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the voice of Yahweh, in that which I speak to you: so it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.
20耶利米说：“迦勒底人必不会把你交给他们。求你听从我对你所说的耶和华的话；这样，你就可以平安无事，你的性命也可以存活。
21But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that Yahweh has shown me:
21你若拒绝出去投降，耶和华指示我的话就是这样：
22behold, all the women who 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, Your familiar friends have set you on, and have prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mire, they have turned away back.
22看哪！犹大王宫里所有剩下的妇女，都必被带出来，去到巴比伦王的将领那里。那些妇女必对你说：‘你的盟友煽惑了你，左右了你；现在你的脚陷在泥沼中，他们就都离弃你。’
23They shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans; and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.
23你所有的后妃和你的儿女，都必被带出来，去到迦勒底人那里；你自己也不能从他们的手里逃脱，因为你必被巴比伦王的手抓住；这城也必被火烧毁（“这城也必被火烧毁”有古抄本作“你必放火烧毁这城”）。”
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die.
24王命耶利米要保密西底家对耶利米说：“不要给人知道这些话，这样你就不会死。
25But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don’t hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also what the king said to you:
25众领袖若听见了我和你说过话，就会来见你，对你说：‘告诉我们，你对王说了些什么？不可向我们隐瞒，我们就不会杀死你。王又对你说了些什么？’
26then you shall tell them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.
26你就要对他们说：‘我只是把我的恳求呈到王面前，求他不要把我送回约拿单的房子去，免得我死在那里。’”
27Then came all the princes to 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.
27所有的领袖果然来见耶利米，查问他；他就照着王所吩咐的这一切话告诉他们。于是他们不再追问他，因为王和他说话的内容没有给人听见。
28So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.
28这样，耶利米留在卫兵的院子里，直到耶路撒冷被攻取的那一天。