耶利米書 37

¹約西亞的兒子西底家代替約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅為王，是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒立在猶大地作王的。Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.

²但西底家和他的臣僕，並國中的百姓，都不聽從耶和華藉先知耶利米所說的話。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.

³西底家王打發示利米雅的兒子猶甲和祭司瑪西雅的兒子西番雅去見先知耶利米，說：「求你為我們禱告耶和華─我們的　神。」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!”

⁴那時耶利米在民中出入，因為他們還沒有把他囚在監裡。Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.

⁵法老的軍隊已經從埃及出來，那圍困耶路撒冷的迦勒底人聽見他們的風聲，就拔營離開耶路撒冷去了。Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

⁶耶和華的話臨到先知耶利米說：Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet:

⁷「耶和華─以色列的　神如此說：猶大王打發你們來求問我，你們要如此對他說：『那出來幫助你們法老的軍隊必回埃及本國去。“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.

⁸迦勒底人必再來攻打這城，並要攻取，用火焚燒。Then the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.

⁹耶和華如此說：你們不要自欺說「迦勒底人必定離開我們」，因為他們必不離開。This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not!

¹⁰你們即便殺敗了與你們爭戰的迦勒底全軍，但剩下受傷的人也必各人從帳棚裡起來，用火焚燒這城。』」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.”

¹¹迦勒底的軍隊因怕法老的軍隊，拔營離開耶路撒冷的時候，When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,

¹²耶利米就雜在民中出離耶路撒冷，要往便雅憫地去，在那裡得自己的地業。Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people.

¹³他到了便雅憫門那裡，有守門官名叫伊利雅，是哈拿尼亞的孫子、示利米雅的兒子，他就拿住先知耶利米，說：「你是投降迦勒底人哪！」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!”

¹⁴耶利米說：「你這是謊話，我並不是投降迦勒底人。」伊利雅不聽他的話，就拿住他，解到首領那裡。“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.

¹⁵首領惱怒耶利米，就打了他，將他囚在文士約拿單的房屋中，因為他們以這房屋當作監牢。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.

¹⁶耶利米來到獄中，進入牢房，在那裡囚了多日。So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.

¹⁷西底家王打發人提出他來，在自己的宮內私下問他說：「從耶和華有甚麼話臨到沒有？」耶利米說：「有！」又說：「你必交在巴比倫王手中。」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.”

¹⁸耶利米又對西底家王說：「我在甚麼事上得罪你，或你的臣僕，或這百姓，你竟將我囚在監裡呢？Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison?

¹⁹對你們預言巴比倫王必不來攻擊你們和這地的先知，現今在哪裡呢？Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?

²⁰主─我的王啊，求你現在垂聽，准我在你面前的懇求：不要使我回到文士約拿單的房屋中，免得我死在那裡。」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.”

²¹於是，西底家王下令，他們就把耶利米交在護衛兵的院中，每天從餅舖街取一個餅給他，直到城中的餅用盡了。這樣，耶利米仍在護衛兵的院中。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.