Yeremya 45

¹Matan oğlu Safatias, Pashor oğlu Godolias ve Selemiyas oğlu Ioahal, Yeremyas'ın halka söylemekte olduğu şu sözleri duydular:

²"Rab şöyle diyor: Bu kentte kalan kılıçla ve kıtlıkla ölecek; ama Keldanilere sığınan yaşayacak, canı kendisi için beklenmedik bir kazanç olacak ve yaşayacaktır.

³Çünkü Rab şöyle diyor: Bu kent kesinlikle Babil kralının ordusunun eline teslim edilecek ve o burayı ele geçirecektir."

⁴Bunun üzerine önderler krala, "Bu adam artık öldürülsün" dediler, "Çünkü bu sözleri onlara söyleyerek kentte kalan savaşçıların ve tüm halkın ellerini gevşetiyor. Bu adam bu halkın esenliğini dilemiyor, ancak kötülüğünü istiyor."

⁵Kral Sedekyas, "İşte, o sizin elinizdedir" dedi, "Çünkü kral size karşı hiçbir şey yapamazdı."

⁶Böylece Yeremyas'ı alıp muhafız avlusunda bulunan kralın oğlu Melhias'ın çukuruna attılar; onu iplerle çukura indirdiler. Çukurda su yoktu, sadece çamur vardı ve Yeremyas çamurun içindeydi.

⁷Kralın sarayında bulunan Etiyopyalı Abdemeleh, Yeremyas'ı çukura attıklarını duydu. O sırada kral Benyamin Kapısı'nda oturuyordu.

⁸Abdemeleh dışarı çıkıp kralın yanına gitti ve ona şöyle dedi:

⁹"Efendim kral, bu adamı açlıktan ölsün diye çukura atmakla yaptığın her şey kötülüktür; çünkü kentte artık ekmek kalmadı."

¹⁰Bunun üzerine kral Etiyopyalı Abdemeleh'e şöyle buyurdu: "Buradan yanına otuz adam al ve ölmeden önce Yeremyas'ı çukurdan çıkar."

¹¹Abdemeleh adamları yanına alıp kral sarayının yer altındaki deposuna girdi; oradan eski paçavralar ve yıpranmış ip parçaları alarak bunları iplerle çukurdaki Yeremyas'a uzattı.

¹²Ona, "Bunları iplerin altına koy" dedi. Yeremyas denileni yaptı.

¹³Onu iplerle çekip çukurdan çıkardılar. Yeremyas muhafız avlusunda kaldı.

¹⁴Kral Sedekyas adam gönderip Yeremyas'ı Rab'bin tapınağındaki Aseleise evine yanına getirtti. Kral Yeremyas'a, "Sana bir şey soracağım, benden hiçbir şey gizleme" dedi.

¹⁵Yeremyas Sedekyas'a, "Sana açıklarsam beni kesinlikle öldürmez misin?" dedi, "Sana öğüt versem de beni asla dinlemeyeceksin."

¹⁶Kral Sedekyas Yeremyas'a gizlice ant içerek, "Bize bu canı veren yaşayan Rab'bin varlığı hakkı için, seni ne öldüreceğim ne de canını isteyen bu adamların eline teslim edeceğim" dedi.

¹⁷Bunun üzerine Yeremyas Sedekyas'a şöyle dedi: "Rab şöyle diyor: Eğer Babil kralının önderlerinin yanına çıkıp teslim olursan, canın sağ kalacak, bu kent ateşle yakılmayacak; sen de ailen de yaşayacaksınız.

¹⁸Ama teslim olmazsan, bu kent Keldanilerin eline verilecek, onu ateşle yakacaklar ve sen onların elinden asla kurtulamayacaksın."

¹⁹Kral Sedekyas Yeremyas'a, "Keldanilere sığınmış olan Yahudilerden korkuyorum; olur ya beni onların eline teslim ederler de benimle alay ederler" dedi.

²⁰Yeremyas, "Seni asla teslim etmeyecekler" dedi, "Sana bildirdiğim Rab'bin sözüne kulak ver; o zaman senin için iyi olacak ve canın sağ kalacaktır.

²¹Ama eğer teslim olmayı reddedersen, Rab'bin bana gösterdiği söz şudur:

²²Yahuda kralının sarayında geri kalan bütün kadınlar Babil kralının önderlerinin önüne çıkarılacak ve onlar şöyle diyecekler: 'Güvendiğin dostların seni aldattı ve sana üstün geldi; ayakların kaygan yerlerde tökezleyince seni bırakıp geri döndüler.'

²³Bütün karıların ve çocukların Keldanilerin önüne çıkarılacak; sen de onların elinden kurtulamayacaksın, Babil kralının eliyle yakalanacaksın ve bu kent ateşle yakılacak."

²⁴Sedekyas Yeremyas'a, "Bu sözleri kimse bilmesin, yoksa ölürsün" dedi.

²⁵"Eğer önderler seninle konuştuğumu duyar ve yanına gelip, 'Krala ne söylediğini bize anlat, bizden gizleme, seni öldürmeyiz; kralın da sana ne söylediğini anlat' derlerse,

²⁶onlara şöyle dersin: 'Orada ölmemek için beni Yonatan'ın evine geri göndermemesi için krala yalvarıyordum.'"

²⁷Bütün önderler Yeremyas'ın yanına gelip onu sorguya çektiler. Yeremyas onlara kralın buyurduğu tüm bu sözlere göre yanıt verdi. Sustular, çünkü Rab'bin sözü işitilmedi.

²⁸Yeremyas, Yeruşalim'in ele geçirildiği güne dek muhafız avlusunda kaldı.

¹(Μασ. ΛΗ´) ΚΑΙ ἤκουσε Σαφατίας υἱὸς Μάθαν καὶ Γοδολίας υἱὸς Πασχὼρ καὶ ᾿Ιωάχαλ υἱὸς Σελεμίου τοὺς λόγους, οὓς ῾Ιερεμίας ἐλάλει ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν λέγων·

²οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος· ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ, καὶ ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος πρὸς τοὺς Χαλδαίους ζήσεται, καὶ ἔσται ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς εὕρημα, καὶ ζήσεται.

³ὅτι οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος· παραδιδομένη παραδοθήσεται ἡ πόλις αὕτη εἰς χεῖρας δυνάμεως βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ συλλήψεται αὐτήν.

⁴καὶ εἶπαν τῷ βασιλεῖ· ἀναιρεθήτω δὴ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐκλύει τὰς χεῖρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν πολεμούντων τῶν καταλειπομένων ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ τὰς χεῖρας παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ λαλῶν πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους· ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος οὐ χρησμολογεῖ εἰρήνην τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, ἀλλ’ ἢ πονηρά.

⁵καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἐν χερσὶν ὑμῶν· ὅτι οὐκ ἠδύνατο ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς αὐτούς.

⁶καὶ ἔρριψαν αὐτὸν εἰς λάκκον Μελχίου υἱοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὃς ἦν ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῆς φυλακῆς, καὶ ἐχάλασαν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν λάκκον, καὶ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ οὐκ ἦν ὕδωρ ἀλλ’ ἢ βόρβορος, καὶ ἦν ἐν τῷ βορβόρῳ. -

⁷Καὶ ἤκουσεν ᾿Αβδεμέλεχ ὁ Αἰθίοψ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν οἰκίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι ἔδωκαν ῾Ιερεμίαν εἰς τὸν λάκκον· καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἦν ἐν τῇ πύλῃ Βενιαμίν,

⁸καὶ ἐξῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἐλάλησε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ εἶπεν·

⁹ἐπονηρεύσω ἃ ἐποίησας τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον τοῦτον ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ λιμοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν ἔτι ἄρτοι ἐν τῇ πόλει.

¹⁰καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ᾿Αβδεμέλεχ λέγων· λάβε εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου ἐντεῦθεν τριάκοντα ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἀνάγαγε αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ.

¹¹καὶ ἔλαβεν ᾿Αβδεμέλεχ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ὑπόγαιον καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν παλαιὰ ράκη καὶ παλαιὰ σχοινία καὶ ἔρριψεν αὐτὰ πρὸς ῾Ιερεμίαν εἰς τὸν λάκκον

¹²καὶ εἶπε· ταῦτα θὲς ὑποκάτω τῶν σχοινίων, καὶ ἐποίησεν ῾Ιερεμίας οὕτως.

¹³καὶ εἵλκυσαν αὐτὸν τοῖς σχοινίοις καὶ ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου· καὶ ἐκάθισεν ῾Ιερεμίας ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῆς φυλακῆς. -

¹⁴Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν ᾿Ασελεισὴ τὴν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· ἐρωτήσω σε λόγον, καὶ μὴ δὴ κρύψῃς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ρῆμα.

¹⁵καὶ εἶπεν ῾Ιερεμίας τῷ βασιλεῖ· ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω σοι, οὐχὶ θανάτῳ με θανατώσεις; καὶ ἐὰν συμβουλεύσω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἀκούσῃς μου.

¹⁶καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς λέγων· ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν τὴν ψυχὴν ταύτην, εἰ ἀποκτενῶ σε καὶ εἰ δώσω σε εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων τούτων.

¹⁷καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ῾Ιερεμίας· οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος· ἐὰν ἐξελθὼν ἐξέλθῃς πρὸς ἡγεμόνας βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή σου, καὶ ἡ πόλις αὕτη οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇ ἐν πυρί, καὶ ζήσῃ σὺ καὶ ἡ οἰκία σου.

¹⁸καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ἐξέλθῃς, δοθήσεται ἡ πόλις αὕτη εἰς χεῖρας τῶν Χαλδαίων, καὶ καύσουσιν αὐτὴν ἐν πυρί, καὶ σὺ οὐ μὴ σωθῇς.

¹⁹καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ῾Ιερεμίᾳ· ἐγὼ λόγον ἔχω τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων τῶν πεφευγότων πρὸς τοὺς Χαλδαίους, μὴ δώσειν με εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν, καὶ καταμωκήσονταί μου.

²⁰καὶ εἶπεν ῾Ιερεμίας· οὐ μὴ παραδῶσί σε· ἄκουσον τὸν λόγον Κυρίου, ὃν ἐγὼ λέγω πρός σε, καὶ βέλτιον ἔσται σοι, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή σου.

²¹καὶ εἰ μὴ θέλεις σὺ ἐξελθεῖν, οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ὃν ἔδειξέ μοι Κύριος·

²²καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ καταλειφθεῖσαι ἐν οἰκίᾳ βασιλέως ᾿Ιούδα ἐξήγοντο πρὸς ἄρχοντας βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ αὗται ἔλεγον· ἠπάτησάν σε καὶ δυνήσονταί σοι ἄνδρες εἰρηνικοί σου καὶ καταλύσουσιν ἐν ὀλισθήμασι πόδα σου, ἀπέστρεψαν ἀπὸ σοῦ.

²³καὶ τὰς γυναῖκάς σου καὶ τὰ τέκνα σου ἐξάξουσι πρὸς τοὺς Χαλδαίους, καὶ σὺ οὐ μὴ σωθῇς, ὅτι ἐν χειρὶ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος συλληφθήσῃ, καὶ ἡ πόλις αὕτη κατακαυθήσεται.

²⁴καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· ἄνθρωπος μὴ γνώτω ἐκ τῶν λόγων τούτων, καὶ σὺ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς.

²⁵καὶ ἐὰν οἱ ἄρχοντες ἀκούσωσιν ὅτι ἐλάλησά σοι καὶ ἔλθωσι πρὸς σὲ καὶ εἴπωσί σοι· ἀνάγγειλον ἡμῖν, τί ἐλάλησέ σοι ὁ βασιλεύς, μὴ κρύψῃς ἀφ’ ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀνέλωμέν σε, καὶ τί ἐλάλησε πρός σε ὁ βασιλεύς;

²⁶καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς· ρίπτω ἐγὼ τὸ ἔλεός μου κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀποστρέψαι με εἰς οἰκίαν ᾿Ιωνάθαν ἀποθανεῖν με ἐκεῖ.

²⁷καὶ ἤλθοσαν πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες πρὸς ῾Ιερεμίαν καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους, οὓς ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· καὶ ἀπεσιώπησαν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠκούσθη ὁ λόγος Κυρίου.

²⁸καὶ ἐκάθισεν ῾Ιερεμίας ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῆς φυλακῆς ἕως χρόνου οὗ συνελήφθη ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

¹And Saphanias the son of Nathan, and Godolias the son of Paschor, and Joachal the son of Semelias, heard the words which Jeremias spoke to the people, saying,

²Thus saith the Lord; He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine: but he that goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; and his soul shall be given him for a found treasure, and he shall live.

³For thus saith the Lord; This city shall certainly be delivered into the hands of the host of the king of Babylon, and they shall take it.

⁴And they said to the king. Let that man, we pray thee, be slain, for he weakens the hands of the fighting men that are left in the city, and the hands of all the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man does not prophesy peace to this people, but evil.

⁵Then the king said, Behold, he is in your hands. For the king could not resist them.

⁶And they cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison; and they let him down into the pit: and there was no water in the pit, but mire: and he was in the mire.

⁷And Abdemelech the Ethiopian heard, (now he was in the king’s household,) that they [had] put Jeremias into the dungeon; and the king was in the gate of Benjamin:

⁸and he went forth to him, and spoke to the king and said,

⁹Thou hast done evil in what thou hast done to slay this man with hunger: for there is no more bread in the city.

¹⁰And the king commanded Abdemelech, saying, Take with thee hence thirty men, and bring him up out of the dungeon, that he die not.

¹¹So Abdemelech took the men and went into the underground [part of the] king’s house, and took thence old rags and old ropes, and threw them to Jeremias into the dungeon.

¹²And he said, Put these under the ropes. And Jeremias did so.

¹³And they drew him with the ropes, and lifted him out of the dungeon: and Jeremias remained in the court of the prison.

¹⁴Then the king sent, and called him to himself into the house of Aselisel, which was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to him, I will ask thee a question, and I pray thee hide nothing from me.

¹⁵And Jeremias said to the king, If I tell thee, wilt thou not certainly put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not at all hearken to me.

¹⁶And the king swore to him, saying, [As] the Lord lives who gave us this soul, I will not slay thee, neither will I give thee into the hands of these men.

¹⁷And Jeremias said to him, Thus saith the Lord; If thou wilt indeed go forth to the captains of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall certainly not be burnt with fire; and thou shalt live, and thy house.

¹⁸But if thou wilt not go forth this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt by no means escape.

¹⁹And the king said to Jeremias, I consider the Jews that have gone over to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hands, and they mock me.

²⁰And Jeremias said, They shall in no wise deliver thee up. Hear the word of the Lord which I speak to thee; and it shall be better for thee, and thy soul shall live.

²¹But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord has shewn me.

²²And, behold, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda were brought forth to the princes of the king of Babylon; and they said, The men who were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and will prevail against thee; and they shall cause thy foot to slide and fail, they have turned back from thee.

²³And they shall bring forth thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt by no means escape, for thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burnt.

²⁴Then the king said to him, Let no man know [any] of these words, and certainly thou shalt not die.

²⁵And if the princes shall hear that I have spoken to thee, and they come to thee, and say to thee, Tell us, what said the king to thee? hide [it] not from us, and we will in no wise slay thee, and what said the king to thee?

²⁶Then thou shalt say to them, I brought my supplication before the presence of the king, that he would not send me back into the house of Jonathan, that I should die there.

²⁷And all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words, which the king had commanded him. And they were silent, because the word of the Lord was not heard.

²⁸And Jeremias remained in the court of the prison, until the time when Jerusalem was taken.