القراءة بلغتين

الكَلِمَةُ الَّتي كانَت إِلى إِرمِيا مِن لَدُنِ الرَّبّ، لَمَّا أَرسَلَ إِلَيه المَلِكُ صِدقِيَّا فَشْحورَ بنَ مَلْكِيَّا والكاهِنَ صَفَنْيا بنَ مَعَسْيا، قائِلًا

«إِسأَلِ الرَّبَّ مِن أَجلِنا، فإِنَّ نبوكدنَصَّر، مَلِكَ بابِل، يُحارِبُنا، لَعَلَّ الرَّبَّ يَصنَعُ مَعَنا مِثلَ جَميعِ عَجائِبِه، فيَبتَعِدَ عنَّا»

فقالَ لَهم إِرمِيا: «هٰكذا تَقولونَ لِصِدقِيَّا

هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبُّ، إِلٰهُ إِسْرائيل: هاءَنَذا أَرُدُّ آلاتِ الحَربِ الَّتي بِأَيديكم والَّتي تُحارِبونَ بِها مَلِكَ بابِلَ والكَلْدانِيِّينَ المُضَيِّقينَ علَيكم مِن خارِجِ السُّور، وأَجمَعُها في وَسَطِ هٰذه المَدينة

وأُحارِبُكم أَنا بِيَدٍ مَبْسوطةٍ وذِراعٍ قَوِيَّة وبِغَضبٍ وسُخْطٍ وغَيظٍ شَديد

وأَضرِبُ سُكَّانَ هٰذه المَدينة، النَّاسَ والبَهائِم، فيَموتونَ بِطاعونٍ شَديد

وبَعدَ ذٰلك، يَقولُ الرَّبّ، أُسلِمُ صِدقِيَّا، مَلِكَ يَهوذا، وعَبيدَه والشَّعبَ ومَن بَقِيَ في هٰذه المَدينةِ مِن الطَّاعونِ ومِنَ السَّيفِ ومِنَ الجُوع، إِلى يَدِ نَبوكَدنَصَّر، مَلِكِ بابِل، وإِلى أَيدي أَعْدائِهم وأَيدي طالِبي نُفوسِهم، فيَقتُلُهم بِحَدِّ السَّيف، لا يَعطِفُ علَيهم ولا يُشفِقُ ولا يَرحَم»

وقُلْ لِهٰذا الشَّعْب: «هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبّ: هاءَنَذا أَجعَلُ أَمامَكم طَريقَ الحَياةِ وطَريقَ المَوت

فالَّذي يُقيمُ في هٰذه المَدينَةِ يَموتُ بِالسَّيفِ والجوعِ والطَّاعون، والَّذي يَخرُجُ ويَلجَأُ إِلى الكَلْدانِيِّينَ المُضَيِّقينَ علَيكم يَحْيا وتَكونُ لَه نَفْسُه غَنيمة

فإِنِّي جَعَلتُ وَجْهي على هٰذه المَدينَةِ لِلشَّرِّ لا لِلخَير، يَقولُ الرَّبّ، فتُسلَمُ إِلى يَدِ مَلِكِ بابِل، فيُحرِقُها بِالنَّار»

وقُلْ لِبَيتِ مَلِكِ يَهوذا: إِسمَعوا كَلِمَةَ الرَّبّ

يا بَيتَ داوُد، هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبّ: أَجْروا الحُكمَ في الصَّباح وأَنقِذوا المَسْلوبَ مِن يَدِ الظَّالِم لِئَلَّا يَخرُجَ غَضَبي كالنَّار فيُحرِقَ ولَيسَ مِن مُطفِئ بِسَبَبِ شَرِّ أَعْمالِكم

هاءَنَذا عَلَيكِ يا ساكِنَةَ الوادي يا صَخرَةَ السَّهلِ، يَقولُ الرَّبّ يا مَن يَقولونَ: «مَنِ الَّذي يَنقَضُّ علَينا ومَنِ الَّذي يَدخُلُ إِلى مَآوينا؟»

بل أَنا أُعاقِبُكم بِحَسَبِ ثِمَارِ أَعْمَالِكم، يَقولُ الرَّبّ وأُوقِدُ نارًا في غابَتِها فتَلتَهِمُ كُلَّ ما حَولَها

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,

“Please inquire of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may withdraw from us.”

Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah:

‘The LORD, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will gather them into the middle of this city.

I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation.

I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and animal. They will die of a great pestilence.

Afterward,” says the LORD, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’

“You shall say to this people, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out and passes over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he will live, and he will escape with his life.

For I have set my face on this city for evil, and not for good,” says the LORD. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’

“Concerning the house of the king of Judah, hear the LORD’s word:

House of David, the LORD says, ‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, and of the rock of the plain,’ says the LORD. ‘You that say, “Who would come down against us?” or, “Who would enter into our homes?”

I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will devour all that is around her.’”