القراءة بلغتين

الكَلِمَةُ الَّتي كانَت إِلى إِرمِيا مِن لَدُنِ الرَّبّ، حينَ كانَ نَبوكَدنَصَّر، مَلِكُ بابِل، وكُلُّ جَيشِه وجَميعُ مَمالِكِ الأَرضِ الَّتي تَحتَ يَدِه وجَميعُ الشُّعوبِ يُحارِبونَ أُورَشَليمَ وسائِرَ مُدُنِها، قائِلًا

هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبّ، إِلٰهُ إِسْرائيل: إِذهَبْ فكَلِّمْ صِدقِيَّا، مَلِكَ يَهوذا، وقُلْ لَه: هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبّ: ها إِنِّي أُسلِمُ هٰذه المَدينَةَ إِلى يَدِ مَلِكِ بابِل، فيُحرِقُها بِالنَّار

وأَنتَ لا تُفلِتُ مِن يَدِه، بل تُؤخَذُ وتُجعَلُ في قَبضَتِه، وتَرَى عَيناكَ عَينَي مَلِكِ بابِل، ويُكَلِّمُ فَمُه فَمَكَ، وتَذهَبُ إِلى بابِل

ولٰكِنِ ٱسمَعْ كَلِمَةَ الرَّبِّ، يا صِدقِيَّا، مَلِكَ يَهوذا. هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبُّ عنكَ: إِنَّكَ لا تَموتُ بِالسَّيف

بل تَموتُ بِسَلام، والأَطْيابُ الَّتي أُحرِقَت لِآبائِكَ المُلوكِ الأَوَّلينَ الَّذينَ كانوا قَبلَكَ يُحرَقُ لَكَ مِثلُها ويَندُبونَكَ بـــ «واسَيِّداه»، لِأَنِّي بِهٰذا الكَلامِ تَكَلَّمتُ، يَقولُ الرَّبّ

فَكَلَّمَ إِرْمِيَا النَّبِيُّ صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذَا بِكُلِّ هذَا الْكَلاَمِ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ،

حينَ كانَ جَيشُ مَلِكِ بابِلَ يُحارِبُ أُورَشَليمَ وكُلَّ ما بَقِيَ مِن مُدُنِ يَهوذا، وهو لاكيشُ وعزيقَة، لِأَنَّ هاتَينِ هما اللَّتانِ بَقِيَتا مِن مُدُنِ يَهوذا، وهما مَدينَتان مُحَصَّنَتان

الكَلِمَةُ الَّتي كانَت إِلى إِرمِيا مِن لَدُنِ الرَّبّ، بَعدَ أَن قَطَعَ المَلِكُ صِدقِيَّا عَهدًا مع كُلِّ الشَّعبِ الَّذي في أُورَشَليم، على المُناداةِ بإِعتاقٍ لَه

حتَّى يُطلِقَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ عَبدَه وأَمَتَه، العِبرانِيَّ والعِبرانِيَّة، حُرَّين، فلا يَستَعبِدَ أَحَدٌ يَهودِيًّا مِن إِخوَتِه

فقَبِلَ جَميعُ الرُّؤَساءِ وكُلُّ الشَّعبِ الَّذينَ دَخَلوا في العهد أَن يُطلِقَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ عَبدَه وأَمَتَه حُرَّين، حتَّى لا يَستَعبِدَهما بَعدَ اليَوم، فقَبِلوا وأَطلَقوا

لٰكِنَّهم عادوا بَعدَ ذٰلك فأَعادوا العَبيدَ والإِماءَ الَّذينَ أَطلَقوهم أَحْرارًا فأَخضَعوهم عَبيدًا وإِماءً

فكانَت كَلِمَةُ الرَّبِّ إِلى إِرمِيا مِن لَدُنِ الرَّبِّ قائِلًا

هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبّ، إِلٰهُ إِسْرائيل: إِنِّي قَطَعتُ عَهدًا مع آبائِكم يَومَ أَخرَجتُهم مِن أَرضِ مِصرَ، مِن دارِ العُبودِيَّة، قائِلًا

عِندَ ٱنقِضاءِ سَبعِ سِنين، أَطلِقوا كُلُّ واحِدٍ أَخاه العِبرانِيَّ الَّذي باعَ نَفْسَه لَكَ وخَدَمَكَ سِتَّ سِنين، فتُطلِقُه مِن عِندِكَ حُرًّا. فلَم يَسمَع لي آباؤُكم ولم يُميلوا آذانَهم

وقد تُبتُم أَنتُمُ اليَومَ وصَنَعتُمُ القَويمَ في عَينَيَّ، مُنادينَ بالإِعْتاقِ كُلُّ واحِدٍ لِقَريبِه، وقَطَعتُم عَهدًا أَمامي في البَيتِ الَّذي دُعِيَ بِٱسمي

ثُمَّ عُدتُم فدَنَّستُمُ ٱسْمي وأَعدتُم كُلُّ واحِدٍ عَبدَه وكُلُّ واحِدٍ أَمَتَه مِمَّن أَطلَقتُموهم أَحْرارًا لِأَنفُسِهم، فأَخضَعتُموهم لِيَكونوا لَكم عَبيدًا وإِماءً

لِذٰلك هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبّ: إِنَّكم لم تَسمَعوا لِمناداتي بِأَن يُعتِقَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ أَخاه وكُلُّ واحِدٍ قَريبَه. فهاءَنَذا أُنادي لَكم بالإِعْتاق، يَقولُ الرَّبّ، لِلسَّيفِ والطَّاعونِ والجوع، وأَجعَلُكم مَوضِعَ رُعبٍ في جَميعِ مَمالِكِ الأَرض

وأَجعَلُ النَّاسَ الَّذين نَقَضوا عَهْدي، الَّذينَ لم يُتِمُّوا كَلِماتِ العَهدِ الَّذي قَطَعوه أَمامي، حينَ قَطَعوا العِجلَ شَطرَينِ وجازوا بَينَ قِطعَتَيه

رُؤَساءَ يَهوذا ورُؤَساءَ أُورَشَليمَ والخِصْيانَ والكَهَنَةَ وكُلَّ شَعبِ تِلكَ الأَرضِ الَّذينَ جازوا بَينَ قِطعَتَيِ العِجل

أُسلِمُهم إِلى أَيدي أَعْدائِهم وإِلى أَيدي طالِبي نُفوسِهم، فتَكونُ جُثَثُهم طَعامًا لِطُيورِ السَّماءِ ولِبَهائِمِ الأَرض

وأُسلِمُ صِدقِيَّا، مَلِكَ يَهوذا، ورُؤَساءَه إِلى أَيدي أَعْدائِهم وأَيدي طالِبي نُفوسِهم وأَيدي جَيشِ مَلِكِ بابِلَ الذَّي ٱنصَرَفَ عنكم

هاءَنَذا آمُرُهم، يَقولُ الرَّبّ، وأُرجِعُهم إِلى هٰذه المَدينة، فيُحارِبونَها ويَأخُذونَها ويُحرِقونَها بِالنَّار، وأَجعَلُ مُدُنَ يَهوذا مُقفِرَةً لا ساكِنَ فيها

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying:

“The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, the LORD says, “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.

You won’t escape out of his hand, but will surely be taken and delivered into his hand. Your eyes will see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with you mouth to mouth. You will go to Babylon.”’

“Yet hear the LORD’s word, O Zedekiah king of Judah. The LORD says concerning you, ‘You won’t die by the sword.

You will die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will make a burning for you. They will lament you, saying, “Ah Lord!” for I have spoken the word,’ says the LORD.”

Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

when the king of Babylon’s army was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities.

The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,

that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, that no one should make bondservants of them, of a Jew his brother.

All the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant and everyone his female servant go free, that no one should make bondservants of them any more. They obeyed and let them go,

but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go free to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

Therefore the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

“The LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying:

At the end of seven years, every man of you shall release his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you. But your fathers didn’t listen to me, and didn’t incline their ear.

You had now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor. You had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name;

but you turned and profaned my name, and every man caused his servant and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return. You brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.’”

Therefore the LORD says: “You have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim to you a liberty,” says the LORD, “to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine. I will make you be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.

I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts:

the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf.

I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.

“I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their life and into the hands of the king of Babylon’s army, who has gone away from you.

Behold, I will command,” says the LORD, “and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it, take it, and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”