The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, when king Sedecias sent unto him Phassur, the son of Melchias, and Sophonias, the son of Maasias the priest, saying:

Verbum quod factum est ad Jeremiam a Domino, quando misit ad eum rex Sedecias Phassur filium Melchiæ, et Sophoniam filium Maasiæ sacerdotem, dicens:

And this was the answer Jeremias had from the Lord, when king Sedecias sent two envoys to consult him; their names were Phassur son of Melchias, and Sophonias son of Maasias, a priest.

Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon maketh war against us: if so be the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful works, that he may depart from us.

Interroga pro nobis Dominum, quia Nabuchodonosor, rex Babylonis, præliatur adversum nos: si forte faciat Dominus nobiscum secundum omnia mirabilia sua, et recedat a nobis.

The king sought a divine oracle about the war then levied on him by Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon; would the Lord grant his people wondrous deliverance as of old? Would the siege be raised?

And Jeremias said to them: Thus shall you say to Sedecias:

Et dixit Jeremias ad eos: Sic dicetis Sedeciæ:

And Jeremias sent them back to the royal presence,

Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, and with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and the Chaldeans, that besiege you round about the walls: and I will gather them together in the midst of this city.

Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israël: Ecce ego convertam vasa belli quæ in manibus vestris sunt, et quibus vos pugnatis adversum regem Babylonis et Chaldæos qui obsident vos in circuitu murorum: et congregabo ea in medio civitatis hujus.

with this message from the Lord, the God of Israel: All the strength you have put into the field, to meet the king of Babylon and your Chaldaean besiegers at a distance from the walls, I mean to force back into the city and coop it up within.

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

Et debellabo ego vos in manu extenta, et in brachio forti, et in furore, et in indignatione, et in ira grandi.

Then my arm shall be raised to strike, then my power shall be exerted, but against you; I will be all anger, all indignation, all resentment,

And I will strike the inhabitants of this city, men and beasts shall die of a great pestilence.

Et percutiam habitatores civitatis hujus: homines et bestiæ pestilentia magna morientur.

smiting the inhabitants of this city with a great pestilence that shall slay both man and beast.

And after this, saith the Lord, I will give Sedecias the king of Juda, and his servants, and his people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, and the sword, and the famine, into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword, and he shall not be moved to pity, nor spare them, nor shew mercy to them.

Et post hæc, ait Dominus, dabo Sedeciam regem Juda, et servos ejus, et populum ejus, et qui derelicti sunt in civitate hac a peste, et gladio, et fame, in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis, et in manu inimicorum eorum, et in manu quærentium animam eorum: et percutiet eos in ore gladii, et non flectetur, neque parcet, nec miserebitur.

But not king Sedecias; he shall be left alive, and some of his courtiers and his retinue, some of the citizens will be left alive, plague and war and famine notwithstanding. And these shall fall into the hands of Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon, into the hands of a pitiless enemy, that will put them to the sword without ransom, or ruth, or respite.

And to this people thou shalt say: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

Et ad populum hunc dices: Hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego do coram vobis viam vitæ, et viam mortis.

And this warning the Lord gives to the common folk: Here is choice I offer you between life and death, take which course you will.

He that shall abide in this city, shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that shall go out and flee over to the Chaldeans, that besiege you, shall live, and his life shall be to him as a spoil.

Qui habitaverit in urbe hac morietur gladio, et fame, et peste: qui autem egressus fuerit, et transfugerit ad Chaldæos qui obsident vos, vivet, et erit ei anima sua quasi spolium.

To remain in this city means death by sword, famine, or pestilence; leave it, and go over to the investing army of Chaldaeans, and you shall be spared, glad enough to escape with your lives.

For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

Posui enim faciem meam super civitatem hanc in malum, et non in bonum, ait Dominus: in manu regis Babylonis dabitur, et exuret eam igni.

For woe, not weal, I keep this city ever in regard; the king of Babylon shall be master of it, and burn it to the ground.

And to the house of the king of Juda: Hear ye the word of the Lord,

Et domui regis Juda: Audite verba Domini,

And for king and princes of Juda: Men of David’s line, here is a message from the Lord for your hearing.

O house of David, thus saith the Lord: Judge ye judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is oppressed by violence out of the hand of the oppressor: lest my indignation go forth like a fire, and be kindled, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your ways.

domus David. Hæc dicit Dominus: Judicate mane judicium, et eruite vi oppressum de manu calumniantis, ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat, propter malitiam studiorum vestrorum.

Learn betimes to make true award, and rob the oppressor of his prey, or my vengeance will blaze out against you for your ill-doings, like fire that still burns and will not be quenched.

Behold I come to thee that dwellest in a valley upon a rock above a plain, saith the Lord: and you say: Who shall strike us? and who shall enter into our houses?

Ecce ego ad te, habitatricem vallis solidæ atque campestris, ait Dominus: qui dicitis: Quis percutiet nos? et quis ingredietur domos nostras?

Have at thee, proud city, the Lord says, the valley thy dwelling-place, rock-built guardian of the plain! Boast you, its townspeople, that on you no stroke shall fall, none shall reach your lair?

But I will visit upon you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof: and it shall devour all things round about it.

Et visitabo super vos juxta fructum studiorum vestrorum, dicit Dominus: et succendam ignem in saltu ejus, et devorabit omnia in circuitu ejus.

You shall be called to account, the Lord says, as your ill-doings have deserved; in this forest I will light such a fire as shall consume all around it.