In principio regni Joakim filii Josiæ regis Juda, factum est verbum istud a Domino, dicens:

At the beginning of Joachim’s reign in Juda, that was son to Josias, word came from the Lord,

In the beginning of the reign of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, came this word from the Lord, saying:

Hæc dicit Dominus: Sta in atrio domus Domini, et loqueris ad omnes civitates Juda, de quibus veniunt ut adorent in domo Domini universos sermones quos ego mandavi tibi ut loquaris ad eos: noli subtrahere verbum,

and this was his bidding: Go and stand in the temple porch, and there, to pilgrims from all the townships of Juda, deliver the message I have entrusted to thee; no word of it do thou retrench.

Thus saith the Lord: Stand in the court of the house of the Lord, and speak to all the cities of Juda, out of which they come, to adore in the house of the Lord, all the words which I have commanded thee to speak unto them: leave not out one word.

si forte audiant, et convertantur unusquisque a via sua mala, et pœniteat me mali quod cogito facere eis propter malitiam studiorum eorum.

It may be they will listen, and go astray no longer; then I will forgo the punishment I have devised for their ill-doings.

If so be they will hearken and be converted every one from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil that I think to do unto them for the wickedness of their doings.

Et dices ad eos: Hæc dicit Dominus: Si non audieritis me, ut ambuletis in lege mea quam dedi vobis,

This divine warning give them: Listen to me, and live by the law I have enjoined upon you,

And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: If you will not hearken to me to walk in my law, which I have given you:

ut audiatis sermones servorum meorum prophetarum quos ego misi ad vos, de nocte consurgens, et dirigens, et non audistis:

obeying the call of the prophets, those servants of mine whom I sent early to your doors, upon an errand that went unheeded;

To give ear to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent to you rising up early: and sending, and you have not hearkened:

dabo domum istam sicut Silo, et urbem hanc dabo in maledictionem cunctis gentibus terræ.

or this sanctuary, too, shall be deserted as Silo, and this city shall be an accursed name, all the world over.

I will make this house like Silo: and I will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

Et audierunt sacerdotes, et prophetæ, et omnis populus, Jeremiam loquentem verba hæc in domo Domini.

Priests and prophets and townsfolk heard it alike, this utterance of Jeremias in the temple;

And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremias speaking these words in the house of the Lord.

Cumque complesset Jeremias, loquens omnia quæ præceperat ei Dominus ut loqueretur ad universum populum, apprehenderunt eum sacerdotes, et prophetæ, et omnis populus, dicens: Morte moriatur.

and when he had thus done the Lord’s errand for all the people to hear, priests and prophets and townsfolk laid hands upon him, crying out, His life must pay for it!

And when Jeremias had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests, and the prophets, and all the people laid hold on him, saying: Let him be put to death.

Quare prophetavit in nomine Domini, dicens: Sicut Silo erit domus hæc, et urbs ista desolabitur eo quod non sit habitator? Et congregatus est omnis populus adversus Jeremiam in domo Domini.

What, would he threaten in the Lord’s name that this temple is to share Silo’s doom, this city to be left forlorn, uninhabited? There, in the Lord’s house, Jeremias must confront the anger of a whole people.

Why hath he prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying: This house shall be like Silo; and this city shall be made desolate, without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered together against Jeremias in the house of the Lord.

Et audierunt principes Juda verba hæc, et ascenderunt de domo regis in domum Domini, et sederunt in introitu portæ domus Domini novæ.

When they heard of it, the nobles of Juda left palace for temple, and there held assize, at the approaches of the New Gate.

And the princes of Juda heard these words: and they went up from the king’s house into the house of the Lord, and sat in the entry of the new gate of the house of the Lord.

Et locuti sunt sacerdotes et prophetæ ad principes, et ad omnem populum, dicentes: Judicium mortis est viro huic, quia prophetavit adversus civitatem istam, sicut audistis auribus vestris.

Before these, and before the general assembly, priest and prophet called for the death penalty; here was a man who had foretold, in the public hearing, calamity for Jerusalem.

And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes, and to all the people, saying: The judgment of death is for this man: because he hath prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.

Et ait Jeremias ad omnes principes, et ad universum populum, dicens: Dominus misit me ut prophetarem ad domum istam, et ad civitatem hanc, omnia verba quæ audistis.

To nobles and to people Jeremias had but one defence: Nothing have I said against temple or city but what the Lord’s errand bade me.

Then Jeremias spoke to all the princes, and to all the people, saying: The Lord sent me to prophesy concerning this house, and concerning this city all the words that you have heard.

Nunc ergo bonas facite vias vestras et studia vestra, et audite vocem Domini Dei vestri, et pœnitebit Dominum mali quod locutus est adversum vos.

Come, do but amend your lives and your likings, and listen to the Lord your God; he will spare you the doom he has pronounced upon you.

Now therefore amend your ways, and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God: and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath spoken against you.

Ego autem ecce in manibus vestris sum: facite mihi quod bonum et rectum est in oculis vestris.

As for me, I am in your hands; do with me what you will, what you think right.

But as for me, behold I am in your hands: do with me what is good and right in your eyes:

Verumtamen scitote et cognoscite quod, si occideritis me, sanguinem innocentem tradetis contra vosmetipsos, et contra civitatem istam, et habitatores ejus: in veritate enim misit me Dominus ad vos, ut loquerer in auribus vestris omnia verba hæc.

Only be sure of this, if you kill me, you will bring the guilt of murder on yourselves, your city, and all that dwell there; no word you have heard from me but has the Lord’s true warrant.

But know ye, and understand, that if you put me to death, you will shed innocent blood against your own selves, and against this city, and the inhabitants thereof. For in truth the Lord sent me to you, to speak all these words in your hearing.

Et dixerunt principes et omnis populus ad sacerdotes et ad prophetas: Non est viro huic judicium mortis, quia in nomine Domini Dei nostri locutus est ad nos.

And this answer both nobles and townsfolk made to priest and prophet, There is no death sentence lies against this man; as the spokesman of the Lord our God he has given us his message.

Then the princes, and all the people said to the priests, and to the prophets: There is no judgment of death for this man: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.

Surrexerunt ergo viri de senioribus terræ, et dixerunt ad omnem cœtum populi, loquentes:

There were some of the older citizens that rose to defend him publicly;

And some of the ancients of the land rose up: and they spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying:

Michæas de Morasthi fuit propheta in diebus Ezechiæ regis Juda, et ait ad omnem populum Juda, dicens: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Sion quasi ager arabitur, et Jerusalem in acervum lapidum erit, et mons domus in excelsa silvarum.

Remember the prophet Michaeas of Morasthi, they said, in the days of king Ezechias, who told the people of Juda: Sion shall be no better than a ploughed field, says the Lord of hosts, Jerusalem but a heap of stones, the temple height only a hanging wood.

Micheas of Morasthi was a prophet in the days of Ezechias king of Juda, and he spoke to all the people of Juda, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Sion shall be ploughed like a field, and Jerusalem shall be a heap of stones: and the mountain of the house the high places of woods.

Numquid morte condemnavit eum Ezechias rex Juda, et omnis Juda? numquid non timuerunt Dominum, et deprecati sunt faciem Domini, et pœnituit Dominum mali quod locutus fuerat adversum eos? Itaque nos facimus malum grande contra animas nostras.

Did Ezechias king of Juda, or his subjects, thereupon put him to death? Nay, they feared the Lord too well for that; went about to appease his anger, so that he spared them the punishment he had threatened. It were pity of our lives, did we so great a wrong!

Did Ezechias king of Juda, and all Juda, condemn him to death? did they not fear the Lord, and beseech the face of the Lord: and the Lord repented of the evil that he had spoken against them? therefore we are doing a great evil against our souls.

Fuit quoque vir prophetans in nomine Domini, Urias filius Semei de Cariathiarim, et prophetavit adversus civitatem istam, et adversus terram hanc, juxta omnia verba Jeremiæ.

Another prophet there was that came in the Lord’s name, Urias, the son of Semei, a man of Cariathiarim, and used no gentler language about this city and country than Jeremias himself.

There was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urias the son of Semei of Cariathiarim: and he prophesied against this city, and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremias.

Et audivit rex Joakim, et omnes potentes et principes ejus, verba hæc, et quæsivit rex interficere eum: et audivit Urias, et timuit, fugitque, et ingressus est Ægyptum.

King Joachim, and all his chieftains and his nobles, were for making away with him when they heard such warnings; and though he took alarm at the rumour of it and fled to Egypt,

And Joakim, and all his men in power, and his princes heard these words: and the king sought to put him to death. And Urias heard it, and was afraid, and fled and went into Egypt.

Et misit rex Joakim viros in Ægyptum, Elnathan filium Achobor, et viros cum eo, in Ægyptum,

royal pursuivants were sent there under Elnathan, son of Achobor, to bring him back;

And king Joakim sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achobor, and men with him into Egypt.

et eduxerunt Uriam de Ægypto, et adduxerunt eum ad regem Joakim, et percussit eum gladio, et projecit cadaver ejus in sepulchris vulgi ignobilis.

whereupon king Joachim put him to the sword, and cast his body away among the tombs of the common folk.

And they brought Urias out of Egypt: and brought him to king Joakim, and he slew him with the sword: and he cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

Igitur manus Ahicam filii Saphan fuit cum Jeremia, ut non traderetur in manus populi, et interficerent eum.

But Jeremias had a friend in Ahicam, the son of Saphan, who would not let him be handed over to the people and put to death.

So the hand of Ahicam the son of Saphan was with Jeremias, that he should not be delivered into the hands of the people, to put him to death.