The prophet's answer to the messengers of Sedecias, when Jerusalem was besieged.

 1 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 Melchiae, et Sophoniam, filium Maasiae, sacerdotem, dicens :

 2 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, praeliatur adversum nos : si forte faciat Dominus nobiscum secundum omnia mirabilia sua, et recedat a nobis.

 3 And Jeremias said to them: Thus shall you say to Sedecias:
Et dixit Jeremias ad eos : Sic dicetis Sedeciae :

 4 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, 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.
Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel : Ecce ego convertam vasa belli, quae in manibus vestris sunt, et quibus vos pugnatis adversum regem Babylonis, et Chaldaeos, qui obsident vos in circuitu murorum : et congregabo ea in medio civitatis hujus.

 5 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.

 6 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 bestiae pestilentia magna morientur.

 7 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 on them.
Et post haec 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 quaerentium animam eorum : et percutiet eos in ore gladii, et non flectetur neque parcet, nec miserebitur.

 8 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 : Haec dicit Dominus : Ecce ego do coram vobis viam vitae, et viam mortis.

 9 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 Chaldaeos, qui obsident vos, vivet, et erit ei anima sua quasi spolium.

 10 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.

 11 And to the house of the king of Juda: Hear ye the word of the Lord,
Et domui regis Juda : Audite verba Domini,

 12 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 : Haec 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.

 13 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 solidae atque campestris, ait Dominus : qui dicitis : Quis percutiet nos? et quis ingredietur domos nostras?

 14 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.