If we say,‘ We’ll go into the city’— the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

我们若说，进城去吧！城里有饥荒，必死在那里；若在这里坐着不动，也必是死。来吧，我们去投降亚兰人的军队，他们若留我们的活命，就活着；若杀我们，就死了吧！”

我们若说要进城去，城里有饥荒，我们必死在那里。若我们在这里坐着不动，也必死。现在，来吧，我们去向亚兰人的军队投降。若他们饶我们的命，我们就活着；若杀我们，我们就死吧！”

我们若说要进城去，城里有饥荒，我们必死在那里。若我们在这里坐着不动，也必死。现在，来吧，我们去向亚兰人的军队投降。若他们饶我们的命，我们就活着；若杀我们，我们就死吧！”

如果我们进城，城里正闹饥荒，我们会饿死；但我们坐在这里也是死，不如去投靠亚兰军。如果他们不杀我们，我们就能活命；如若不然，死就死吧！”

我们如果说：‘我们进城去吧！’城里正有饥荒，我们就要死在那里。我们如果坐在这里，也是要死。现在，让我们去投降亚兰人的军队吧；如果他们饶我们一命，我们就可以活着；如果他们要杀死我们，我们就死吧。”

我們若說，進城去吧！城裏有饑荒，必死在那裏；若在這裏坐着不動，也必是死。來吧，我們去投降亞蘭人的軍隊，他們若留我們的活命，就活着；若殺我們，就死了吧！」

我們若說要進城去，城裏有饑荒，我們必死在那裏。若我們在這裏坐着不動，也必死。現在，來吧，我們去向亞蘭人的軍隊投降。若他們饒我們的命，我們就活着；若殺我們，我們就死吧！」

我們若說要進城去，城裏有饑荒，我們必死在那裏。若我們在這裏坐着不動，也必死。現在，來吧，我們去向亞蘭人的軍隊投降。若他們饒我們的命，我們就活着；若殺我們，我們就死吧！」

如果我們進城，城裡正鬧饑荒，我們會餓死；但我們坐在這裡也是死，不如去投靠亞蘭軍。如果他們不殺我們，我們就能活命；如若不然，死就死吧！」

我們如果說：‘我們進城去吧！’城裡正有饑荒，我們就要死在那裡。我們如果坐在這裡，也是要死。現在，讓我們去投降亞蘭人的軍隊吧；如果他們饒我們一命，我們就可以活著；如果他們要殺死我們，我們就死吧。”

我們若說：我們進城去吧，城裏呢、鬧饑荒，我們必死在那裏；我們若在這裏坐着不動呢，也是死。來吧，我們現在去投歸亞蘭人的軍營吧；他們若讓我們活着，我們就活着；他們若殺死我們，我們就死算了。』

若云入邑、則邑中饑、必死於彼、如坐於此、亦必死焉、其來、我儕往降於亞蘭軍、如存我生、則生、如殺我、則死耳、

若欲入邑、則邑中饑甚、我必死、如坐於此、亦必死、寧降於亞蘭軍、若保我生、則得生、若殺我、則有死而已。

如言入城、則城中絕糧、絕糧或作饑甚我必死於彼、如坐於此亦必死、不如往亞蘭營而投降、如存我生則生、如殺我則死而已、

Suppose we say,‘ We’ll go into the city.’ There isn’t any food there, and we’ll die. But if we stay here, we’ll die anyway. So let’s go over to Aram’s army camp. Let’s give ourselves up. If they spare us, we’ll live. If they kill us, we’ll die.”

If we say,‘ Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.”

“ We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.”

If we say,‘ Let’s go into the city,’ we will die there because the famine is in the city, but if we sit here, we will also die. So now, come on. Let’s surrender to the Arameans’ camp. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

If we say,‘ We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; but if we sit here, we will also die. Now then come, and let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, then we will die.”

If we say,‘ We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”

If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

If we say,‘ Let’s go into the city,’ we will die there because the famine is in the city, but if we sit here, we will also die. So now, come on. Let’s go to the Arameans’ camp. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine[ is] in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

If we go into the city, we’ll die of starvation, and if we stay here we’ll die! So come on, let’s defect to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, we’ll live; if they kill us– well, we were going to die anyway.”

If we say,‘ We will enter into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we will die there. If we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let’s surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.”

“ When he came to his senses, he said,‘ How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.

“ Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul.( He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said,“ It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”)

But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said,“ You are deserting to the Babylonians!”“ That’s not true!” Jeremiah said.“ I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials.

If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine. Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not.’”

Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.