26 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah at the time when Josiah's son Jehoiakim became king of Judah. 2 The Lord said, ‘Go and stand in the yard of the Lord 's temple. People come from all the towns in Judah to worship the Lord in his temple. Speak to them. Tell them everything that I command you to say. Do not leave out even one word. 3 Perhaps they will listen to what you say. Then they may stop living in the evil way that they do now. If they change how they live, I will not punish them for their sins, as I had promised to do. 4 Tell them that the Lord says this: “You must obey me. I have given you my laws that tell you how you should live. 5 You must listen to the messages that my servants the prophets tell you. I have sent them to speak to you many times, but you have not listened to them. 6 So if you do not obey me, I will destroy this temple, as I destroyed Shiloh. People of all the other nations on earth will use the name of this city as a curse.” ’ [ a ]
7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah's message in the Lord 's temple. 8 Jeremiah said everything that the Lord had commanded him to say to all the people. Just as he finished, some of the priests, the prophets, and the people took hold of him. They shouted, ‘You deserve to die! 9 You should not say that you have the Lord 's authority to prophesy such terrible things! You cannot say that this temple will become like Shiloh. You cannot say that this city will become a heap of stones where nobody lives!’
The whole crowd of people pushed together around Jeremiah in the yard of the temple.
10 Some of Judah's officers heard about what was happening. So they left the king's palace and they went up to the Lord 's temple. They went to the gate of the temple that is called ‘The New Gate’. They sat in their places as judges near the gate. [ b ] 11 Then the priests and the prophets told the officers and all the people why they accused Jeremiah. They said, ‘This man deserves to die because he has prophesied trouble against this city. You yourselves have heard what he said!’
12 Then Jeremiah said to all the officers and to all the people, ‘The Lord sent me to say all the things that you have heard me speak. He told me to prophesy against this temple and against this city. 13 Now you must change the way that you have been living. You must do what is good and right. Obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will not punish you as he said that he would do. 14 As for me, I am under your authority. Do with me whatever you think is good and right. 15 But you should know this: If you punish me with death, you will bring great trouble on yourselves, this city, and everyone who lives here. You will be guilty of murder, because I have not done anything wrong. The Lord has sent me to speak all these words for you to hear. That is the truth!’
16 Then the officers and all the people gave their answer to the priests and the prophets. They said, ‘This man does not deserve to die. The Lord our God has given him authority to say these things to us.’
17 Then some of Judah's leaders stood up to speak to all the people who were there. 18 They said, ‘Micah from Moresheth prophesied when Hezekiah was king of Judah. He gave this message to all the people of Judah:
“The Lord Almighty says this:
Zion will be like a field that a farmer has dug.
Jerusalem will become a heap of stones.
Trees will cover the hill where the temple is now.”
19 When Micah said that, King Hezekiah and all Judah's people did not punish him with death. Instead, Hezekiah gave honour to the Lord . He wanted to please the Lord . So the Lord did not destroy them as he had said he would do. If we are not careful, we will bring great trouble on ourselves!’
20 There was another prophet who was called Uriah. He was the son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-Jearim. Uriah prophesied against this city and this nation, with the Lord 's authority, as Jeremiah did. 21 When King Jehoiakim, his personal guards and all his officers heard what Uriah was saying, the king wanted to kill him. But Uriah heard about it and he was afraid. So he ran away to Egypt. 22 But King Jehoiakim sent Akbor's son Elnathan and some other men to Egypt. 23 They brought Uriah back from there to King Jehoiakim. The king punished Uriah with death. They threw his dead body in the place where they buried poor people. [ c ]
24 But Shaphan's son Ahikam, spoke on Jeremiah's behalf. He stopped the people from taking hold of Jeremiah and killing him.
26 This message came from the Lord during the first year that Jehoiakim [ a ] son of Josiah was king of Judah. 2 The Lord said, “Jeremiah, stand in the Temple yard of the Lord . Give this message to all the people of Judah who are coming to worship at the Temple of the Lord . Tell them everything that I tell you to speak. Don’t leave out any part of my message. 3 Maybe they will listen and obey my message. Maybe they will stop living such evil lives. If they change, I will change my mind about my plans to punish them. I am planning this punishment because of the many evil things they have done. 4 You will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I gave my teachings to you. You must obey me and follow my teachings. 5 You must listen to what my servants say to you. The prophets are my servants. I have sent my prophets to you again and again, but you did not listen to them. 6 If you don’t obey me, I will make my Temple in Jerusalem just like my Holy Tent at Shiloh. [ b ] People all over the world will think of Jerusalem when they ask for bad things to happen to other cities.’”
7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say all these words at the Lord ’s Temple. 8 Jeremiah finished speaking everything the Lord had commanded him to say to the people. Then the priests, the prophets, and all the people grabbed Jeremiah. They said, “You will die for saying such terrible things! 9 How dare you say such a thing in the name of the Lord ! How dare you say that this Temple will be destroyed like the one at Shiloh! How dare you say that Jerusalem will become a desert with no one living in it!” All the people gathered around Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord .
10 Now the rulers of Judah heard about everything that was happening. So they came out of the king’s palace. They went up to the Lord ’s Temple. They took their places at the entrance of the New Gate. The New Gate is a gate leading to the Lord ’s Temple. 11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the rulers and all the other people. They said, “Jeremiah should be killed. He said bad things about Jerusalem. You heard him say those things.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the rulers of Judah and all the other people. He said, “The Lord sent me to say these things about this Temple and this city. Everything that you have heard is from the Lord. 13 You people, change your lives! You must start doing good! You must obey the Lord your God. If you do that, he will change his mind. He will not do the bad things he told you about. 14 As for me, I am in your power. Do to me what you think is good and right. 15 But if you kill me, be sure of one thing. You will be guilty of killing an innocent person. You will make this city and everyone living in it guilty too. The Lord really did send me to you. The message you heard really is from the Lord.”
16 Then the rulers and all the people spoke. They said to the priests and the prophets, “Jeremiah must not be killed. What he told us comes from the Lord our God.”
17 Then some of the elders stood up and spoke to all the people. 18 They said, “Micah the prophet was from the city of Moresheth. He was a prophet during the time that Hezekiah was king of Judah. Micah said this to all the people of Judah: ‘This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
Zion will be destroyed.
It will become a plowed field.
Jerusalem will become a pile of rocks.
Temple Mount will be an empty hill [ c ] overgrown with bushes.’ ( A )
19 “King Hezekiah of Judah and the people of Judah did not kill Micah. You know that Hezekiah respected the Lord and wanted to please him. So the Lord changed his mind and didn’t do the bad things to Judah that he said he would do. If we hurt Jeremiah, we will bring many troubles on ourselves. And those troubles will be our own fault.”
20 In the past there was another man who spoke the Lord ’s message. His name was Uriah son of Shemaiah from the city of Kiriath Jearim. Uriah said the same things against this city and this land that Jeremiah did. 21 King Jehoiakim, his army officers, and the leaders of Judah heard Uriah and became angry. King Jehoiakim wanted to kill Uriah, but Uriah heard about it. Uriah was afraid, so he escaped to the land of Egypt. 22 But King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor and some other men to Egypt. 23 They brought Uriah from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim ordered Uriah to be killed with a sword. Uriah’s body was thrown into the burial place where the poor are buried.
24 There was an important man named Ahikam son of Shaphan who supported Jeremiah. He kept Jeremiah from being killed by the priests and prophets.
26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord , saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord ; Stand in the court of the Lord 's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord 's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord ; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord .
8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord , saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord .
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the Lord , and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the Lord 's house.
11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
12 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.
16 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.
17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord , and besought the Lord , and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord , Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.
21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
26 In the beginning of the reign of ( A ) Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord , saying, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘ ( B ) Stand in the courtyard of the Lord ’ s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have ( C ) come to worship in the Lord ’ s house ( D ) all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. ( E ) Do not omit a word! 3 ( F ) Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, and ( G ) I will relent of the disaster which I am planning to inflict on them because of the evil of their deeds.’ 4 And you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ( H ) If you do not listen to Me, to ( I ) walk in My Law which I have set before you, 5 to listen to the words of ( J ) My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened; 6 then I will make this house like ( K ) Shiloh, and I will make this city a ( L ) curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”
7 The ( M ) priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord . 8 Yet when Jeremiah finished speaking everything that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “ ( N ) You must die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord , saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be ( O ) in ruins, without inhabitant’?” And ( P ) all the people gathered to Jeremiah at the house of the Lord .
10 When the ( Q ) officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat at the ( R ) entrance of the New Gate of the Lord ’ s house . 11 Then the priests and the prophets ( S ) spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A ( T ) death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied ( U ) against this city, just as you have heard with your own ears!”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “ ( V ) The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13 Now then, ( W ) reform your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will relent of the disaster which He has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, ( X ) I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring ( Y ) innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words [ a ] so that you hear them.”
16 Then the officials and all the people ( Z ) said to the priests and the prophets, “No ( AA ) death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” 17 Then ( AB ) some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, 18 “ [ b ] ( AC ) Micah of Moresheth used to prophesy in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies has said:
“ ( AD ) Zion will be plowed like a field,
And Jerusalem will become heaps of ruins,
And the ( AE ) mountain of the house like the [ c ] high places of a forest.”’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah actually put him to death? Did he not ( AF ) fear the Lord and plead for the favor of the Lord , and ( AG ) the Lord relented of the disaster which He had pronounced against them? But we are ( AH ) committing a great evil against our own lives!”
20 Indeed, there was also a man who used to prophesy in the name of the Lord , Uriah the son of Shemaiah from ( AI ) Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. 21 When King Jehoiakim and all his warriors and all the officials heard his words, then the ( AJ ) king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard about it , and he was afraid, so he ( AK ) fled and went to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: ( AL ) Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him, to Egypt. 23 And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who ( AM ) killed him with a sword and threw his dead body into the [ d ] burial place of the [ e ] common people.
24 But the hand of ( AN ) Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was ( AO ) not handed over to the people to put him to death.
26 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim ( A ) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord : 2 “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard ( B ) of the Lord ’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord . ( C ) Tell ( D ) them everything I command you; do not omit ( E ) a word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn ( F ) from their evil ways. Then I will relent ( G ) and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. 4 Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen ( H ) to me and follow my law, ( I ) which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened ( J ) ), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh ( K ) and this city a curse [ a ] ( L ) among all the nations of the earth.’”
7 The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord . 8 But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded ( M ) him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized ( N ) him and said, “You must die! ( O ) 9 Why do you prophesy in the Lord ’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?” ( P ) And all the people crowded ( Q ) around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord .
10 When the officials ( R ) of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate ( S ) of the Lord ’s house. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death ( T ) because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!” ( U )
12 Then Jeremiah said to all the officials ( V ) and all the people: “The Lord sent me to prophesy ( W ) against this house and this city all the things you have heard. ( X ) 13 Now reform ( Y ) your ways and your actions and obey ( Z ) the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent ( AA ) and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. 14 As for me, I am in your hands; ( AB ) do with me whatever you think is good and right. 15 Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood ( AC ) on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words ( AD ) in your hearing.”
16 Then the officials ( AE ) and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death! ( AF ) He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”
17 Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, 18 “Micah ( AG ) of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“‘Zion ( AH ) will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, ( AI )
the temple hill ( AJ ) a mound overgrown with thickets.’ [ b ] ( AK )
19 “Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah ( AL ) fear the Lord and seek ( AM ) his favor? And did not the Lord relent, ( AN ) so that he did not bring the disaster ( AO ) he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster ( AP ) on ourselves!”
20 (Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim ( AQ ) was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord ; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. 21 When King Jehoiakim ( AR ) and all his officers and officials ( AS ) heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death. ( AT ) But Uriah heard of it and fled ( AU ) in fear to Egypt. 22 King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan ( AV ) son of Akbor to Egypt, along with some other men. 23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword ( AW ) and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.) ( AX )
24 Furthermore, Ahikam ( AY ) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
