Cities of Judah Warned
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying,
2 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’shouse [Jeremiah], and speak to all [the people of] the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the Lord’shouse all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not omit a word!
3 ~‘It may be that they will listen and everyone will turn from his wickedness, so that I may relentandreverse [My decision concerning] the disaster which I am planning to do to them because of their malevolent deeds.’
4 And you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “If you will not listen to Me and obey My law which I have set before you,
5 and listenandfollow [carefully] the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you repeatedly–though you have not listened–
6 then I will make this house [the temple] likeShiloh, and I will make this city [subject to] the curse of all nations of the earth [because it will be so vile in their sight].”’”
A Plot to Murder Jeremiah
7 The priests and the [false] prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.
8 Now when Jeremiah finished proclaiming everything that the Lordhad commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the [false] prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die!
9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lordsaying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh [after the ark of the Lordhad been taken by our enemies] and this city [Jerusalem] will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people were gathered around Jeremiah in the [outer area of the] house of the Lord.
10 When theprinces (court officials) of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lordand sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the house of the Lord.
11 Then the priests and the [false] prophets said to the princes and to all the people, “This man is deserving of death, for he has prophesied against this city as you have heard with your own ears.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, “The Lordsent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
13 Therefore, now change your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lordyour God; then the Lordwill relentandreverse His decision concerning the misfortune which He has pronounced against you.
14 As for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as seems good and suitable to you.
15 But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on its inhabitants, for in truth the Lordhas sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
Jeremiah Is Spared
16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the [false] prophets, “This man is not deserving of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lordour God.”
17 Then some of the elders of the land stood up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lordof hosts,
“Zion will beplowed like a field,
And Jerusalem will become [heaps of] ruins,
And the mountain of the house [of the Lord–Mount Moriah, on which stands the temple, shall become covered not with buildings, but] like a densely wooded height.”’
19 “Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put Micah to death? Did he not [reverently] fear the Lordand entreat the favor of the Lord? And did not the Lordrelentandreverse His decision concerning the misfortune which He had pronounced against them? But [here] we are [thinking of] committing a great evil against ourselves.”
20 And there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land in words similar to all those 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 Uriah to death; but when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt.
22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain [other] men with him [went] to Egypt.
23 And they brought Uriah [God’s spokesman] from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who executed him with a sword and threw his dead body among the graves of the common people.
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death.