1 I n the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2 “ Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day.

“Take a book and write in it all the words which I have said to you about Israel, Judah, and all the nations. Write all I have said since the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today.

3 P erhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the trouble I am planning to bring on them, so that everyone will turn from his sinful way. Then I will forgive their wrong-doing and their sin.”

4 T hen Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him.

So Jeremiah called Baruch, the son of Neriah. And Baruch wrote in the book all the words which Jeremiah told him that the Lord had said to him.

5 J eremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am restricted; I cannot go into the house of the Lord.

Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, “I am shut up here and cannot go into the house of the Lord.

6 S o you go and read from the scroll which you have written at my dictation the words of the Lord to the people in the Lord’s house on a fast day. And also you shall read them to all the people of Judah who come from their cities.

So you go to the Lord’s house on the special day of no food, and read to the people the words of the Lord which you have written down as I told them to you. And also read them to all the people of Judah who come from their cities.

7 P erhaps their supplication will come before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.”

It may be that their prayer will come before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his sinful way. For the punishment that the Lord said would come to these people because of His anger is very bad.”

8 B aruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house.

Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the man of God told him. He read from the book the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house.

9 N ow in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.

In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, all the people in Jerusalem and all those from the cities of Judah set apart to the Lord a day when they would not eat.

10 T hen Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house, to all the people.

Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah to all the people in the house of the Lord, in the room of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the writer, in the upper place by the New Gate of the Lord’s house. The Book Is Read to the Leaders

11 N ow when Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard all the words of the Lord from the book,

When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard all the words of the Lord from the book,

12 h e went down to the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber. And behold, all the officials were sitting there— Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.

he went down to the king’s house, into the writer’s room. And he saw that all the leaders were sitting there. There was Elishama the writer, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the other leaders.

13 M icaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read from the book to the people.

And Micaiah told them all that he had heard Baruch read to the people from the book.

14 T hen all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, “Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and went to them.

Then all the leaders sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, “Take the book you have read to the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the book in his hand and went to them.

15 T hey said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.” So Baruch read it to them.

They told him, “Sit down and read it to us.” So Baruch read it to them.

16 W hen they had heard all the words, they turned in fear one to another and said to Baruch, “We will surely report all these words to the king.”

When they had heard all the words, they turned in fear to one another and said to Baruch, “For sure we will tell all these words to the king.”

17 A nd they asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?”

And they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you write all this? Did Jeremiah tell it to you?”

18 T hen Baruch said to them, “He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book.”

Baruch said to them, “He told me all these words, and I wrote them down in the book.”

19 T hen the officials said to Baruch, “Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are.” The Scroll Is Burned

Then the leaders said to Baruch, “Go and hide, both you and Jeremiah. And do not let anyone know where you are.” The King Burns Jeremiah’s Book

20 S o they went to the king in the court, but they had deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and they reported all the words to the king.

So they went to the king in the open space, but they had put the book in the room of Elishama the writer. And they told all the words to the king.

21 T hen the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it to the king as well as to all the officials who stood beside the king.

Then the king sent Jehudi to get the book, and he took it out of the room of Elishama the writer. And Jehudi read it to the king and to all the leaders who stood beside him.

22 N ow the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning in the brazier before him.

It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house with a fire burning in the fireplace in front of him.

23 W hen Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.

When Jehudi had read three or four parts, the king cut them with a small knife and threw them into the fire in the fireplace. He did this until the book was destroyed in the fire.

24 Y et the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments.

The king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, and they did not tear their clothes.

25 E ven though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.

Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the book, but he would not listen to them.

26 A nd the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. The Scroll Is Replaced

And the king told Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to take hold of Baruch the writer and Jeremiah the man of God. But the Lord had hidden them. Jeremiah Writes Another Book

27 T hen the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll and the words which Baruch had written at the dictation of Jeremiah, saying,

Now the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the book with the words Jeremiah had told Baruch to write down. The Lord said,

28 “ Take again another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned.

“Take another book and write in it all the words that were in the first book which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned.

29 A nd concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘ Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will make man and beast to cease from it?’”

And about Jehoiakim the king of Judah you will say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You have burned this book, saying, ‘Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will be sure to come and destroy this land and put an end to every man and animal in it?’”

30 T herefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.

So this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: “He will have no one to sit on the throne of David. And his dead body will be thrown out to the heat of the day and the cold of the night.

31 I will also punish him and his descendants and his servants for their iniquity, and I will bring on them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the calamity that I have declared to them—but they did not listen.”’”

I will punish him and his children and his servants for their sin. And I will bring on them and the people of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the trouble that I have said would come to them, because they would not listen.”’”

32 T hen Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and many similar words were added to them.

Then Jeremiah took another book and gave it to Baruch the son of Neraiah, the writer. And as Jeremiah told them to him, he wrote down all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many words of the same kind were added to them.