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 son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

2 “ 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.

Take a scroll for a book and write on it all the words I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations from the day I spoke to you in the days of Josiah until this day.

3 I t 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.”

It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do to them, so that each one may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

4 S o 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.

Then Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote upon the scroll of the book all the words which Jeremiah dictated, that the Lord had spoken to him.

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

And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am restrained and shut up; I cannot go into the house of the Lord.

6 S o 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.

Therefore you go, and on a day of fasting, in the hearing of all the people in the Lord’s house, you shall read the words of the Lord which you have written on the scroll at my dictation. Also you shall read them in the hearing of all who come out of the cities of Judah.

7 I t 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.”

It may be that they will make their supplication before the Lord, and each one will turn back from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.

8 B aruch 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.

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

9 I n 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.

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

10 T hen 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

Then Baruch read in the hearing of all the people the words of Jeremiah from the scroll of the book in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house.

11 W hen Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard all the words of the Lord from the book,

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

12 h e 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.

He went down to the king’s house into the scribe’s chamber, and behold, all the princes were sitting there: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the princes.

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

Then Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the hearing of the people.

14 T hen 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.

Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi 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 in the hearing of the people and come. So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.

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

And they said to him, Sit down now and read it in our hearing. So Baruch read it in their hearing.

16 W hen 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.”

Now when they had heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear and said to Baruch, We must surely tell the king of all these words.

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

And they asked Baruch, Tell us now, how did you write all these words? At dictation?

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

Then Baruch answered them, He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the book.

19 T hen 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

Then the princes said to Baruch, Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.

20 S o 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.

Then they went into the court to the king, but they put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; then they reported all the words to the king.

21 T hen 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.

So the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and of all the princes who stood beside the king.

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

Now it was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and a fire was burning there before him in the brazier.

23 W hen 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.

And when Jehudi had read three or four columns, he would cut them off with a penknife and cast them into the fire that was in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.

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

Yet they were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments—neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words.

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

Even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah tried to persuade the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.

26 A nd 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

And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.

27 N ow 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,

Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch wrote at the dictation of Jeremiah, said:

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

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

29 A nd 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?’”

And 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 shall surely come and destroy this land and shall cut off man and beast from it?

30 S o 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.

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have no to sit upon the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and to the frost by night.

31 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.”’”

And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the evil that I have pronounced against them—but they would not hear.

32 T hen 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.

Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who 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 besides them many similar words were added.