1 I n the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from Yahweh, saying,

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying,

2 Y ahweh says: Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them; don’t diminish a word.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord ’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord ’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.

3 I t may be they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings.

Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.’

4 Y ou shall tell them, Yahweh says: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you,

5 t o listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but you have not listened;

to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded),

6 t hen I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”

7 T he priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in Yahweh’s house.

So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.

8 W hen Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die.”

Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You will surely die!

9 W hy have you prophesied in Yahweh’s name, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? All the people were gathered to Jeremiah in Yahweh’s house.

Why have you 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 W hen the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to Yahweh’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Yahweh’s house.

When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the Lord ’s house.

11 T hen spoke the priests and the prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.

And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, “This man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”

12 T hen spoke Jeremiah to all the princes and to all the people, saying, Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard.

13 N ow therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey Yahweh your God’s voice; and Yahweh will repent him of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you.

14 B ut as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes.

As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.

15 O nly 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 of a truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.

But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

16 T hen the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.

So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

17 T hen rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,

Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying:

18 M icah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Yahweh of Armies says: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest.”’

19 D id Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear Yahweh, and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and seek the Lord ’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

20 T here was also a man who prophesied in Yahweh’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.

21 a nd 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 Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt:

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 to Egypt.

22 a nd Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt;

Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt.

23 a nd they fetched Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

24 B ut 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.

Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.