26
1 In
the beginning of
the reign of
Jehoiakim the son
of Josiah, king
of Judah, this
word came from
the LORD:
2 “The
LORD says: ‘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. Don’t omit a
word.
3 It
may be they
will listen, and
every man turn
from his evil
way, that I
may relent from
the evil which
I intend to
do to them
because of the
evil of their
doings.’ ”
4 You
shall tell them,
“The LORD says: ‘If
you will not
listen to me,
to walk in
my law which
I have set
before you,
5 to
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—
6 then
I will make
this house like
Shiloh, and will
make this city
a curse to
all the nations
of the earth.’ ”
7 The
priests and the
prophets and all
the people heard
Jeremiah speaking
these words in
the LORD’s house.
8 When
Jeremiah had
finished speaking
all that the
LORD 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!
9 Why
have you
prophesied in the
LORD’s name, saying, ‘This
house will be
like Shiloh, and
this city will
be desolate,
without inhabitant’?”
All the people
were crowded around
Jeremiah in the
LORD’s house.
10 When
the princes of
Judah heard these
things, they came
up from the
king’s house to
the LORD’s house;
and they sat
in the entry
of the new
gate of the
LORD’s house.
11 Then
the priests and
the prophets spoke
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.”
12 Then
Jeremiah spoke to
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 you
have heard.
13 Now
therefore amend
your ways and
your doings, and
obey the LORD
your God’s voice;
then the LORD
will relent from
the evil that
he has pronounced
against you.
14 But as
for me, behold,
I am in
your hand. Do
with me what
is good and
right in your
eyes.
15 Only
know for certain
that if you
put me to
death, you will
bring innocent
blood on
yourselves, on
this city, and
on its inhabitants;
for in truth the
LORD has sent
me to you
to speak all
these words in
your ears.”
16 Then
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 the LORD
our God.”
17 Then certain
of the elders
of the land rose
up, and spoke to
all the assembly
of the people,
saying,
18 “Micah
the Morashtite prophesied
in the days
of Hezekiah king
of Judah; and
he spoke to all
the people of
Judah, saying, ‘The
LORD of Armies
says:
“ ‘Zion will be
plowed as a
field,
and Jerusalem
will 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
to death? Didn’t
he fear the
LORD, and entreat
the favor of
the LORD, and
the LORD relented
of the disaster
which he had
pronounced against
them? We would
commit great evil
against our own
souls that way!”
20 There
was also a
man who prophesied
in the LORD’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.
21 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.
22 Then
Jehoiakim the king
sent Elnathan the
son of Achbor
and certain men
with him into
Egypt.
23 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.
24 But
the hand of Ahikam
the son of
Shaphan was with
Jeremiah, so that
they didn’t give
him into the
hand of the
people to put
him to death.