1A message from the LORD came to Jeremiah. It was shortly after Jehoiakim became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah.2The LORD said to Jeremiah, ‘Stand in the courtyard of my house. Speak to the people of the towns in Judah. Speak to all those who come to worship in my house. Tell them everything I command you. Do not leave out a single word.3Perhaps they will listen. Maybe they will turn from their evil ways. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on them. I had planned to punish them because of the evil things they had done.4Tell them, “The LORD says, ‘Listen to me. Obey my law that I gave you.5And listen to the words my servants the prophets are speaking. I have sent them to you again and again. But you have not listened to them.6So I will make this house like Shiloh. All the nations on earth will use the name of this city in a curse.’ ” ’7Jeremiah spoke these words in the LORD’s house. The priests, the prophets and all the people heard him.8Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say. But as soon as he did, the priests, the prophets and all the people grabbed him. They said, ‘You must die!9Why do you prophesy these things in the LORD’s name? Why do you say that this house will become like Shiloh? Why do you say that this city will be empty and deserted?’ And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the LORD’s house.10The officials of Judah heard what had happened. So they went up from the royal palace to the LORD’s house. There they took their places at the entrance of the New Gate.11Then the priests and prophets spoke to the officials and all the people. They said, ‘This man should be sentenced to death. He has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!’12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and people. He said, ‘The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city. He told me to say everything you have heard.13So change the way you live and act. Obey the LORD your God. Then he won’t do what he said he would. He won’t bring on you the trouble he said he would bring.14As for me, I’m in your hands. Do to me what you think is good and right.15But you can be sure of one thing. If you put me to death, you will be held responsible for spilling my blood. And I haven’t even done anything wrong. You will bring guilt on yourselves and this city and those who live in it. The LORD has sent me to you. He wanted me to say all these things so you could hear them. And that’s the truth.’16Then the officials and all the people spoke to the priests and prophets. They said, ‘This man shouldn’t be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.’17Some of the elders of the land stepped forward. They spoke to the whole community gathered there. They said,18‘Micah from Moresheth prophesied. It was during the time Hezekiah was king over Judah. Micah spoke to all the people of Judah. He told them, “The LORD who rules over all says, ‘ “ ‘Zion will be ploughed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of rubble. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.’ ” (Mic 3:12)19Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put Micah to death? Hezekiah had respect for the LORD and tried to please him. And the LORD didn’t judge Jerusalem as he said he would. He didn’t bring on it the trouble he said he would bring. But we are about to bring horrible trouble on ourselves!’20Uriah was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD. He was from Kiriath Jearim. He was the son of Shemaiah. Uriah prophesied against this city and this land. He said the same things Jeremiah did.21King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard Uriah’s words. So the king decided to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it. He was afraid. And he ran away to Egypt.22So King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan to Egypt. He also sent some other men along with him. Elnathan was the son of Akbor.23Those men brought Uriah out of Egypt. They took him to King Jehoiakim. Then the king had Uriah struck down with a sword. He had Uriah’s body thrown into one of the graves of the ordinary people.24In spite of that, Ahikam stood up for Jeremiah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. Because of Ahikam, Jeremiah wasn’t handed over to the people to be put to death.
Jeremiah 26
English Standard Version
Jeremiah Threatened with Death
1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: (2Ki 23:36; 2Ch 36:5; Jer 27:1)2“Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. (De 4:2; De 12:32; Jer 19:14; Eze 3:10; Ac 20:27)3It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. (Jer 4:4; Jer 18:8; Jer 26:13; Jer 26:19; Jer 36:3)4You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, (Le 26:14; De 28:15)5and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, (Jer 25:3)6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’” (Jer 7:12; Jer 24:9)7The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. (Jer 23:33)8And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! (Jer 26:7)9Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. (Jer 4:7; Jer 26:6)10When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. (Jer 36:10; Jer 36:12)11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” (Jer 26:7; Jer 26:16; Jer 38:4)12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard.13Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. (De 30:2; Jer 7:3; Jer 26:3)14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. (Jos 9:25)15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.” (Mt 27:24)
Jeremiah Spared from Death
16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” (Jer 26:8; Jer 26:11)17And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, (Jer 19:1; Ac 5:34)18“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’ (Mic 3:12)19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.” (Ex 32:14; 2Sa 24:16; 1Ki 13:6; 2Ch 32:26; Ac 5:39)20There was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. (Jos 9:17; 1Sa 6:21; 1Sa 7:1; 1Ch 13:5)21And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. (Jer 26:1; Jer 27:1)22Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, (2Ki 22:12; 2Ki 22:14; Jer 26:21; Jer 36:12; Jer 36:25)23and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people. (Ne 9:26; Jer 22:17; Mt 21:35; Mt 23:37)24But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death. (2Ki 22:12)