JeremiahChapter 26

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¹This message came from the LORD at the start of the rule of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: ²"This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the LORD. Speak to the people from all the towns of Judah who come to worship there. Tell them all the words I have commanded you to say. Do not leave out a word. ³Maybe they will listen. Maybe each one will turn from his evil way of life. Then I may change my mind about the disaster I plan to bring on them because of the evil things they have done. ⁴Tell them that this is what the LORD says: 'Suppose you do not listen to me. Suppose you do not live by my law, which I have set in front of you. ⁵And suppose you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets. I have sent them to you again and again, but you did not listen. ⁶Then I will make this house like Shiloh. I will make this city something all the nations of the earth use as a curse.'" ⁷The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah saying these words in the house of the LORD. ⁸Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say. As soon as he did, the priests and prophets and all the people grabbed him. They shouted, "You must die! ⁹How dare you prophesy in the name of the LORD that this house will be like Shiloh! How dare you say this city will be an empty ruin with no one living in it!" And all the people gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. ¹⁰The officials of Judah heard about these things. So they went up from the king's palace to the house of the LORD. They sat down 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 put to death! He has prophesied against this city. You heard it with your own ears!" ¹²But Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people. He said, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city. He sent me to say all the words you have heard. ¹³So now, change your ways and the things you do. Obey the voice of the LORD your God. Then he may change his mind about the disaster he said would come on you. ¹⁴As for me, here I am in your hands. Do to me whatever you think is good and right. ¹⁵But know this for sure. If you put me to death, you will be guilty of killing an innocent man. That guilt will be on you, on this city, and on the people who live here. For it is true that the LORD sent me to speak all these words to you." ¹⁶Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and prophets, "This man should not be put to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!" ¹⁷Some of the elders of the land stood up. They spoke to the whole crowd of people. They said, ¹⁸"Micah from Moresheth prophesied when Hezekiah was king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Zion will be plowed like a field. Jerusalem will become a pile of ruins. The temple hill will become a hill covered with trees.' ¹⁹Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? No! Hezekiah feared the LORD and asked for his kindness. And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster he had said would come on them. But we are about to bring great harm on ourselves!" ²⁰There was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD. He was Uriah son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied the same things against this city and this land that Jeremiah did. ²¹King Jehoiakim and all his mighty soldiers and officials heard what Uriah said. The king wanted to put him to death. But Uriah found out about it. He was afraid, so he ran away to Egypt. ²²Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt. He sent Elnathan son of Achbor and some other men with him. ²³They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king had him killed with a sword. He had his body thrown into the graves of the common people. ²⁴But Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah. So Jeremiah was not handed over to the people to be put to death.