1At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Yahweh, saying:
2Thus says Yahweh: Stand in the court of the house of Yahweh, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of Yahweh all the words that I commanded you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.
3Perhaps they will listen and turn, each from his evil way, and I will relent concerning the disaster that I am planning to bring on them because of the evil of their deeds.
4And you shall say to them, Thus says Yahweh: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you,
5to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I am sending to you—persistently sending, though you have not listened—
6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the earth.
7And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Yahweh.
8And it happened, when Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die!
9Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, with no inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered against Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh.
10When the officials of Judah heard these words, they went up from the king’s house to the house of Yahweh, and they sat at the entrance of the New Gate of Yahweh.
11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “A sentence of death for this man, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials 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.
13So now, make your ways and your deeds good, and listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, so that Yahweh may relent concerning the disaster that he has spoken against you.
14As for me, here I am in your hand; do to me as is good and right in your eyes.
15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you are bringing innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on its inhabitants, for in truth Yahweh sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, “There is no sentence of death for this man, for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”
17And certain men from the elders of the land rose 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 said to all the people of Judah, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’
19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear Yahweh and entreat the face of Yahweh, so that Yahweh relented concerning the disaster that he had spoken against them? But we are bringing great evil on our own lives.”
20There was also a man prophesying in the name of Yahweh, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land in accord with all the words of Jeremiah.
21When King Jehoiakim and all his warriors and all the officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard, and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt.
22Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt—Elnathan son of Achbor and men with him to Egypt—
23and they brought Uriah out of Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and threw his corpse into the burial place of the common people.
24But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hand of the people to be put to death.
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