1 ARST Soon after Jehoiakim son of Josiah, became the king of Judah, Yahweh gave me this message: BSB BSB: At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:
2 ARST “This is what I, Yahweh, am telling you: Stand in the courtyard in front of my temple, and speak to all the people from the various towns in Judah who come there to worship me. Tell them everything that I tell you; do not leave out anything. BSB BSB: “This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all the cities of Judah who come to worship there. Do not omit a word.
3 ARST If you do tell them everything, perhaps they will pay attention, and each one of them will turn away from his evil behavior. Then I will change my mind, and not bring on them the disaster that I was planning to bring on them because of the evil things that they have done. BSB BSB: Perhaps they will listen and turn—each from his evil way of life—so that I may relent of the disaster I am planning to bring upon them because of the evil of their deeds.
4 ARST Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I sent to you the prophets who serve me, to tell you what you should do. I sent them to you many times, but you have not paid attention to what they said. If you will not pay attention to what I say and do not obey the message that I have given to you, and if you do not pay attention to what the prophets say, BSB BSB: And you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘If you do not listen to Me and walk in My law, which I have set before you,
6 ARST I will destroy this temple like I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the sacred tent was put. And I will cause Jerusalem to be a place whose name people in every nation on the earth will say when they curse someone.’” BSB BSB: then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”
7 ARST Jeremiah did what Yahweh told him to do. The priests, the false prophets, and many other people listened to him as he told them that message outside the temple. BSB BSB: Now the priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD,
8 ARST But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling them everything that Yahweh had commanded him to say, they all seized him and said,“You must be executed! BSB BSB: and as soon as he had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You must surely die!
9 ARST Why are you prophesying that this temple will be destroyed like Shiloh was destroyed? Why are you saying that this city will be destroyed, and that no one will live here anymore? All the people surrounded Jeremiah as he stood in front of the temple. BSB BSB: How dare you prophesy in the name of the LORD that this house will become like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted!” And all the people assembled against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 ARST When the officials of Judah heard about all this that was happening, they rushed from the palace and sat down at the gate of the temple named The New Gate, to judge Jeremiah’ s case. BSB BSB: When the officials of Judah heard these things, they went up from the king’s palace to the house of the LORD and sat there at the entrance of the New Gate.
11 ARST The priests and the prophets told the officials and the other people who were there,“This man should be executed, because he has prophesied that this city will be destroyed, and you yourselves have heard him say that!” BSB BSB: Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
12 ARST Then Jeremiah replied to the officials and the other people. He said to them,“Yahweh sent me to prophesy all the things that you heard me say about what will happen to this temple and this city. BSB BSB: But Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
13 ARST But if you change your behavior and stop sinning, and start to obey Yahweh our God, he will change his mind, and not send to you the disasters that he said that he would send. BSB BSB: So now, correct your ways and deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, so that He might relent of the disaster He has pronounced against you.
14 ARST As for me, I am not able to free myself from your grasp. So you can do to me whatever you want to do. BSB BSB: As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right.
15 ARST But you need to know that if you kill me, you will be killing a man who is innocent. And you and everyone else in this city will be guilty, because the truth is that it was Yahweh who sent me to speak every word that you have heard me say.” BSB BSB: But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, upon this city, and upon its residents; for truly the LORD has sent me to speak all these words in your hearing.”
16 ARST Then the officials and the other people said to the priests and the false prophets,“This man does not deserve to be executed, because he has spoken to us the message that Yahweh gave him!” BSB BSB: Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man is not worthy of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!”
17 ARST Then some of the elders stood up and spoke to all the people who were gathered there. BSB BSB: Some of the elders of the land stood up and said to the whole assembly of the people,
18 ARST They said,“Remember what Micah, the prophet from Moresheth, prophesied during the years that Hezekiah was the king of Judah. He told the people of Judah this:‘This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says: Some day Mount Zion will be plowed like fields are plowed; Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins. There will be a large clump of trees on top of the hill where the temple is now.’ BSB BSB: “Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and 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 heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.’
19 ARST But did Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah kill Micah for saying that? No! Instead, Hezekiah revered Yahweh, and pleaded that he would act mercifully toward them. So, Yahweh changed his mind about sending to them the terrible disaster that he said he would send. And now if we kill Jeremiah, we are going to bring even worse disaster on ourselves!” BSB BSB: Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did Hezekiah not fear the LORD and seek His favor, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster He had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great harm on ourselves!”
20 ARST At that time, Uriah son of Shemaiah from the city of Kiriath Jearim was also prophesying from Yahweh. He was predicting that the city and the rest of the land would experience the same disasters that Jeremiah was predicting. BSB BSB: Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.
21 ARST When King Jehoiakim and his army officers and officials heard what Uriah was saying, the king sent someone to kill Uriah. But Uriah heard about it, and became very afraid, and he escaped to Egypt. BSB BSB: King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt.
22 ARST Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor along with several other men to Egypt. BSB BSB: Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor along with some other men.
23 ARST They captured Uriah and took him back to Jerusalem to King Jehoiakim. The king then commanded a soldier to kill Uriah with a sword. Then they buried his corpse in a place where poor people are buried. BSB BSB: They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him put to the sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.
24 ARST However, Ahikam son of Shaphan defended me, and persuaded the officials not to allow the mob to murder Jeremiah. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.