Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Temple 1 UDB When Jehoiakim son of Josiah had been the king of Judah for almost four years, Yahweh gave this message to me: BSB BSB: In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 UDB "Get a scroll, and write on it the messages that I have given to you regarding Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Write all of the messages, starting from the time that I gave you the first message, when Josiah was the king, up until now. BSB BSB: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you during the reign of Josiah until today.
3 UDB When the people of Judah hear again about all the disasters that I plan to cause them to experience, perhaps each one of them will repent. If they do that, I will be able to forgive them for the wrong things that they have done." BSB BSB: Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the calamity I plan to bring upon them, each of them will turn from his wicked way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
5 UDB Then Jeremiah said to him, "I am not allowed to leave here and go to the temple. BSB BSB: Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I am restricted; I cannot enter the house of the LORD;
6 UDB So, you go to the temple on the next day when the people are fasting, and read to them the messages from Yahweh that you wrote while I dictated them to you. Read them aloud to all the people who are there, including the people of Judah who come there from their towns. BSB BSB: so you are to go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting, and in the hearing of the people you are to read the words of the LORD from the scroll you have written at my dictation. Read them in the hearing of all the people of Judah who are coming from their cities.
7 UDB Perhaps they will turn from their evil behavior and request Yahweh to act mercifully toward them. They must do that, because Yahweh is very angry with them and has threatened to punish them severely." BSB BSB: Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each one will turn from his wicked way; for great are the anger and fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people.”
8 UDB Baruch did what Jeremiah told him to do. He went to the temple and read to the people all those messages from Yahweh. BSB BSB: So Baruch son of Neriah did everything that Jeremiah the prophet had commanded him. In the house of the LORD he read the words of the LORD from the scroll.
9 UDB He did it on the ninth month, on a day when their leaders had proclaimed that all the people in Jerusalem, and the people who had come there from other towns in Judah, should fast to please Yahweh. This happened when Jehoiakim had been king for almost five years. BSB BSB: Now in the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a fast before the LORD was proclaimed to all the people of Jerusalem and all who had come there from the cities of Judah.
Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Palace 11 UDB When Micaiah son of Gemariah, and grandson of Shaphan, heard these messages from Yahweh, BSB BSB: When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll,
12 UDB he went down to the secretary's room in the palace, where all the king's officials were meeting. Elishama the king's secretary was there. Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Akbor, Gemariah, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials of the king were also there. BSB BSB: he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.
13 UDB When Micaiah told them about the messages that Baruch had been reading to the people, BSB BSB: And Micaiah reported to them all the words he had heard Baruch read from the scroll in the hearing of the people.
14 UDB the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, and grandson of Shelemiah and great-grandson of Cushi, to tell Baruch to come and read the messages to them, also. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them. BSB BSB: Then all the officials sent word to Baruch through Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, saying, “Bring the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come here.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll and went to them.
15 UDB They said to him, "Please sit down and read it to us." So Baruch did what they requested. BSB BSB: “Please sit down,” they said, “and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing.
16 UDB After they had heard all the messages, they were afraid. They looked at each other and then they said, "We must tell these messages to the king!" BSB BSB: When they had heard all these words, they turned to one another in fear and said to Baruch, “Surely we must report all these words to the king.”
17 UDB Then they asked Baruch, "How did you get this scroll? Did Jeremiah dictate to you all the messages on this scroll?" BSB BSB: “Tell us now,” they asked Baruch, “how did you write all these words? Was it at Jeremiah’s dictation?”
18 UDB Baruch replied, "Yes, Jeremiah dictated them to me, and I wrote them with ink on this scroll." BSB BSB: “It was at his dictation,” Baruch replied. “He recited all these words to me and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”
19 UDB Then the officials told Baruch, "You and Jeremiah must both hide. Do not tell anyone where you are!" BSB BSB: Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must hide yourselves and tell no one where you are.”
Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll 20 UDB They put the scroll in the room of Elishama, the king's secretary. Then they went to the king, who was in the courtyard, and reported to him everything that Baruch had read to them. BSB BSB: So the officials went to the king in the courtyard. And having stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, they reported everything to the king.
21 UDB Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama's room and read it to the king, while all the king's officials were standing there. BSB BSB: Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing beside him.
22 UDB It was in the cold season, and the king was in a part of the palace where he stayed when it was cold. He was sitting in front of a fire to keep warm. BSB BSB: Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.
23 UDB Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king cut off that section of the scroll with a knife and threw it into the fire. He did that, section by section, until the entire scroll was burned up. BSB BSB: And as soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire.
24 UDB Neither the king nor his officials showed that they were afraid that God would punish them. They did not tear their clothes to show that they were sorry for what they had done. BSB BSB: Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
25 UDB Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, but he did not pay any attention. BSB BSB: Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26 UDB Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and me. But they were unable to do that because Yahweh had hidden us. BSB BSB: Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.
Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll 28 UDB "Get another scroll, and tell Baruch to write everything again, the same messages that he had written on the scroll that King Jehoiakim burned. BSB BSB: “Take another scroll and rewrite on it the very words that were on the original scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah has burned.
29 UDB Then go to the king and say to him, 'Yahweh says this: You burned the scroll because you did not like what was written on it, that the king of Babylon would surely come with his army and destroy this land and get rid of all the people and the animals. BSB BSB: You are to proclaim concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah that this is what the LORD says: You have burned the scroll and said, ‘Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon would surely come and destroy this land and deprive it of man and beast?’
30 UDB Now this is what I, Yahweh, say about you, Jehoiakim: None of your descendants will rule this kingdom. Your corpse will be thrown out on the ground and not buried; it will be under the hot sun during the days and struck by frost during the nights. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his body will be thrown out and exposed to heat by day and frost by night.
31 UDB I will punish you and your family and your officials for their sins. And I will cause the people of Jerusalem and the people of the other towns in Judah to experience all the disasters that I promised, because you all would not pay attention to what I said!"'" BSB BSB: I will punish him and his descendants and servants for their iniquity. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the calamity about which I warned them but they did not listen.”
32 UDB So Jeremiah took another scroll, and again he dictated the messages to Baruch. He wrote everything that had been written on the other scroll, the one that King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. But this time, Jeremiah added more messages. BSB BSB: Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and at Jeremiah’s dictation he wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
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