Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Temple 1 WBS And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, BSB BSB: In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 WBS Take thee a roll of a book, and write in it all the words that I have spoken to thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to thee, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. 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 WBS It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do to them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. 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 WBS And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am confined, I cannot go into the house of the LORD: BSB BSB: Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I am restricted; I cannot enter the house of the LORD;
6 WBS Therefore go thou and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the day of fasting: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. 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 WBS It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people. 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 WBS And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house. 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 WBS And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem. 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 WBS When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD, BSB BSB: When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll,
12 WBS Then he went down into the king's house, into the scribe's chamber: and lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes. 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 WBS Then Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of 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 WBS Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, Take in thy hand the roll in which thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came 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 WBS And they said to him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears. BSB BSB: “Please sit down,” they said, “and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing.
16 WBS Now it came to pass when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and another, and said to Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words. 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 WBS And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? BSB BSB: “Tell us now,” they asked Baruch, “how did you write all these words? Was it at Jeremiah’s dictation?”
18 WBS Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book. 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 WBS Then said the princes to Baruch, Go, hide thyself, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye 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 WBS And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king. 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 WBS So the king sent Jehudi to bring the roll: and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama, the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who stood beside the king. 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 WBS Now the king sat in the winter-house in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. BSB BSB: Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.
23 WBS And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the scribe's pen-knife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. 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 WBS Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. BSB BSB: Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
25 WBS Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them. BSB BSB: Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26 WBS But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them. 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 WBS Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah hath 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 WBS And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? 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 WBS Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. 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 WBS And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not. 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 WBS Then Jeremiah took another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were besides added to them many like words. 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.