1 IN the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.
8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the Lord, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the Lord’s house.
11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
12 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.
16 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.
17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

1In the beginning of the reigne of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah king of Iudah, came this word from the Lord, saying;

2Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the Court of the Lords house, and speake vnto all the cities of Iudah, which come to worship in the Lords house, all the wordes that I command thee to speake vnto them: diminish not a word;

3If so bee they will hearken, and turne euery man from his euill way, that I may repent me of the euil which I purpose to doe vnto them, because of the euil of their doings.

4And thou shalt say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord; If yee will not hearken to mee to walke in my Law, which I haue set before you,

5To hearken to the wordes of my seruants the Prophets, whom I sent vnto you, both rising vp early and sending them, (but ye haue not hearkned:)

6Then wil I make this house like Shiloh, and wil make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

7So the priests and the prophets, and all the people heard Ieremiah speaking these wordes in the house of the Lord.

8 Now it came to passe when Ieremiah had made an ende of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speake vnto all the people, that the priests and the prophets, and all the people tooke him, saying; Thou shalt surely die.

9Why hast thou prophecied in the Name of the Lord, saying, This house shalbe like Shiloh, and this city shalbe desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Ieremiah in the house of the Lord.

10 When the Princes of Iudah heard these things, then they came vp from the kings house vnto the house of the Lord, and sate downe in the entrie of the new gate of the Lords house.

11Then spake the priests and the prophets vnto the Princes, and to all the people, saying; This man is worthy to die, for he hath prophecied against this citie, as yee haue heard with your eares.

12 Then spake Ieremiah vnto all the Princes, and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophecie against this house, and against this citie, all the wordes that yee haue heard.

13Therefore nowe amend your wayes, and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will repent him of the euill that he hath pronounced against you.

14As for mee, behold, I am in your hand: doe with mee as seemeth good and meet vnto you.

15But know ye for certaine, That if ye put mee to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood vpon your selues, and vpon this citie, and vpon the inhabitants thereof: for of a trueth the Lord hath sent mee vnto you, to speake all these words in your eares.

16 Then said the Princes, and all the people, vnto the priests, and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for hee hath spoken to vs in the Name of the Lord our God.

17Then rose vp certaine of the Elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying;

18Micah the Morashite prophecied in the dayes of Hezekiah king of Iudah, and spake to all the people of Iudah, saying; Thus saith the Lord of hostes, Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Ierusalem shall become heapes, and the mountaine of the house, the hie places of a forrest.

19Did Hezekiah King of Iudah and all Iudah put him at all to death? did hee not feare the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the euill which he had pronounced against them? thus might wee procure great euill against our soules.

20And there was also a man that prophecied in the Name of the Lord, Urijah the sonne of Shemaiah of Kiriath-iearim, who prophecied against this citie and against this land, according to all the words of Ieremiah.

21And when Iehoiakim the king with all his mightie men, and all the princes heard his wordes, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went into Egypt.

22And Iehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely Elnathan the sonne of Achbor, and certeine men with him, into Egypt.

23And they fet foorth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him vnto Iehoiakim the king, who slewe him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graues of the common people.

24Neuerthelesse, the hand of Ahikam, the sonne of Shaphan, was with Ieremiah, that they should not giue him into the hand of the people, to put him to death.

III == Jer 18:8 ; 36:3 ; Jon 3:8-9

IV == Lev 26:14 ; Deut 28:15

V == Jer 7:13 , 25 ; 11:7 ; 25:3-4

VI == 1st Sam 4:10-11 ; Ps 78:60 ; Isa 65:15 ; Jer 7:12 , 14 ; 24:9

XI == Jer 38:4

XIII == Jer 7:3 ; 26:3 , 19

XIV == Jer 38:5

XVII == Acts 5:34

XVIII == Mic 1:1 ; 3:12

XIX == Ex 32:14 ; 2nd Sam 24:16 ; 2nd Chr 32:26 ; Acts 5:39

XXIV == 2nd Kings 22:12 , 14 ; Jer 27:3 , 12 , 20 ; 28:1 ; 39:14

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, this message came from the LORD:

2 Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the house of the LORD and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD; whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.

3 Perhaps they will listen and turn back, each from his evil way, so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them for their evil deeds.

4 Say to them: Thus says the LORD: If you disobey me, not living according to the law I placed before you

5 and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,

6 I will treat this house like Shiloh, and make this the city which all the nations of the earth shall refer to when cursing another.

7 Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.

8 When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people, the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying, "You must be put to death!

9 Why do you prophesy in the name of the LORD: 'This house shall be like Shiloh,' and 'This city shall be desolate and deserted'?" And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

10 When the princes of Judah were informed of these things, they came up from the king's palace to the house of the LORD and held court at the New Gate of the house of the LORD.

11 The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people, "This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."

12 Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people: "It was the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and city all that you have heard.

13 Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the LORD your God, so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you.

14 As for me, I am in your hands; do with me what you think good and right.

15 But mark well: if you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves, on this city and its citizens. For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear."

16 Thereupon the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve death; it is in the name of the LORD, our God, that he speaks to us."

17 At this, some of the elders of the land came forward and said to all the people assembled,

18 "Micah of Moresheth used to prophesy in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and he told all the people of Judah: Thus says the LORD of hosts: Zion shall become a plowed field, Jerusalem a heap of ruins, and the temple mount a forest ridge.

19 Did Hezekiah, king of Judah, and all Judah condemn him to death? Did they not rather fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, so that he repented of the evil with which he had threatened them? But we are on the point of committing this great evil to our own undoing."

20 There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah, son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-jearim; he prophesied the same things against this city and land as Jeremiah did.

21 When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and princes were informed of his words, the king sought to kill him. But Uriah heard of it and fled in fear to Egypt.

22 Thereupon King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan, son of Achbor, and others with him into Egypt

23 to bring Uriah back to the king, who had him slain by the sword and his corpse cast into the common grave.

24 But Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah, so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

v 1-3. In this chapter Jeremiah is giving the response to the message he gave in the temple court in chapters 7-10. He was to speak all God’s word to get repentance.

v 4-6. If they continued ignoring the prophets, the temple would become desolate.

v 7-11. Everyone heard him, so as soon as he finished speaking they seized him and charged that he should be sentenced to death for speaking against Jerusalem and the temple. He was then brought to trial at the entrance of the New Gate.

v 12-15. Jeremiah presented a three point defense. He had spoken only the word of the Lord; they were given opportunity to repent; they would shed innocent blood.

v 16-19. The princes and people then decided Jeremiah should not die. Some elders quoted from Micah 3:12 that when Micah brought a similar message, Hezekiah turned to the Lord, so they should follow his example to avoid judgment.

v 20-23. Jeremiah was spared, but a prophet with a similar message, Uriah was condemned to death and fled to Egypt but was retrieved, killed and crudely buried.

v 24. Ahikam was instrumental in preserving Jeremiah, and the family was known in other places. Shaphan, 2 Ki. 22:3-13; and Ahikam’s son Gedaliah. Shaphan’s son, one rebellious in the family, Ezek. 8:11.