[1]In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎, saying: [2]'Thus saith ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎: Stand in the court of ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word. [3]It may 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 ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎: 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 send unto you, even sending them betimes and often, 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 ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎. [8]Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying: 'Thou shalt surely die. [9]Why hast thou prophesied in the name of ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎, 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 ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎. [10]When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house unto the house of ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎; and they sat in the entry of the new gate ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎'S house. [11]Then spoke the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying: 'This man is worthy of death; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.' [12]Then spoke Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying: '‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ 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 hearken to the voice of ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ your God; and ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ will repent Him of the evil that He hath pronounced against you. [14]But as for me, behold, I am in your hand; do with me as is good and right in your eyes. [15]Only know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, ye will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ 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 of death; for he hath spoken to us in the name of ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ our God.' [17]Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, 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 spoke to all the people of Judah, saying: Thus saith ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ of hosts: Zion shall be plowed as 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 ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎, and entreat the favour of ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎, and ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎ repented Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our own souls.' [20]And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of ‏𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇‎, Uriah the son of Shema Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words o 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 Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt; [22]And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt; [23]And they fetched forth Uriah 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 children of the 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.
 
Top