Jeremiah 26

1At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Yahweh, saying,

2Thus says Yahweh: Stand in the court of the house of Yahweh, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship at the house of Yahweh all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.

3Perhaps they will listen, and each man will turn from his evil way, and I will relent concerning the disaster that I am planning to bring on them because of the evil of their deeds.

4And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: If you do not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you,’

5to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I am sending to you, rising early and sending, though you have not listened,

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

7And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Yahweh.

8And it happened, when Yirmeyahu had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must surely die!”

9Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house will become like Shiloh, and this city will be laid waste, with no inhabitant’?” Then all the people gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

10When the officials of Judah heard these words, they went up from the king’s house to the house of Yahweh and sat at the entrance of the New Gate of Yahweh.

11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A sentence of death is for this man, because he has prophesied against this city, just as you have heard with your own ears.”

12Then Yirmeyahu said to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.”

13So now, make your ways and your deeds good, and listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and Yahweh will relent concerning the disaster that he has spoken against you.

14But as for me, here I am in your hand. Do to me what is good and right in your eyes.

15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you are bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for in truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.

16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”

17Then some of the elders of the land stood up and said to all the assembly of the people, saying,

18Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah, saying, “Thus says Yahweh of Armies: Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become ruins, and the mountain of the house will become wooded heights.”

19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear Yahweh and seek the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented concerning the disaster that he had spoken against them? But we are doing great evil against ourselves.

20And there was also a man prophesying in the name of Yahweh, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.

21When King Jehoiakim, and all his mighty men, and all the officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard, he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt.

22Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor, and men with him, to Egypt.

23They brought Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, and he struck him down with the sword and threw his corpse into the burial places of the common people.

24But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hand of the people to put him to death.