In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah,
king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: “Thus says the LORD:
Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities
of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the
words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.
It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way,
that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them
because of their evil deeds. You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the
LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have
set before you, and to listen to the words of my servants the
prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened,
then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city
a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”
The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah
speaking these words in the house of the LORD. And when Jeremiah
had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak
to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the
people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! Why have you
prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be
like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?”
And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the
LORD.
When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from
the king's house to the house of the LORD and took their seat in
the entry of the New Gate of the house of the LORD. Then the
priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the
people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has
prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own
ears.”
Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people,
saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this
city all the words you have heard. Now therefore mend your ways and
your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD
will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. But
as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and
right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death,
you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city
and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak
all these words in your ears.”
Then 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 the LORD our God.” And certain of
the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people,
saying, “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king
of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the LORD
of hosts,
“‘Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’
Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death?
Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did
not the LORD relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against
them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”
There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD,
Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied
against this city and against this land in words like those of
Jeremiah. And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all
the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to
death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and
escaped to Egypt. Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men,
Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, and they took Uriah
from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down
with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of
the common people.
But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so
that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.
