A Warning to the Cities of Judah

1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, was this word from Jehovah, saying, 2Thus said Jehovah, Stand in the enclosure of the house of Jehovah and speak to all the cities of Judah coming to worship in the house of Jehovah, all the words which I command thee to speak to them; thou shalt not withhold a word. 3Perhaps they will hear and turn back a man from his evil way, and I lamented for the evil which I purposed to do to them from the face of the evil of their doings. 4And say to them, Thus said Jehovah, If ye will not hear to me to go in my law which I gave before your face, 5To hear to the words of my servants the prophets which I sent to you, and rising early and sending, and ye heard not; 6And I gave this house as Shiloh, and this city I will give for cursing to all the nations of the earth.

Jeremiah Threatened with Death

7And the priests and the prophets and all the people will hear Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah. 8And it will be as Jeremiah finished to speak all which Jehovah commanded to speak to all the people, and the priests and the prophets and all the people will seize him, saying, Dying, thou shalt die. 9Wherefore didst thou prophesy in the name of Jehovah, saying, This house shall be as Shiloh, and this city shall be laid waste from none inhabiting? And all the people will be convoked together to Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah.

10And the chiefs of Judah will hear these words, and they will come up from the king's house to the house of Jehovah, and they will sit in the opening of the new gate of Jehovah. 11And the priests and the prophets will say to the chiefs, and to all the people, saying, The judgment of death for this man, for he prophesied against this city, as ye heard with your ears.

12And Jeremiah will say to all the chiefs and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words which ye heard. 13And now make good your ways and your doings, and hear to the voice of Jehovah your God; and Jehovah will lament for the evil which he spake against you. 14And I, behold me in your hand do to me as the good and right in your eyes: 15But knowing, ye shall know that if ye put me to death, that ye give innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city, and to her inhabitants: for in truth Jehovah sent me to you to speak in your ears all these words.

Jeremiah Spared from Death

16And the chiefs will say, and all the people to the priests and to the prophets: Not for this man the judgment of death, for in the name of Jehovah his God he spake to us. 17And men will rise up from the old men of the land, and they will say to all the convocation of the people, saying,

18Micah the Morasthite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he will say to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus said Jehovah of armies: Zion shall be ploughed a field, and Jerusalem shall be ruins, and the mountain of the house for the heights of a forest.

19Putting to death, did Hezekiah king of Judah put him to death, and all Judah? Did he not fear Jehovah, and wait for the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah will lament for the evil which he spake against them? And we are doing great evil against our souls.

The Prophet Uriah

20And also a man was prophesying in the name of Jehovah, Urijah son of Shemaiah, from the city of the forests, and he will prophesy against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21And king Jehoiakim will hear, and all the great ones, and all the chiefs, his words, and the king will seek to kill him: and Urijah will hear and be afraid, and he will flee and go to Egypt. 22And king Jehoiakim will send men to Egypt, Elnathan, son of Achbor, and men with him to Egypt. 23And they will bring forth Urijah from Egypt and bring him to king Jehoiakim; and he will strike him with the sword, and cast his carcass into the graves of the sons of the people.

24But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah not to give him into the hand of the people to kill him.