The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Jeremiah 26
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim
the son of Josiah, king of Judah,
this word came from Yahweh:
2 “Yahweh says: ‘Stand in the court of
Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities
of Judah which come to worship in Yahweh’s house,
all the words that I command you to speak to them.
Don’t omit a word.
3 It may be they will listen, and every
man turn from his evil way, that I may
relent from the evil which I intend to do to
them because of the evil of their doings.
4 You shall tell them, “Yahweh says: ‘If
you will not listen to me, to walk in my law
which I have set before you,
5 to listen to the words of my servants the
prophets whom I send to you, even rising
up early and sending them—but you have
not listened
6 then I will make this house like Shiloh,
and will make this city a curse to all the
nations of the earth.
7 The priests and the prophets and all
the people heard Jeremiah speaking these
words in Yahweh’s house.
8 When Jeremiah had finished speaking
all that Yahweh had commanded him to
speak to all the people, the priests and the
prophets and all the people seized him,
saying, “You shall surely die!
9 Why have you prophesied in Yahweh’s
name, saying, ‘This house will be like
Shiloh, and this city will be desolate,
without inhabitant’?” All the people were
crowded around Jeremiah in Yahweh’s
house.
10Whenthe princes ofJudahheard these
things, they came up from the king’s house
to Yahweh’s house; and they sat in the
entry of the new gate of Yahweh’s house.
11 Then the priests and the prophets
spoke to the princes and to all the people,
saying, “This man is worthy of death, for
he has prophesied against this city, as you
have heard with your ears.
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes
and to all the people, saying, “Yahweh sent
me to prophesy against this house and
againstthis city allthe words that you have
heard.
13 Now therefore amend your ways and
your doings, and obey Yahweh your God’s
voice; then Yahweh will relent from the
evil that he has pronounced against you.
14 But as for me, behold, I am in your
hand. Do with me what is good and right
in your eyes.
15 Only know for certain that if you put
me to death, you will bring 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
ears.”
16 Then the princes and all the people
said to the priests and to the prophets:
“This man is not worthy of death; for he
has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh
our God.”
17 Then certain of the elders of the land
rose up, 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,
‘Yahweh of Armies says: “ ‘Zion will be plowed as a field,
and Jerusalem will become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the
high places of a forest.’
19 Did Hezekiah king ofJudah and allJudah
put him to death? Didn’t he fear Yahweh,
and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and
Yahweh relented of the disaster which he
had pronounced against them? We would
commit great evil against our own souls
that way!”
20There was also a man who prophesied
inYahweh’sname, Uriahthe sonof Shemaiah
of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied
against this city and against this
land according to all the words of Jeremiah.
21 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 Then Jehoiakim the king sent Elnathan
the son of Achbor and certain men
with him into Egypt.
23 They fetched Uriah out of Egypt and
brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who
killed him with the sword and cast his
dead body into the graves of the common
people.
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of
Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they
didn’t give him into the hand of the people
to put him to death.