Jeremias (Jeremiah) 26
26
1In the beginning of the reign of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, came this word from the Lord, saying:
2Thus saith the Lord: Stand in the court of the house of the Lord and speak to all the cities of Juda, out of which they come to adore in the house of the Lord, all the words which I have commanded thee to speak unto them: leave not out one word.
3If so be they will hearken and be converted every one from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil that I think to do unto them for the wickedness of their doings.
4And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: If you will not hearken to me to walk in my law which I have given to you:
5To give ear to the words of my servants the prophets whom I sent to you, rising up early and sending, and you have not hearkened:
6I will make this house like Silo: 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 Jeremias speaking these words in the house of the Lord.
8And when Jeremias had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying: Let him be put to death.
9Why hath he prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying: This house shall be like Silo, and this city shall be made desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered together against Jeremias in the house of the Lord.
10And the princes of Juda heard these words: and they went up from the king's house into the house of the Lord and sat in the entry of the new gate of the house of the Lord.
11And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying: The judgement of death is for this man, because he hath prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.
12Then Jeremias spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying: The Lord sent me to prophesy concerning this house and concerning this city all the words you have heard.
13Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God: and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath spoken against you.
14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands: do with me what is good and right in your eyes:
15But know ye and understand, that if you put me to death, you will shed innocent blood against your own selves and against this city and the inhabitants thereof. For in truth the Lord sent me to you, to speak all these words in your hearing.
16Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: There is no judgement of death for this man: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.
17And some of the ancients of the land rose up: and they spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying:
18Micheas of Morasthi was a prophet in the days of Ezechias king of Juda, and he spoke to all the people of Juda, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Sion shall be ploughed like a field, and Jerusalem shall be a heap of stones, and the mountain of the house, the high places of woods.
19Did Ezechias king of Juda and all Juda condemn him to death? Did they not fear the Lord and beseech the face of the Lord? And the Lord repented of the evil that they had spoken against them. Therefore we are doing a great evil against our souls.
20There was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urias the son of Semei of Cariathiarim: and he prophesied against this city and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremias.
21And Joakim and all his men in power and his princes heard these words: and the king sought to put him to death. And Urias heard it and was afraid, and fled and went into Egypt.
22And king Joakim sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achobor, and men with him into Egypt.
23And they brought Urias out of Egypt: and brought him to king Joakim: and he slew him with the sword: and he cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24So the hand of Ahicam the son of Saphan was with Jeremias, that he should not be delivered into the hands of the people, to put him to death.
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Jeremias (Jeremiah) 26: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Jeremiah 26
26
Jeremiah's Message in the Temple
(Jeremiah 7.1-15)
1 #
2 K 23.36—24.6; 2 Ch 36.5-7. Soon after Jehoiakim#26.1 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3. became king of Judah, the Lord said:
2Jeremiah, I have a message for everyone who comes from the towns of Judah to worship in my temple. Go to the temple courtyard and speak every word that I tell you. 3Maybe the people will listen this time. And if they stop doing wrong, I will change my mind and not punish them for their sins. 4Tell them that I have said:
You have refused to listen to me and to obey my laws and teachings. 5Again and again I have sent my servants the prophets to preach to you, but you ignored them as well. Now I am warning you that if you don't start obeying me at once, 6#Js 18.1; Ps 78.60; Jr 7.12-14. I will destroy this temple, just as I destroyed the town of Shiloh.#26.6 Shiloh: The sacred tent had once stood at Shiloh. Then everyone on earth will use the name “Jerusalem” as a curse word.
Jeremiah on Trial
7The priests, the prophets, and everyone else in the temple heard what I said, 8-9and as soon as I finished, they all crowded around me and started shouting, “Why did you preach that the Lord will destroy this temple, just as he destroyed Shiloh? Why did you say that Jerusalem will be empty and lie in ruins? You ought to be put to death for saying such things in the Lord's name!” Then they had me arrested.
10The royal officers heard what had happened, and they came from the palace to the new gate of the temple to be the judges at my trial.#26.10 new gate … trial: Public trials were often held in an open area at a gate of a city, palace, or temple. 11While they listened, the priests and the prophets said to the crowd, “All of you have heard Jeremiah prophesy that Jerusalem will be destroyed. He deserves the death penalty.”
12-13Then I told the judges and everyone else:
The Lord himself sent me to tell you about the terrible things he will do to you, to Jerusalem, and to the temple. But if you change your ways and start obeying the Lord, he will change his mind.
14You must decide what to do with me. Just do whatever you think is right. 15But if you put me to death, you and everyone else in Jerusalem will be guilty of murdering an innocent man, because everything I preached came from the Lord.
16The judges and the other people told the priests and prophets, “Since Jeremiah only told us what the Lord our God had said, we don't think he deserves to die.”
17Then some of the leaders from other towns stepped forward. They told the crowd that 18#Mic 3.12. years ago when Hezekiah#26.18 Hezekiah: Ruled 716–687 b.c. was king of Judah, a prophet named Micah from the town of Moresheth had said:
“I, the Lord All-Powerful, say
Jerusalem will be plowed under
and left in ruins.
Thorns will cover the mountain
where the temple
now stands.”#26.18 Jerusalem … stands: See Micah 3.12.
19Then the leaders continued:
No one put Micah to death for saying that. Instead, King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord with fear and trembling and asked him to have mercy. Then the Lord decided not to destroy Jerusalem, even though he had already said he would.
People of Judah, if Jeremiah is killed, we will bring a terrible disaster on ourselves.
20-24After these leaders finished speaking, an important man named Ahikam son of Shaphan spoke up for me as well. And so, I wasn't handed over to the crowd to be killed.
Uriah the Prophet
While Jehoiakim#26.20-24 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3. was still king of Judah, a man named Uriah son of Shemaiah left his hometown of Kiriath-Jearim and came to Jerusalem. Uriah was one of the Lord's prophets, and he was saying the same things about Judah and Jerusalem that I had been saying. And when Jehoiakim and his officials and military officers heard what Uriah said, they tried to arrest him, but he escaped to Egypt. So Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Achbor and some other men after Uriah, and they brought him back. Then Jehoiakim had Uriah killed and his body dumped in a common burial pit.
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