Chapter 26

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD; Stand³ in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak¹⁴ unto all the cities of Judah, which come⁶ to worship⁹⁹ in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command¹⁴ thee to speak¹⁵ unto them; diminish⁴ not a word:

If so be they will hearken,⁴ and turn⁴ every man from his evil way, that I may repent⁸ me of the evil, which I purpose⁶ to do² unto them because of the evil of their doings.

And thou shalt say¹ unto them, Thus saith¹ the LORD; If ye will not hearken⁴ to me, to walk² in my law, which I have set¹ before you,

To hearken² to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent⁶ unto you, both rising up early,⁵³ and sending² [them], but ye have not hearkened;¹

Then will I make¹ this house like Shiloh, and will make⁴ this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard⁴ Jeremiah speaking¹⁸ these words in the house of the LORD.

Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end¹⁵ of speaking¹⁵ all that the LORD had commanded¹⁴ [him] to speak¹⁵ unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took⁴ him, saying,² Thou shalt surely² die.⁴

Why hast thou prophesied⁸ in the name of the LORD, saying,² This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate⁴ without an inhabitant?⁶ And all the people were gathered¹¹ against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

When the princes of Judah heard⁴ these things, then they came up⁴ from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down⁴ in the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S [house].

Then spake⁴ the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying,² This man [is] worthy to die; for he hath prophesied⁸ against this city, as ye have heard¹ with your ears.

Then spake⁴ Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying,² The LORD sent¹ me to prophesy⁹ against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.¹

Therefore now amend⁵⁴ your ways and your doings, and obey³ the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent¹¹ him of the evil that he hath pronounced¹⁴ against you.

As for me, behold, I [am] in your hand: do³ with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

But know⁴ ye for certain,² that if ye put me to death,⁵⁶ ye shall surely bring⁶ innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants⁶ thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent¹ me unto you to speak¹⁵ all these words in your ears.

Then said⁴ the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man [is] not worthy to die: for he hath spoken¹⁴ to us in the name of the LORD our God.

Then rose up⁴ certain of the elders of the land, and spake⁴ to all the assembly of the people, saying,²

Micah ⁴³²⁰ the Morasthite prophesied¹² in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake⁴ to all the people of Judah, saying,² Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed¹¹ [like] a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all⁵³ to death?⁵² did he not fear the LORD, and besought^{17 6440} the LORD, and the LORD repented¹¹ him of the evil which he had pronounced¹⁴ against them? Thus might we procure⁶ great evil against our souls.

And there was also a man that prophesied¹⁰² in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied¹¹ against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard⁴ his words, the king sought¹⁷ to put him to death:⁵³ but when Urijah heard⁴ it, he was afraid,⁴ and fled,⁴ and went⁴ into Egypt;

And Jehoiakim the king sent⁴ men into Egypt, [namely], Elnathan the son of Achbor, and [certain] men with him into Egypt.

And they fetched forth⁵⁵ Urijah out of Egypt, and brought⁵⁵ him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew⁵⁵ him with the sword, and cast⁵⁵ his dead body into the graves of the common people.

Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give² him into the hand of the people to put him to death.⁵³