Dual Panel1The Lord <03068> spoke <0559> to Jeremiah at the beginning <07225> of the reign <04468> of Josiah’s <02977> son <01121>, King <04428> Jehoiakim <03079> of Judah <03063>.
2The Lord <03068> said <0559>, “Go stand <05975> in the courtyard <02691> of the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>. Speak out <01696> to <05921> all <03605> the people who are coming <0935> from the towns <05892> of Judah <03063> to worship <07812> in the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>. Tell them everything <01697> <03605> I command <06680> you to tell <01696> them. Do not <0408> leave out <01639> a single word <01697>!
3Maybe <0194> they will pay attention <08085> and each <0376> of them will stop living <07725> the evil <07451> way <01870> they do. If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them as <0834> I <0595> had intended <02803> to do <06213> because <06440> of the wicked <07455> things they have been doing <04611>.
4Tell <0559> them that <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>, ‘You must <03808> obey <08085> me! You must live <01980> according to the way I have instructed <05414> you in my laws <08451>.
5You must pay attention <08085> to <05921> the exhortations <01697> of my servants <05650> the prophets <05030>. I <0595> have sent <07971> them to <0413> you over <07925> and over again <07971>. But you have not <03808> paid <08085> any attention <08085> to them.
6If you do not obey me, then I will do <05414> to this <02088> temple <01004> what I did to Shiloh <07887>. And I will make <05414> this <02063> city <05892> an example to be used in curses <07045> by people from all <03605> the nations <01471> on the earth <0776>.’”
7The priests <03548>, the prophets <05030>, and all <03605> the people <05971> heard <08085> Jeremiah <03414> say <01696> these <0428> things <01697> in the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>.
8Jeremiah <03414> had just barely finished <03615> saying <01696> all <03605> the Lord <03068> had commanded <06680> him to say <01696> to <0413> all <03605> the people <05971>. All <03605> at once some of the priests <03548>, the prophets <05030>, and the people <05971> grabbed <08610> him and shouted <0559>, “You deserve to die <04191> <04191>!
9How <04069> dare you claim the Lord’s <03068> authority <08034> to prophesy <05012> such things! How dare you claim <0559> his authority to prophesy that this <02088> temple <01004> will become <01961> like Shiloh <07887> and that this <02063> city <05892> will become an uninhabited <03427> <0369> ruin <02717>!” Then all <03605> the people <05971> crowded <06950> around <0413> Jeremiah <03414>.
10However, some of the officials <08269> of Judah <03063> heard <08085> about what was happening <0428> <01697> and they rushed up <05927> to the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004> from the royal <04428> palace <01004>. They set up <03427> court at the entrance <06607> of the New <02319> Gate <08179> of the Lord’s <03068> temple.
11Then the priests <03548> and the prophets <05030> made <0559> their charges <0559> before <0413> the officials <08269> and all <03605> the people <05971>. They said <0559>, “This <02088> man <0376> should be condemned <04941> to die <04194> because <03588> he prophesied <05012> against <0413> this <02063> city <05892>. You have heard <08085> him do so with your own ears <0241>.”
12Then Jeremiah <03414> made <0559> his defense <0559> before <0413> all <03605> the officials <08269> and all <03605> the people <05971>. “The Lord <03068> sent <07971> me to prophesy <05012> everything <01697> <03605> you have heard <08085> me say against <0413> this <02063> temple <01004> and against <0413> this <02088> city <05892>.
13But <06258> correct <03190> the way <01870> you have been living <04611> and do what is right. Obey <06963> <08085> the Lord <03068> your God <0430>. If you do, the Lord <03068> will forgo <05162> destroying <07451> you as he threatened <01696> he would.
14As to my case, I <0589> am in your power <03027>. Do <06213> to me what you deem <05869> fair <02896> and proper <03477>.
15But <0389> you should take careful <03045> <03045> note of this <03588>: If <0518> you <0859> put <04191> me to death <04191>, you <0859> will bring <05414> on <05921> yourselves and this city <05892> and those <02063> who live <03427> in it the guilt of murdering an innocent <05355> man. For <03588> the Lord <03068> has sent <07971> me to speak <01696> all <03605> this <0428> where you can hear it. That is the truth <0571>!”
16Then the officials <08269> and all <03605> the people <05971> rendered <0559> their verdict to <0413> the priests <03548> and the prophets <05030>. They said, “This <02088> man <0376> should not <0369> be condemned <04941> to die <04194>. For <03588> he has spoken <01696> to <0413> us under the authority <08034> of the Lord <03069> our God <0430>.”
17Then some <0582> of the elders <02205> of Judah stepped <06965> forward and spoke <0559> to <0413> all <03605> the people <05971> gathered <06951> there. They said <0559>,
18“Micah <04320> from Moresheth <04183> prophesied <05012> during <01961> the time <03117> Hezekiah <02396> was king <04428> of Judah <03063>. He told <0559> all <03605> the people <05971> of Judah <03063>, ‘The <03541> Lord <03068> who rules over all <06635> says <0559>, “Zion <06726> will become a plowed <02790> field <07704>. Jerusalem <03389> will become a pile of rubble <05856>. The temple <01004> mount <02022> will become <01961> a mere wooded <03293> ridge <01116>.”’
19King <04428> Hezekiah <02396> and all <03605> the people of Judah <03063> did not put <04191> <04191> him to death <04191> <04191>, did they? Did not <03808> Hezekiah show reverence <03373> for the Lord <03068> and seek <02470> the Lord’s <03068> favor <06440>? Did not the Lord <03068> forgo <05162> destroying <07451> them as <0834> he threatened <01696> he would? But we <0587> are on <05921> the verge of bringing <06213> great <01419> disaster <07451> on <05921> ourselves <05315>.”
20Now <01571> there was <01961> another man <0376> who prophesied <05012> as the Lord’s <03068> representative <01697> against <05921> this <02063> city <05892> and this <02063> land <0776> just as Jeremiah <03414> did. His name <08034> was Uriah <0223> son <01121> of Shemaiah <08098> from Kiriath Jearim <07157>.
21When the king <04428> and all <03605> his bodyguards <01368> and officials <08269> heard <08085> what <01697> he was prophesying, the king <04428> sought <01245> to have him executed <04191>. But Uriah <0223> found out about <08085> it and fled <01272> to Egypt <04714> out of fear <03372>.
22However, King <04428> Jehoiakim <03079> sent <07971> some men <0376> to Egypt <04714>, including Elnathan <0494> son <01121> of Achbor <05907>,
23and they brought <03318> Uriah <0223> back <03318> from there <04714>. They took <0935> him to <0413> King <04428> Jehoiakim <03079>, who had him executed <02719> <05221> and had his body <05038> thrown <07993> into <0413> the burial place <06913> of the common people <05971>. people <01121>.
24However <0389>, Ahikam <0296> son <01121> of Shaphan <08227> used his influence <03027> to keep <01961> Jeremiah <03414> from <0854> being handed over <03027> <05414> and executed <04191> by the people <05971>.