CHAPTER 26

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

2 Thus saith Jehovah, Stand in the court of the house of Jehovah, and speak to all the cities of Judah, who come to worship in the Temple of Jehovah, all the words which I have commanded thee to speak to them; diminish not a word:

3 If peradventure they will hear, and turn, each from his evil way, then will I repent of the evil which I think of doing to them on account of the wickedness of their doings.

4 Thou shalt then say to them, Thus saith Jehovah, If ye will not hear me to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, rising up

6 Early and sending, (but ye have not hearkened,) then will I make this house like Shiloh, and this city will I make a curse to all the nations of the earth.

7 And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah.

8 And it was when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests, and the prophets, and all the people apprehended him, saying, “Dying thou shalt die;

9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, ‘Like Shiloh shall this house be, and this city shall be desolate without, an inhabitant?’” (And all the people were assembled against Jeremiah in the Temple of Jehovah.)

10 And the princes of Judah heard of these things, and went down from the king’s house to the house of Jehovah, and sat at the entrance of the new gate of the Temple of Jehovah.

11 Then said the priests and the prophets to the princes, and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city as ye have heard with your ears.”

12 And Jeremiah said to all the princes, and to all the people, saying, — Jehovah hath sent me to prophesy against this house, and against this city all the words which ye have heard:

13 And now make good your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God, and Jehovah will repent of the evil which he hath pronounced against you.

14 And as for me, behold I am in your hand; do to me as may seem good and right in your eyes:

15 But know assuredly, that if ye slay me, ye will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for in truth Jehovah hath sent me to you, to speak all these words in your ears.

16 And the princes, and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man is not worthy of death; for in the name of Jehovah our God hath he spoken to us.”

17 Then rose up men from the elders of the land, and said to the whole assembly of the people, saying, —

18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah the king of Judah, saying, — “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Sion as a field shall be plowed, And Jerusalem shall become heaps, And the mount of the house like the heights of the forest.”

19 Killing, did Hezekiah the king of Judah, and all Judah, kill him? did he not fear Jehovah? and did he not supplicate the face of Jehovah? and Jehovah repented of the evil which he had spoken against them: but we are doing a great evil against our own souls.

20 But there was also a man who prophesied in the name of Jehovah, Uriah the son of Shemaiah, from Kirjath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city, and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

21 When the King Jehoiakim and all the chief men and the princes heard his words, then the king sought to slay him; but Uriah heard and feared, and he fled and went into Egypt.

22 And the King Jehoiakim sent men into Egypt, even Elnathan the son of Achbor, and men with him into Egypt:

23 And they brought Uriah up from Egypt, and brought him to the King Jehoiakim, who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not delivered into the hand of the people to be slain.