The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 26 Jeremiah predicts the ruin of the temple and Jerusalem: and he is in danger of death

 The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 26

Jeremiah predicts the ruin of the temple and Jerusalem: and he is in danger of death

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

2 Thus says the Lord: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the Lord and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not forget a single word.

3 Perhaps they will listen and turn, each from his evil way, and I will relent of the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of the wickedness of their deeds.

4 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you,

5 That you should listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent to you, rising early and sending them, but you did not listen;

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

7 And the priests and the prophets and all the people listened to Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.

8 And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die.

9 For you have prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant.’” And all the people gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

10 When the princes of Judah heard these words, they went up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat down at the entrance of the new gate of the Lord.

11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is guilty of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

13 Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

14 As for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your eyes.”

15 But know for certain that if you kill me, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you, to speak all these words in your hearing.

16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man is not guilty of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

17 Then some of the elders of the land stood up and spoke to all the congregation of the people, saying:

18 Micah the Morasite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the house like the high places of a forest.’”

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and plead for the Lord’s favor? Then the Lord relented from the disaster he had pronounced against them, and we are doing great harm to ourselves.

20 There was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord: Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah.

21 When King Jehoiachin and all his officials and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to kill him. When Uriah heard this, he was afraid and fled to Egypt.

22 But King Jehoiachin sent some men to Egypt, Elnathan son of Achbor and other men with him.

23 So they brought Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiachin, who struck him down with the sword and threw his body into the graves of the common people.

24 Then the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he would not be handed over to the people to be put to death.