1 At the beginning of the reign of Y’hoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y’hudah, this word came fromAdonai:
2 “Adonaisays: ‘Stand in the courtyard ofAdonai’s house and speak to the people from all the cities in Y’hudah who come to worship atAdonai’s house; say everything I order you to say to them, and don’t leave out a word.
3 Maybe they will listen, and each of them turn from his evil way; then I will be able to relent from the disaster I intend to bring on them because of how evil their deeds are.
4 So tell them that this is whatAdonaisays: “If you will not pay attention to me and live according to myTorah, which I have given you,
5 and listen to what my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, say — I have sent them frequently, but you haven’t listened —
6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing for all the nations of the earth.”’”
7 Thecohanim, the prophets and all the people heard Yirmeyahu speaking these words in the house ofAdonai.
8 When Yirmeyahu had finished saying everythingAdonaihad ordered him to say to all the people, thecohanim, prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You will die for this!
9 Why have you prophesied in the name ofAdonai, ‘This house will become like Shiloh,’ and, ‘This city will become uninhabited ruins’?” The people all crowded in on Yirmeyahu inAdonai’s house.
10 When the officials of Y’hudah heard about it, they came up from the king’s palace toAdonai’s house and sat at the entrance to the New Gate ofAdonai’s house.
11 Thecohanimand prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man deserves a death sentence, because he has prophesied against this city; you have heard it with your own ears.”
12 Then Yirmeyahu said to the officials and all the people, “Adonaisent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words you have heard.
13 Therefore now, improve your ways and your doings; and listen to the voice ofAdonaiyour God; thenAdonaiwill relent from the disaster he has decreed against you.
14 But as for me, here, I am in your hands; do with me whatever seems good and right to you.
15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its inhabitants; because the fact is thatAdonaisent me to you to speak all these words, so that you could hear them.”
16 The officials and all the people then said to thecohanimand prophets, “This man does not deserve a death sentence, because he has spoken to us in the name ofAdonaiour God.”
17 At this point some of the leaders of the land stood up and addressed all the people assembled:
18 “Back in the time of Hizkiyahu king of Y’hudah, Mikhah from Moreshet was a prophet. He told all the people of Y’hudah, ‘Adonai-Tzva’otsays,
“Tziyon will be plowed under like a field,
Yerushalayim will become heaps of ruins,
and the mountain of the house like a forested height.”’
19 “Did Hizkiyahu king of Y’hudah and all Y’hudah put him to death? Not at all. Rather, he fearedAdonai, and prayed forAdonai’s favor; andAdonairelented from the disaster he had pronounced against them. So [if we put Yirmeyahu to death,] we might bring great disaster on ourselves.”
20 On the other hand, there was also a man who prophesied in the name ofAdonai, Uriyahu the son of Sh’ma‘yahu from Kiryat-Ye‘arim, who prophesied against this city and against this land exactly what Yirmeyahu is saying.
21 When Y’hoyakim the king, with all his military men and other officials, heard what he was saying, the king wanted to have him killed. On hearing of this, Uriyahu became frightened, fled and went to Egypt.
22 Y’hoyakim the king sent men to Egypt — Elnatan the son of ‘Akhbor and some others.
23 They brought Uriyahu back from Egypt and took him to Y’hoyakim the king, who put him to the sword and threw his corpse into the burial-ground of the common people.
24 But in this situation concerning Yirmeyahu, Achikam the son of Shafan used his influence to help him, so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.