Jeremiah 26

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

² This is what our Father says: Stand in the court of my house and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in my house all the words I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. ³ Perhaps they will listen, and each one turn from his evil way, so that I may relent of the disaster I intend to bring on them because of the evil of their deeds. ⁴ You shall say to them: This is what our Father says: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, ⁵ and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you again and again, though you have not listened, ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth. ^a a v6 Shiloh was the place where our Father's sanctuary once stood until it was destroyed and abandoned — a warning that the temple in Jerusalem could meet the same end.

⁷ The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of our Father. ⁸ And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that our Father had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You shall surely die!" ⁹ "Why have you prophesied in the name of our Father, saying, 'This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant'?" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of our Father.

¹⁰ When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of our Father and took their seats at the entrance of the New Gate of the house of our Father. ¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, "This man deserves the death sentence, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."

¹² Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, "Our Father sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. ¹³ So mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of your Father; then your Father will relent of the disaster he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ But as for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me whatever seems good and right in your eyes. ¹⁵ But know this for certain: if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and its inhabitants, for in truth our Father sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.

¹⁶ Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of our Father."

¹⁷ And some of the elders of the land stood up and said to the whole assembly of the people, ¹⁸ "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah, 'This is what the Father of heaven's armies says: Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become heaps of ruins, and the temple mount a wooded height.'

¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear our Father and entreat his favor, so that our Father relented of the disaster he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster on ourselves."

²⁰ Now there was another man who prophesied in the name of our Father, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and this land in words like those of Jeremiah. ²¹ And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king tried to have him killed. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. ²² Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt — Elnathan son of Achbor and others with him. ²³ They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and threw his body into the burial place of the common people.

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