Jeremiah 26

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

This message came from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah king of Judah,

2 Thus says the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them; diminish not a word:

This is what the Lord says: Go and stand in the Temple courtyard and deliver the whole message I have ordered you to give to everyone who comes from all the towns of Judah to worship there. Don't leave out a single word.

3 If so be they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings.

Maybe they'll they will listen, and each of them will give up their evil ways so that I won't have to carry out the disaster I'm planning to bring down on them because of the evil things they do.

4 And you shall 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,

Tell them that this is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have given you,

5 To listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent to you, both rising up early, and sending them, but you have not listened;

and if you don't listen to the messages of my servants the prophets—I've sent them to you time and again, but you refused to listen—

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

then I will destroy this Temple like I did Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse word used by everyone on earth.

7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah deliver this message in the Lord's Temple.

8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, You shall surely die.

As soon as he had finished telling everyone all that the Lord had ordered him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people grabbed him, shouting, “You'll die for this!

9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

How dare you claim to speak in the Lord's name here in the Temple and declare that it will be destroyed like Shiloh, and that this city will be left empty and abandoned?” Everyone crowded around Jeremiah threatening him in the Lord's Temple.

10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house to the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house.

When the leaders of Judah heard what happened they came from the king's palace to the Lord's Temple and sat at the entrance of the New Gate of the Temple to judge the case.

11 Then spoke the priests and the prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.

The priests and prophets complained to the leaders and all the people, “This man is deserves the death penalty because he has committed treason by prophesying against this city. You heard it yourselves!”

12 Then spoke Jeremiah 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.

Jeremiah addressed all the leaders and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to deliver every word of this prophecy against this Temple as you've heard.

13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

So change your ways and do what's right, and do what Lord your God tells you, so that he won't have to carry out the disaster he has announced he will bring down on you.

14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seems good and meet to you.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right.

15 But know you for certain, that if you put me to death, you shall surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.

But be careful, because you need to be aware that if you kill me, you will make yourselves, this city, and everyone who lives here guilty of murder, because it's true that the Lord sent me to tell you everything he said.”

16 Then said the princes and all the people to the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

Then the leaders and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn't deserve the death penalty because he was speaking on behalf of the Lord our God.”

17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,

Some of the country's elders stood up and addressed everyone gathered there.

18 Micah the Morasthite 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, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

“Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah that this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Zion will become like a plowed field; Jerusalem will end up a pile of rubble; and the Temple mount will be overgrown with trees.’

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and sought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in the country have him killed? Didn't Hezekiah respect the Lord and plead with him? Didn't the Lord change his mind about the disaster he had announced against them? But we are about to bring a great disaster on ourselves!”

20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.

At around that time there was another man prophesying in the name of the Lord, Uriah, son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against Jerusalem and against the country just as Jeremiah did.

21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;

King Jehoiakim and all his military officers and officials heard what he was saying, and the king wanted to have him executed. But when Uriah found out about it, he was frightened and ran away to Egypt.

22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.

But King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan, son of Achbor, along with some others.

23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

They brought Uriah back from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king killed him with a sword and had his body thrown into the public graveyard.

24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

However, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, took Jeremiah's side so he was not handed over to the people to be killed.