Jeremiah 26

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word has been from YHWH, saying,

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

2 “Thus said YHWH: Stand in the court of the house of YHWH, and you have spoken to all [those of] the cities of Judah, who are coming to bow themselves in the house of YHWH, all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them—you do not diminish 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 Perhaps they listen, and each turns back from his evil way; then I have relented concerning the evil that I am thinking of doing 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 have said to them, Thus said YHWH: If you do not listen to Me, to walk in My law that I 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 am sending to you, indeed, rising early and sending, and 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 I have given up this house as Shiloh, and this city I give up for a reviling to all 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 And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, hear Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of YHWH,

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

8 and it comes to pass, at the completion of Jeremiah’s speaking all that YHWH has commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests, and the prophets, and all the people catch him, saying, “You 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 YHWH, saying, This house will be as Shiloh, and this city is desolated, without inhabitant?” And all the people are assembled to Jeremiah in the house of YHWH.

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 And the heads of Judah hear these things, and they go up from the house of the king [to] the house of YHWH, and sit in the opening of the New Gate of YHWH.

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 And the priests and the prophets speak to the heads, and to all the people, saying, “Judgment of death [is] for this man, 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 And Jeremiah speaks to all the heads, and to all the people, saying, “YHWH sent me to prophesy concerning this house, and concerning 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 And now, amend your ways, and your doings, and listen to the voice of your God YHWH, and YHWH relents concerning the evil that He has spoken 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 And I, behold, I [am] in your hand, do to me as is good and as is right in your eyes;

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

15 only, certainly know that if you are putting me to death, you are surely putting innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for YHWH has truly 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 And the heads and all the people say to the priests and to the prophets, “There is not a judgment of death for this man, for he has spoken to us in the Name of our God YHWH.”

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 And men from [the] elderly of the land rise up and speak to all the assembly of the people, saying,

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

18 “Micah the Morashtite has been prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he says to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus said YHWH of Hosts: Zion is a plowed field, and Jerusalem is heaps, And the mountain of the house is for 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 to death? Did he not fear YHWH? Indeed, he appeases the face of YHWH, and YHWH relents concerning the calamity that He spoke against them; and we are doing 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 has also been a man prophesying in the Name of YHWH, Urijah son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath-Jearim, and he prophesies 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 King Jehoiakim, and all his mighty ones, and all the heads, hear his words, and the king seeks to put him to death, and Urijah hears, and fears, and flees, and goes to 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 King Jehoiakim sends men to Egypt—Elnathan son of Achbor, and men with him to Egypt—

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

23 and they bring out Urijah from Egypt, and bring him to King Jehoiakim, and he strikes him with a sword, and casts his corpse to the graves of the sons of the 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 Only, the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan has been with Jeremiah so as not to give him up 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.