Jeremiah 26

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

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

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.

Thus hath said the Lord, Place thyself in the court of the house of the Lord, and speak against all of the cities of Judah, who come to prostrate themselves in the house of the Lord, all the words that I have commanded thee to speak unto them: omit not a word [thereof];

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.

Perhaps it be that they will hearken, and return every man from his evil way, that I may bethink me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them, because of the wrongfulness of their doings.

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,

And thou shalt say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, if ye will not hearken unto me, to walk in my law, which I have set before 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,

To hearken unto the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send unto you, yea, making them rise up early, and sending them, while ye have not hearkened:

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 will I render this house like Shiloh, and this city will I render a curse unto all the nations of the earth.

7 And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, hear Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of YHWH,

And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord:

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!

And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded [him] to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized on him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

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.

Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, Like Shiloh shall this house be, and this city shall be ruined, [left] without an inhabitant? And all the people assembled themselves against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

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.

But when the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house unto the house of the Lord, and sat down at the entrance of the new gate of the Lord's house.

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.”

Then said the priests and the prophets unto the princes and unto all the people, as followeth, This man deserveth the punishment of death; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your own ears.

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.

Then said Jeremiah unto all the princes and unto all the people, as followeth, The Lord hath sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have 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.

But now amend your ways and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God: and the Lord will bethink him of the evil that he hath spoken against you.

14 And I, behold, I [am] in your hand, do to me as is good and as is right in your eyes;

As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and just in your eyes.

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 know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye will surely place [the guilt of] innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon its inhabitants; for in truth hath the Lord sent me unto you to speak in your ears all these words.

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 said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets, This man is not deserving the punishment of death; for in the name of the Lord our God hath he spoken unto us.

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

And then rose up certain men of the elders of the land, and said to all the assembly of the people, as followeth,

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.

Michah the Morashthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah the king of Judah. and said to all the people of Judah, as followeth, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be ploughed up like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the house, woody high-places.

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 the king of Judah and all Judah attempt to put him to death? behold, he did fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord bethought him of the evil which he had spoken against them. And shall we bring a great wickedness on our souls?

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,

And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriyah the son of Shema'yahu of Kiryath-ye'arim, who prophesied against this city and against this land in accordance with all the words of Jeremiah;

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.

And when king Jehoyakim, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriyahu heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and arrived in Egypt;

22 And King Jehoiakim sends men to Egypt—Elnathan son of Achbor, and men with him to Egypt—

But king Jehoyakim sent some men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of 'Achbor, and some men with him into Egypt:

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.

And they fetched Uriyahu out of Egypt, and brought him unto king Jehoyakim, who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body upon the graves of the common people.

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.

But the hand of Achikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so as not to give him up into the hand of the people to put him to death.