Jeremiah 26

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

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, this word came from Yahweh, saying,

2 Thus, saith Yahweh, —Stand thou in the court of the house of Yahweh, and speak unto all the cities of Judah who are entering in to bow down in the house of Yahweh, all the words which I have commanded thee to speak unto them, —do not thou keep back a word:

“Yahweh says this: Stand in the courtyard of my house and speak about all the cities of Judah who come to worship at my house. Proclaim all the words that I have commanded you to say to them. Do not cut short any word!

3 Peradventure they will hear, and return every man from his wicked way, —and I shall repent as to the calamity which I am devising to execute upon them because of the wickedness of their doings:

It may be that they will listen, that each man will turn from his wicked ways, so I will relent concerning the disaster that I am planning to bring on them because of the wickedness of their practices.

4 Therefore shalt thou say unto them Thus, saith Yahweh, —If ye will not hearken unto me, To walk in my law which I have set before you;

So you must say to them, 'Yahweh says this: If you do not listen to me so as to walk in my law that I have placed before you—

5 To hearken unto the words of my servants the prophets, whom I am sending unto you, even, betimes, sending, though ye have not hearkened,

if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I am persistently sending to you—but you have not listened!—

6 Then I will make this house like Shiloh, —And, this city, will I make a contempt to all the nations of the earth.

then I will make this house like Shiloh; I will turn this city into a curse in the sight of all the nations on earth.'”

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

The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah announcing these words in Yahweh's house.

8 And it came to pass when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets, and all the people laid hold of him, saying—Thou shalt, surely die!

So it happened that when Jeremiah had finished announcing all that Yahweh commanded him to say to all the people, the priests, prophets, and all the people seized him and said, “You will certainly die!

9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Yahweh, saying, Like Shiloh, shall this house become, And this city, shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people, were gathered together unto Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh,

Why have you prophesied in Yahweh's name and said that this house will become like Shiloh and this city will become desolate, with no inhabitant?” For all the people had formed a mob against Jeremiah in Yahweh's house.

10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, then came they up out of the house of the king, unto the house of Yahweh, —and took their seats in the opening of the new gate of Yahweh.

Then the officials of Judah heard these words and went up from the king's house to Yahweh's house. They sat in the gateway at the New Gate of Yahweh's house.

11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes, and unto all the people, saying, —Worthy of death, is this man, because he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your own ears,

The priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people. They said, “It is right for this man to die, for he prophesied against this city, just as you heard with your own ears!”

12 Then spake Jeremiah, unto all the princes and unto all the people, saying, —Yahweh, sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city, all the words that ye have heard.

So Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people and said, “Yahweh has sent me out to prophesy against this house and this city, to say all the words that you have heard.

13 Now, therefore amend your ways, and your doings, and hearken unto the voice of Yahweh your God, —that Yahweh may repent him, as to the calamity which he hath spoken concerning you.

So now, improve your ways and your practices, and listen to the voice of Yahweh your God so that he will relent concerning the disaster that he has proclaimed against you.

14 But, I, behold me in your hand, —do with me as may be good and right in your eyes;

I myself—look at me!—am in your hand. Do to me what is good and right in your eyes.

15 Only, ye must, know, that If, ye, do put me, to death, verily innocent blood, are ye laying upon yourselves, and against this city, and against her inhabitants, —for of a truth, did Yahweh send me unto you, to speak in your ears, all these words.

But you must surely know that if you kill me, then you are bringing innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and its inhabitants, for Yahweh has truly sent me to you to proclaim all these words for your ears.”

16 Then said the princes, and all the people, unto the priests and unto the prophets, —There is nothing in this man worthy of death, for in the name of Yahweh our God, hath he spoken unto us.

Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and prophets, “It is not right for this man to die, for he has proclaimed things to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”

17 Then rose up men from among the elders of the land, and spake unto all the convocation of the people saying:

Then men from the elders of the land rose up and spoke to the entire assembly of the people.

18 Micah the Morashtite, was prophesying, in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, —and he spake unto all the people of Judah, saying, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts—Zion, as a field, shall be plowed, And, Jerusalem, into heaps of ruins, shall be turned, And, the mountain of the house, [be] like mounds in a jungle,

They said, “Micah the Morashite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He spoke to all the people of Judah and said, 'Yahweh of hosts says this: Zion will become a plowed field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the hill of the temple will become a thicket.'

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put, him to death? Did he not revere Yahweh, and appease the face of Yahweh? And did not Yahweh repent him, as to the calamity which he had spoken against them? We, therefore are doing a great wickedness against our own lives!

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear Yahweh and appease the face of Yahweh so that Yahweh would relent concerning the disaster that he proclaimed to them? So will we do greater evil against our own lives?”

20 There was however, a man, prophesying in the name of Yahweh, Urijah, son of Shemaiah, of Keriath-jearim, —who prophesied against this city, and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah.

Meanwhile there was another man who prophesied in the name of Yahweh—Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim—he also prophesied against this city and this land, agreeing with all of Jeremiah's words.

21 And when King Jehoiakim, and all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death, —but Urijah heard, and feared and fled and entered Egypt.

But when King Jehoiakim and all his soldiers and officials heard his word, then the king tried to put him to death, but Uriah heard and was afraid, so he ran away and went to Egypt.

22 Then did King Jehoiakim send men to Egypt, —even Elnathan son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt

Then King Jehoiakim sent out men to go to Egypt—Elnathan son of Akbor and men to go into Egypt after Uriah.

23 and they brought forth Urijah out of Egypt, and took him in unto King Jehoiakim, who smote him with the sword, —and cast out his dead body among the graves of the sons of the people.

They took Uriah out from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim. Then Jehoiakim killed him with a sword and sent his corpse out to the graves of the ordinary people.

24 Howbeit the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan, turned out to be with Jeremiah, —so as not to give him up into the hand of the people, to put him to death.

But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so he was not given into the hand of the people to be put to death.