< Jeremiah 43 >
1 And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of Yahweh their God, with which Yahweh their God had sent him unto them, —even all these words,
IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF JOAKIM son of Josias king of Juda, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 then spake Azariah son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan son of Kareah, and all the proud men, —saying unto Jeremiah—Falsely, art thou speaking, Yahweh our God hath not sent thee to say, Ye shall not enter Egypt to sojourn there;
Take you a roll of a book, and write upon it all the words which I spoke to you against Jerusalem, and against Juda, and against all the nations, from the day when I spoke to you, from the days of Josias king of Juda, even to this day.
3 but Baruch son of Neriah, is goading thee on against us, —that he may deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, to put us to death, or take us away captive to Babylon.
Perhaps the house of Juda will hear all the evils which I purpose to do to them; that they may turn from their evil way; and [so] I will be merciful to their iniquities and their sins.
4 So Johanan son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces and all the people, hearkened not, unto the voice of Yahweh, —by remaining in the land of Judah;
So Jeremias called Baruch the son of Nerias: and he wrote from the mouth of Jeremias all the words of the Lord, which he had spoken to him, on a roll of a book.
5 but Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah, who had returned, out of all the nations whither they had been driven to sojourn in the land of Judah:
And Jeremias commanded Baruch, saying, I am in prison; I can’t enter into the house of the Lord:
6 both the men and the women and the children, and the daughters of the king, and every soul that Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners had left, with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, —and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch son of Neriah;
so you shall read in this roll in the ears of the people in the house of the Lord, on the fast day; and in the ears of all Juda that come out of their cities, you shall read to them.
7 and entered the land of Egypt, for they hearkened not unto the voice of Yahweh, —yea entered as far as Tahpanhes.
Peradventure their supplication will come before the Lord, and they will turn from their evil way: for great is the wrath and the anger of the Lord, which he has pronounced against this people.
8 Then came the word of Yahweh unto Jeremiah, in Tahpanhes, saying:
And Baruch did according to all that Jeremias commanded him—reading in the book the words of the Lord in the Lord's house.
9 Take in thy hand great stones and hide them in the mortar that is in the brickyard which is at the entrance of the house of Pharaoh in Tahpanhes, —before the eyes of the men of Judah.
And it came to pass in the eighth year of king Joakim, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem, and the house of Juda, proclaimed a fast before the Lord.
10 Then shalt thou say unto them—Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel—Behold me! sending and fetching Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne over these stones which I have hid, —and he shall spread his canopy over them.
And Baruch read in the book the words of Jeremias in the house of the Lord, in the house of Gamarias son of Saphan the scribe, in the upper court, in the entrance of the new gate of the house of the Lord, and in the ears of all the people.
11 And when he entereth, then will he smite the land of Egypt and deliver Him who is for death to death and Him who is for captivity to captivity, and Him who is for the sword to the sword.
And Michaeas the son of Gamarias the son of Saphan heard all the words of the Lord, out of the book.
12 So will I kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away Captive, —and shall wrap the land of Egypt about him, just as a shepherd, wrappeth about, him his garment, and shall go forth from thence in peace;
And he went down to the king's house, into the house of the scribe: and, behold, there were sitting there all the princes, Elisama the scribe, and Dalaeas the son of Selemias, and Jonathan the son of Acchobor, and Gamarias the son of Saphan, and Sedekias the son of Ananias, and all the princes.
13 And he shall break in pieces the pillars of Beth-shemesh, which is in the land of Egypt, —And the houses of the gods of Egypt, shall he burn with fire.
And Michaeas reported to them all the words which he had heard Baruch reading in the ears of the people.
And all the princes sent to Baruch son of Nerias Judin the son of Nathanias, the son of Selemias, the son of Chusi, saying, Take in your hand the roll in which you read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch took the roll, and went down to them.
And they said to him, Read [it] again in our ears. And Baruch read [it].
And it came to pass, when they [had] heard all the words, [that] they took counsel each with his neighbour, and said, Let us by all means tell the king all these words.
And they asked Baruch, saying, Where did you write all these words?
And Baruch said, Jeremias told me from his [own] mouth all these words, and I wrote them in a book.
And they said to Baruch, Go, and hide, you and Jeremias; let no man know where you [are].
And they went in to the king into the court, and gave the roll [to one] to keep in the house of Elisama; and they told the king all these words.
And the king sent Judin to fetch the roll: and he took it out of the house of Elisama: and Judin read in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who stood round the king.
Now the king was sitting in the winter house: and [there was] a fire on the hearth before him.
And it came to pass when Judin had read three or four leaves, he cut them off with a penknife, and cast [them] into the fire that was on the hearth, until the whole roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.
And the king and his servants that heard all these words sought not [the Lord], and tore not their garments.
But Elnathan and Godolias suggested to the king that he should burn the roll.
And the king commanded Jeremeel the king's son, and Saraeas the son of Esriel, to take Baruch and Jeremias: but they were hidden.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, after the king had burnt the roll, [even] all the words which Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremias, saying,
Again take you another roll, and write all the words that were on the roll, which king Joakim has burnt.
And you shall say, Thus says the Lord; You have burnt this roll, saying, Why have you written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come in, and destroy this land, and man and cattle shall fail from off it?
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Joakim king of Juda; He shall not have [a man] to sit on the throne of David: and his carcass shall be cast forth in the heat by day, and in the frost by night.
And I will visit him, and his family, and his servants: and I will bring upon him, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the land of Juda, all the evils which I spoke of to them; and they listened not.
And Baruch took another roll, and wrote upon it from the mouth of Jeremias all the words of the book which Joakim had burnt: and there were yet more words added to it like the former.