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, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, 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:

“Thus says the Lord: Stand in the atrium of the house of the Lord, and speak to all the cities of Judah, from which they come to adore in the house of the Lord, all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not choose to subtract 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:

So may they hear and be converted, each one from his evil way. And then I may repent of the evil that I plan to do to them because of the wickedness of their pursuits.

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;

And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, so that you walk in my law, which I have given to 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,

so that you listen to the words of my servants, the prophets, whom I have sent to you, who arise while it is still night, and though they give guidance, you do not listen,

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, and I will make this city into a curse for all the nations of the earth.”

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

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

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!

And when Jeremiah had completed speaking all that the Lord had instructed him to speak to all the people, then the priests, and the prophets, and all the people apprehended him, saying: “You shall be put to death.”

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 has he prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying: ‘Like Shiloh, so shall this house be,’ and, ‘This city shall be made desolate, even without an inhabitant?’” And all the people were gathered together against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

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.

And the leaders of Judah heard these words. And they ascended from the house of the king to the house of the Lord, and they sat at the entrance by the new gate of the house of the Lord.

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,

And the priests and the prophets spoke to the leaders and to all the people, saying: “A judgment of death is for this man. For he has prophesied against this city, just as you have 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.

And Jeremiah spoke to all the leaders and to the entire people, saying: “The Lord has sent me to prophesy, about this house and about this city, 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.

Now, therefore, make your ways and your intentions good, and heed the voice of the Lord your God. And then the Lord will repent of the evil that he has spoken against you.

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

But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. 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.

Yet truly, know and understand this: if you kill me, you will be bringing innocent blood against yourselves, and against this city and its inhabitants. For in truth, the Lord sent me to you, so as to speak all these words in your hearing.”

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.

And then the leaders and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “There is no judgment of death against this man. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord 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 some of the elders of the land rose up. And they spoke to the entire assembly of the people, saying:

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,

“Micah from Moresheth was a prophet in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: Zion will be ploughed like a field. And Jerusalem will be a pile of stones. And the mountain of the house will be like the forests of high places.’

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 the king of Judah, Hezekiah, with all of Judah, condemn him to death? Did they not fear the Lord, and petition the face of the Lord? And so the Lord repented of the evil that he had spoken against them. Therefore, we are committing a great evil against our own souls.

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.

Likewise, there was a man prophesying in the name of the Lord: Uriah, the son of Shemaiah, of Kiriath-jearim. And he prophesied against this city and against this land, in accord with all the words of Jeremiah.

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.

And king Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and leaders, heard these words. And so the king sought to put him to death. And Uriah heard, and was afraid, and fled, and he entered into Egypt.

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

And king Jehoiakim sent men into Egypt: Elnathan, the son of Achbor, and the men who went with him into Egypt.

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.

And they led Uriah out of Egypt. And they brought him to king Jehoiakim, and he struck him down with the sword. And he cast his dead body among the graves of the common 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, the son of Shaphan, was with Jeremiah, so that he would not be delivered into the hands of the people, and so that they would not put him to death.