Jeremiah 26
1IN the beginning of the reign of Joakim son of Josias, this word came from the Lord.
2Thus saith the Lord: Stand in the court of the house of the Lord and thou shalt solemnly pronounce to all the Jews and to all who come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words which I have commanded thee to prophesy to them; keep not back a word.
3Perhaps they may hearken and turn every one from his evil way, that I may refrain from all the evils which I am resolving to do to them, because of their wicked pursuits.
4And thou shalt say, ’Thus saith the Lord’, unless you hearken to Me so as to walk by the ordinances which I have set before you;
5and hearken to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I send to you, whom I, rising early, have sent to you, though you have not hearkened to them;
6I will make this house like Selo; and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the whole earth.
7So the priests and the false prophets and all the people heard Jeremias pronouncing these words in the house of the Lord.
8And when Jeremias had done speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people; the priests and the false prophets and all the people seized him, saying,
9Thou shalt be put to death, because thou hast prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, This house shall be like Selo, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitants. And all the people were assembled against Jeremias in the house of the Lord.
10When the chiefs of Juda heard the affair, they went up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the vestibule of the new gate.
11And the priests and the false prophets addressed the chiefs, and said to all the people, Let sentence of death pass on this man, because he hath prophesied against this city as you have heard with your ears.
12Whereupon Jeremias, addressing the chiefs, spoke to all the people saying, The Lord hath sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city, all the words which you have heard.
13Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the Lord; and the Lord will refrain from all the evils which He hath denounced against you.
14As for me, behold I am in your hands. Do with me as seemeth good and best to you.
15But be assured that if you put me to death, you bring innocent blood on yourselves and upon this city and upon the inhabitants thereof. For in truth, the Lord hath sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.
16Then the chiefs and all the people said to the priests and the false prophets, This man is not liable to death, for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord.
17And there stood up some principal men of the elders of the land, and said to all the assembly of the people,
18Michaias the Morasthite lived in the days of Ezekias king of Juda, and he said to all the people of Juda, Thus said the Lord: Sion shall be ploughed like a field; and Jerusalem shall be a desolation; and the mountain of this house, a grove of a forest.
19But did Ezekias and all Juda put him to death? No. Because they feared the Lord; and because they intreated the favour of the Lord: therefore the Lord refrained from the evils which He had denounced against them. Now as for us, we have committed great evils against our souls.
20Now there was a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, namely Ourias son of Samaias of Kariathiarim; and he prophesied against this land according to all the words of Jeremias.
21And when king Joakim and all the chiefs heard all his words, and sought to kill him and Ourias heard it, he fled to Egypt.
22And the king sent men to Egypt,
23who fetched him out thence and brought him to the king; and he slew him with the sword and threw him into the common grave yard.
24But the hand of Achikam son of Saphan was with Jeremias that they should not deliver him up into the hands of the people, nor kill him.