THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH
Jeremiah 26 ©
The prophet, by the command of God, threatens all the people in the court of the temple, that God, if they continue to be disobedient, will make the temple like Shiloh, and the land unto a curse of all nations, v. 1, etc. He is thereupon apprehended, and pronounced to be guilty of death, 8. But the princes, etc., coming there, and having heard the accusation as also Jeremiah’s answer, acquit him by the example of the prophet Micah, 10. Ahikam is commended in particular for delivering Jeremiah, that it fared not with him as it did with another prophet, named Urijah, 20.
IN the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to 1worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may 2repenta me of the 3evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up 4early,b and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
Then will I make this house like 5Shiloh,c and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
So the priests and the 6prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah 7speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
¶Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt 8surely die.
Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
¶When the princes of Judah heard these 9things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the 10new gate of the 11LORD’S house.
Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is 12worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
¶Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
Therefore now amendd your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
As for me, behold, I am in your 13hand: do with me as seemeth 14good and meet unto you.
But 15know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely 16bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.
¶Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.
Then rose up certain of the 17elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
Micahe the 18Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of 19hosts; Zionf shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the 20mountain of the house as the 21high places of a forest.
Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him 22at all to death? did 23he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD 24repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure 25great evil against our souls.
And there 26was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, 27Urijah the son of Shemaiah of 28Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land 29according to all the words of Jeremiah:
And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of 30Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who 31slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the 32graves of the common people.
Nevertheless the 33hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.