15
They said to him, "Sitdown, please, and read it to us." So Baruch1read it to them.
16
When they had heardall the words, they turned in 2fearone to another and said to Baruch, "We will surely3reportallthesewords to the king."
17
And they askedBaruch, saying, "Tell us, please, 4how did you writeallthesewords? Was it at his dictation?"
18
Then Baruchsaid to them, "He 5dictated**allthesewords to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book."
19
Then the officialssaid to Baruch, "Go, 6hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone knowwhere you are."
The Scroll Is Burned
20 So they went to the 7king in the court, but they had deposited the scroll in the chamber of 8Elishama the scribe, and they reported*all the words to the king.
21
Then the kingsentJehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi9read it to the king as well as to all the officials who stoodbeside* the king.
22
Now the king was sitting in the 10winterhouse in the 11ninthmonth, with a fire burning in the brazierbefore him.
23
When Jehudi had readthree or fourcolumns, the king cut it with a scribe'sknife and 12threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, untilall the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
24
Yet the king and all his servants who heardallthesewords were 13not afraid, nor did they 14rend their garments.
25
Even thoughElnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah15pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.