Jeremiah 36:1-11

1 It happened in the fourth year of Yehoiakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehudah, that this word came to Yirmeyahu from the LORD, saying,

2 Take a scroll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken to you against Yisra'el, and against Yehudah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Yoshiyahu, even to this day.

3 It may be that the house of Yehudah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do to them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

4 Then Yirmeyahu called Barukh the son of Neriyah; and Barukh wrote from the mouth of Yirmeyahu all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken to him, on a scroll of a book.

5 Yirmeyahu commanded Barukh, saying, I am shut up; I can't go into the house of the LORD:

6 therefore go you, and read in the scroll, which you have written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD's house on the fast-day; and also you shall read them in the ears of all Yehudah who come out of their cities.

7 It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return everyone from his evil way; for great is the anger and the wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people.

8 Barukh the son of Neriyah did according to all that Yirmeyahu the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD's house.

9 Now it happened in the fifth year of Yehoiakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehudah, in the ninth month, that all the people in Yerushalayim, and all the people who came from the cities of Yehudah to Yerushalayim, proclaimed a fast before the LORD.

10 Then read Barukh in the book the words of Yirmeyahu in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemaryah the son of Shafan, the Sofer, in the upper court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house, in the ears of all the people.

11 When Mikhayahu the son of Gemaryah, the son of Shafan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,

Jeremiah 36:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 36

This chapter gives an account of an impious action of King Jehoiakim's burning the roll of Jeremiah's prophecies read unto him, and the consequence of it. The order to write this roll, the time when, the contents and use of it, are in Jer 36:1-3; the writing of it by Baruch, the order of the prophet to read it to the people on such a day, with the view he had in so doing, Jer 36:4-7; the reading of it by Baruch to the people first, Jer 36:8-10; then to the princes, being sent for by them, upon a report made to them, Jer 36:11-15; the king being acquainted with it, Jehudi was sent to fetch the roll, who read it to the king, Jer 36:16-21; who having heard part of it, burnt it, notwithstanding the intercession of some of his princes to the contrary, Jer 36:22-25; and who also ordered the apprehension of Jeremiah and Baruch, who could not be found, Jer 36:26; upon this a new roll is ordered to be written, Jer 36:27,28; which was done with some additions to it, respecting the destruction of the land, and the people in it, by the Chaldeans; and particularly the death of the king, and his want of burial, Jer 36:29-32.