Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 Soon after Jehoiakim son of Josiah became king of Judah,
1
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:
2 the Lord said to me, "Stand in the court of the Temple and proclaim all I have commanded you to say to the people who come from the towns of Judah to worship there. Do not leave out anything.
2
“The LORD says: ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word.
3 Perhaps the people will listen and give up their evil ways. If they do, then I will change my mind about the destruction I plan to bring on them for all their wicked deeds."
3
It may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way, that I may relent from the evil which I intend to do to them because of the evil of their doings.’”
4 The Lord told me to say to the people, "I, the Lord, have said that you must obey me by following the teaching that I gave you,
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You shall tell them, “The LORD says: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you,
5 and by paying attention to the words of my servants, the prophets, whom I have kept on sending to you. You have never obeyed what they said.
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to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them—but you have not listened—
6 If you continue to disobey, then I will do to this Temple what I did to Shiloh, and all the nations of the world will use the name of this city as a curse."
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then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’”
7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard me saying these things in the Temple,
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The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the LORD’s house.
8 and as soon as I had finished all that the Lord had commanded me to speak, they grabbed me and shouted, "You ought to be killed for this!
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When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die!
9 Why have you said in the Lord's name that this Temple will become like Shiloh and that this city will be destroyed and no one will live in it?" Then the people crowded around me.
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Why have you prophesied in the LORD’s name, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” All the people were crowded around Jeremiah in the LORD’s house.
10 When the leaders of Judah heard what had happened, they hurried from the royal palace to the Temple and took their places at the New Gate.
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When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the LORD’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house.
11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the leaders and to the people, "This man deserves to be sentenced to death because he has spoken against our city. You heard him with your own ears."
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Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”
12 Then I said, "The Lord sent me to proclaim everything that you heard me say against this Temple and against this city.
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Then Jeremiah spoke to 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 you have heard.
13 You must change the way you are living and the things you are doing, and must obey the Lord your God. If you do, he will change his mind about the destruction that he said he would bring on you.
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Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the LORD your God’s voice; then the LORD will relent from the evil that he has pronounced against you.
14 As for me, I am in your power! Do with me whatever you think is fair and right.
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But as for me, behold, I am in your hand. Do with me what is good and right in your eyes.
15 But be sure of this: if you kill me, you and the people of this city will be guilty of killing an innocent man, because it is the Lord who sent me to give you this warning."
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Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
16 Then the leaders and the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man spoke to us in the name of the Lord our God; he should not be put to death."
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Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.”
17 After that, some of the elders stood up and said to the people who had gathered,
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Then certain of the elders of the land rose up, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 "When Hezekiah was king of Judah, the prophet Micah of Moresheth told all the people that the Lord Almighty had said, "Zion will be plowed like a field; Jerusalem will become a pile of ruins, and the Temple hill will become a forest.'
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“Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies says: “‘Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.’
19 King Hezekiah and the people of Judah did not put Micah to death. Instead, Hezekiah honored the Lord and tried to win his favor. And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he said he would bring on them. Now we are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves."
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Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear the LORD, and entreat the favor of the LORD, and the LORD relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? We would commit great evil against our own souls that way!”
20 (There was another man, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim, who spoke in the name of the Lord against this city and nation just as Jeremiah did.
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There was also a man who prophesied in the LORD’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.
21 When King Jehoiakim and his soldiers and officials heard what Uriah had said, the king tried to have him killed. But Uriah heard about it; so he fled in terror and escaped to Egypt.
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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 Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.
22 King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Achbor and some other men to Egypt to get Uriah.
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Then Jehoiakim the king sent Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 They brought him back to King Jehoiakim, who had him killed and his body thrown into the public burial ground.)
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They fetched Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 But because I had the support of Ahikam son of Shaphan, I was not handed over to the people and killed.
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But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they didn’t give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.