Jeremiah 26:5-15

5 that ye hear the words of my servants, (the) prophets, which I rising by night, and (ad)dressing, sent to you, and ye heard not; (and that ye hear the words of my servants, the prophets, which I rising up by night, and directing, sent to you, but ye did not listen to them;)

6 I shall give this house as Shiloh, and I shall give this city into cursing to all folks of earth. (then I shall make this House like Shiloh, and I shall give this city into cursing by all the nations of the earth.)

7 And the priests, and prophets, and all the people heard Jeremy speaking these words in the house of the Lord. (And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the House of the Lord.)

8 And when Jeremy had [ful]filled speaking all things, which the Lord had commanded to him, that he should speak to all the people, the priests, and [the] prophets, and all the people took him, and said, Die he by death (He must die!);

9 why prophesied he in the name of the Lord, and said, This house shall be as Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, for no dweller there is? And all the people was gathered together against Jeremy, in the house of the Lord. (why did he prophesy in the name of the Lord, and said, This House shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be made desolate, for there shall be no inhabitants here? And all the people were gathered together against Jeremiah, in the House of the Lord.)

10 And the princes of Judah heard all these words; and they ascended from the king's house into the house of the Lord, and sat in the entering of the new gate of the house of the Lord. (And the princes, or the leaders, of Judah heard all these words; and they went up from the king's house to the House of the Lord, and sat at the entrance of the New Gate of the House of the Lord.)

11 And the priests and [the] prophets spake to the princes, and to all the people, and said, Doom of death is to this man (A judgement, or a sentence, of death is given to this man), for he prophesied against this city, as ye heard with your (own) ears.

12 And Jeremy said to all the princes (And Jeremiah said to all the princes, or to all the leaders), and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me, that I should prophesy to this house, and to this city, all the words which ye heard.

13 Now therefore make ye good your ways, and your studies, and hear ye the voice of your Lord God; and it shall repent the Lord of the evil which he spake against you. (And so now if ye make good your ways, and your deeds, and listen to the voice of the Lord your God, then the Lord shall repent for the evil which he spoke against you.)

14 Lo! forsooth I am in your hands; do ye to me, as it is good and rightful before your eyes.

15 Nevertheless know ye, and [well] know, that if ye slay me, ye shall betray innocent blood against yourselves, and against this city, and the dwellers thereof; for in truth the Lord sent me to you, that I should speak in your ears all these words. (Nevertheless know ye, and know ye well, that if ye kill me, ye shall betray innocent blood against yourselves, and against this city, and its inhabitants; for in all truth, the Lord hath sent me to you, so that I could speak all these words in your ears.)

Jeremiah 26:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 26

This chapter gives an account of Jeremiah's preaching; of his being apprehended by the people; of his defence of himself, and acquittance upon it. The time when, place where, and persons to whom the prophet delivered his discourse, are pointed at in Jer 26:1,2; the substance of it was, that if the people of the Jews would repent of their sins and turn from them, the Lord would avert the evil he had threatened them with; but if not, he would make their temple like Shiloh, and their city a curse to all the earth, Jer 26:3-6; upon hearing which the people seized him, and vowed he should die, because he had prophesied of the destruction of their city and temple, Jer 26:7-9; which the princes hearing of, came from the king's house to one of the gates of the temple, and sat as a court of judicature; to whom the priests and prophets accused Jeremiah of the above things as worthy of death, Jer 26:10,11; and before whom the prophet made his defence, alleging his mission and orders from the Lord; and therefore, instead of recanting, repeats his exhortation; and as for himself, he was not careful what they did to him; but advises them not to shed innocent blood, since it would bring evil upon them, Jer 26:12-15; upon which the princes acquit him, and declare him innocent, Jer 26:16; and this is confirmed by a like instance of Micah the prophet, in the times of Hezekiah, who prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem, and yet was not put to death, Jer 26:17-19; and by a contrary instance of Uriah, in the then present reign of Jehoiakim, who had been put to death for the like, but wrongly, Jer 26:20-23; and, in the issue, Jeremiah, through the good office of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, particularly, was saved from being put to death, Jer 26:24.