Jeremiah 36:1-10

1 And it was done, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was made of the Lord to Jeremy, and said, (And it was done, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, that this word of the Lord was made to Jeremiah, and said,)

2 Take thou the volume of a book, and thou shalt write therein all the words, which I spake to thee against Israel and Judah, and against all folks, from the day in which I spake to thee, from the days of Josiah unto this day. (Take thou the volume of a book, and thou shalt write in it all the words, which I spoke to thee against Israel and Judah, and against all the nations, from the day when I first spoke to thee, yea, from the days of Josiah unto this day.)

3 If peradventure when the house of Judah heareth all the evils which I think to do to them, each man turn again from his worst way, and I shall be merciful to the wickedness and sin of them. (And perhaps when the house of Judah heareth all the evils which I think to do to them, each person shall turn from his worst ways, and then I shall be merciful to them regarding their wickedness and their sin.)

4 Therefore Jeremy called Baruch, the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote (out) of the mouth of Jeremy in the volume of a book all the words of the Lord, which he spake to him. (And so Jeremiah called Baruch, the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote in the volume of a book, from the mouth of Jeremiah, all the words of the Lord which he spoke to him.)

5 And Jeremy commanded to Baruch, and said, I am closed, and I may not enter into the house of the Lord. (And Jeremiah said to Baruch, I am enclosed, or imprisoned, and I cannot go to the House of the Lord.)

6 Therefore enter thou, and read (out) of the book, in which thou hast written (out) of my mouth the words of the Lord, in hearing of the people, in the house of the Lord, in the day of fasting; furthermore and in hearing of all Judah, that come from their cities, thou shalt read to them; (And so go thou, and read from the book in which thou hast written from my mouth the words of the Lord, in the hearing of all the people, in the House of the Lord, on the day of fasting; and thou shalt even read this in the hearing of all those of Judah, who come from their cities;)

7 if peradventure the prayer of them fall in the sight of the Lord, and each man turn again from his worst way; for why the strong vengeance and indignation is great, which the Lord spake against this people. (if perhaps their prayer come before the Lord, and each person turn from his worst ways; for great is the strong vengeance and the indignation, which the Lord spoke against this people.)

8 And Baruch, the son of Neriah, did after all things, which Jeremy, the prophet, commanded to him; and he read (out) of the book the words of the Lord, in the house of the Lord. (And Baruch, the son of Neriah, did all the things, which the prophet Jeremiah commanded him to do; and so he read from the book the words of the Lord, in the House of the Lord.)

9 Forsooth it was done, in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, they preached fasting in the sight of the Lord, to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the multitude, that came together from the cities of Judah into Jerusalem. (For it was done, in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, in the ninth month, they proclaimed a fast before the Lord, for all the people in Jerusalem, and for all the multitude, who came together from the cities of Judah into Jerusalem.)

10 And Baruch read (out) of the volume the words of Jeremy, in the house of the Lord, in the treasury of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, scribe, in the higher porch, in the entering of the new gate of the house of the Lord, in audience of all the people. (And Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah, in the House of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, the writer, or the court secretary, in the upper courtyard, at the entrance to the New Gate of the House of the Lord, before all the people.)

Jeremiah 36:1-10 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.