Jeremiah 36:9-32

9 1In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, 2in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem 3proclaimed a fast before the LORD.
10 Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the LORD, in 4the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD's house.
11 When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, son of 5Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll,
12 he went down to the king's house, into the secretary's chamber, and 6all the officials were sitting there: 7Elishama the secretary, 8Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, 9Elnathan 10the son of Achbor, 11Gemariah the son of 12Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials.
13 And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people.
14 Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of 13Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.
15 And they said to him, "Sit down and read it." So Baruch read it to them.
16 When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, 14"We must report all these words to the king."
17 Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?"
18 Baruch answered them, "He dictated all these words to me, 15while I wrote them with ink on the scroll."
19 Then the officials said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are."
20 So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in 16the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king.
21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king.
22 It was 17the ninth month, and the king was sitting in 18the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him.
23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot.
24 Yet 19neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, 20nor did they tear their garments.
25 Even when 21Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah 22urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the 23king's son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and 24Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize 25Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.
27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
28 "Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, 'Thus says the LORD, You have burned this scroll, saying, 26"Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?"
30 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: 27He shall have none 28to sit on the throne of David, 29and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night.
31 30And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.'"
32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to 31Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who 32wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah 36:9-32 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.

Cross References 32

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.