1 In the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah there came this word from the Lord.

2 Thus said the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and thou shalt declare to all the Jews, and to all that come to worship in the house of the Lord, all the words which I commanded thee to speak to them; abate not one word. 3 Peradventure they will hear, and turn every one from his evil way: then I will cease from the evils which I purpose to do to them, because of their evil practices. 4 And thou shalt say, Thus said the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my statutes which I set before you, 5 to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you early in the morning; yea, I sent them, but ye hearkened not to me; 6 then will I make this house as Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse to all the nations of all the earth.

7 And the priests, and the false prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8 And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had ceased speaking all that the Lord had ordered him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the false prophets and all the people took him, saying, 9 Thou shalt surely die, because thou hast prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be as Shiloh, and this city shall be made quite destitute of inhabitants.

And all the people assembled against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. 10 And the princes of Judah heard this word, and they went up out of the house of the king to the house of the Lord, and sat in the entrance of the new gate. 11 Then the priests and the false prophets said to the princes and to all the people, The judgment of death is due to this man; because he has prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to the princes, and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city, all the words which ye have heard. 13 And now amend your ways and your works, and hearken to the voice of the Lord; and the Lord shall cease from the evils which he has pronounced against you. 14 And behold, I am in your hands; do to me as is expedient, and as it is best for you. 15 But know for a certainty, that if ye slay me, ye bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon them that dwell in it; for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak in your ears all these words.

16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the false prophets; Judgment of death is not due to this man; for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God. 17 And there rose up men of the elders of the land, and said to all the assembly of the people, 18 Micah the Moreshethite lived in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah, Thus saith the Lord; Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become a desolation, and the mountain of the house shall be a thicket of trees. 19 Did Hezekiah and all Judah in any way slay him? Was it not that they feared the Lord, and they made supplication before the Lord, and the Lord ceased from the evils which he had pronounced against them? whereas we have wrought great evil against our own souls.

20 And there was another man prophesying in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied concerning this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21 And King Jehoiakim and all the princes heard all his words, and sought to slay him; and Uriah heard it and went into Egypt. 22 And the king sent men into Egypt; 23 and they brought him thence, and brought him in to the king; and he smote him with the sword, and cast him into the sepulcher of the children of his people. 24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, to prevent his being delivered into the hands of the people, or being killed.