1This message came from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah king of Judah,

2This is what the Lord says: Go and stand in the Temple courtyard and deliver the whole message I have ordered you to give to everyone who comes from all the towns of Judah to worship there. Don't leave out a single word.

3Maybe they will listen, and each of them will give up their evil ways so that I won't have to carry out the disaster I'm planning to bring down on them because of the evil things they do.

4Tell them that this is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have given you,

5and if you don't listen to the messages of my servants the prophets—I've sent them to you time and again, but you refused to listen—

6then I will destroy this Temple like I did Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse word used by everyone on earth.

7The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah deliver this message in the Lord's Temple.

8As soon as he had finished telling everyone all that the Lord had ordered him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people grabbed him, shouting, “You'll die for this!

9How dare you claim to speak in the Lord's name here in the Temple and declare that it will be destroyed like Shiloh, and that this city will be left empty and abandoned?” Everyone crowded around Jeremiah threatening him in the Lord's Temple.

10When the leaders of Judah heard what happened they came from the king's palace to the Lord's Temple and sat at the entrance of the New Gate of the Temple to judge the case.

11The priests and prophets complained to the leaders and all the people, “This man deserves the death penalty because he has committed treason ⁸²by prophesying against this city. You heard it yourselves!”

12Jeremiah addressed all the leaders and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to deliver every word of this prophecy against this Temple as you've heard.

13So change your ways and do what's right, and do what Lord your God tells you, so that he won't have to carry out the disaster he has announced he will bring down on you.

14As far as I'm concerned, I'm in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right.

15But be careful, because you need to be aware that if you kill me, you will make yourselves, this city, and everyone who lives here guilty of murder, because it's true that the Lord sent me to tell you everything he said.”

16Then the leaders and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn't deserve the death penalty because he was speaking on behalf of the Lord our God.”

17Some of the country's elders stood up and addressed everyone gathered there.

18“Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah that this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Zion will become like a plowed field; Jerusalem will end up a pile of rubble; and the Temple mount will be overgrown with trees.’ ⁸³

19Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in the country have him killed? Didn't Hezekiah respect the Lord and plead with him? Didn't the Lord change his mind about the disaster he had announced against them? But we are about to bring a great disaster on ourselves!”

20At around that time there was another man prophesying in the name of the Lord, Uriah, son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against Jerusalem and against the country just as Jeremiah did.

21King Jehoiakim and all his military officers and officials heard what he was saying, and the king wanted to have him executed. But when Uriah found out about it, he was frightened and ran away to Egypt.

22But King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan, son of Achbor, along with some others.

23They brought Uriah back from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king killed him with a sword and had his body thrown into the public graveyard.

24However, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, took Jeremiah's side so he was not handed over to the people to be killed.