1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word has been from YHWH, saying,

2“Thus said YHWH: Stand in the court of the house of YHWH, and you have spoken to all [those of] the cities of Judah, who are coming to bow themselves in the house of YHWH, all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them—you do not diminish a word.

3Perhaps they listen, and each turns back from his evil way; then I have relented concerning the evil that I am thinking of doing to them, because of the evil of their doings.

4And you have said to them, Thus said YHWH: If you do not listen to Me, to walk in My law that I set before you,

5to listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I am sending to you, indeed, rising early and sending, and you have not listened,

6then I have given up this house as Shiloh, and this city I give up for a reviling to all nations of the earth.”

7And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, hear Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of YHWH,

8and it comes to pass, at the completion of Jeremiah’s speaking all that YHWH has commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests, and the prophets, and all the people catch him, saying, “You surely die!

9Why have you prophesied in the Name of YHWH, saying, This house will be as Shiloh, and this city is desolated, without inhabitant?” And all the people are assembled to Jeremiah in the house of YHWH.

10And the heads of Judah hear these things, and they go up from the house of the king [to] the house of YHWH, and sit in the opening of the New Gate of YHWH.

11And the priests and the prophets speak to the heads, and to all the people, saying, “Judgment of death [is] for this man, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”

12And Jeremiah speaks to all the heads, and to all the people, saying, “YHWH sent me to prophesy concerning this house, and concerning this city, all the words that you have heard.

13And now, amend your ways, and your doings, and listen to the voice of your God YHWH, and YHWH relents concerning the evil that He has spoken against you.

14And I, behold, I [am] in your hand, do to me as is good and as is right in your eyes;

15only, certainly know that if you are putting me to death, you are surely putting innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for YHWH has truly sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

16And the heads and all the people say to the priests and to the prophets, “There is not a judgment of death for this man, for he has spoken to us in the Name of our God YHWH.”

17And men from [the] elderly of the land rise up and speak to all the assembly of the people, saying,

18“Micah the Morashtite has been prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he says to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus said YHWH of Hosts: Zion is a plowed field, and Jerusalem is heaps, || And the mountain of the house is for high places of a forest.

19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear YHWH? Indeed, he appeases the face of YHWH, and YHWH relents concerning the calamity that He spoke against them; and we are doing great evil against our souls.”

20And there has also been a man prophesying in the Name of YHWH, Urijah son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath-Jearim, and he prophesies against this city, and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah,

21and King Jehoiakim, and all his mighty ones, and all the heads, hear his words, and the king seeks to put him to death, and Urijah hears, and fears, and flees, and goes to Egypt.

22And King Jehoiakim sends men to Egypt—Elnathan son of Achbor, and men with him to Egypt—

23and they bring out Urijah from Egypt, and bring him to King Jehoiakim, and he strikes him with a sword, and casts his corpse to the graves of the sons of the people.

24Only, the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan has been with Jeremiah so as not to give him up into the hand of the people to put him to death.