Jeremiah Chapter 36
1 A Message from Yahveh to Jeremiah
in the Fourth Year of Jehoiakim Ben-Josiah, King of Judah,
Baruch Reads Aloud Yahveh’s Messages
2 “On a scroll, write down everything I’ve told you about Israel, Judah, and the nations from Josiah’s time till now. 3 Maybe Judah will listen to the catastrophe I intend to bring on them to get them to repent. Then I’ll forgive their sin.”
4 Jeremiah called for Baruch Ben-Neriah, and he wrote down Yahveh’s messages that Jeremiah dictated. 5 He told Baruch,
“I can’t go to Yahveh’s Temple. 6 So you go on a fast day and read to the people the messages you’ve written. Read them to the people in Judah who come from their towns. 7 Maybe they’ll turn from their sinful ways and ask for his forgiveness. Yahveh has pronounced great anger against them.”
8 Baruch did that and read the messages in the Temple.
Jer 36:1-8
9 In the ninth month, fifth year of Jehoiakim/Coniah, the people in Jerusalem and Judah declared a fast to Yahveh. 10 What Jeremiah said, Baruch read in the quarters of Gemariah Ben-Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate to the Temple.
11 When Micaiah Ben-Gemariah heard it, 12 he went down to the scribe’s office in the king’s palace. The officials were sitting there—Elishama the scribe, Delaiah Ben-Shemaiah, Elnathan Ben-Achbor, Gemariah Ben-Shaphan, Zedekiah Ben-Hananiah, and the others. 13 He told them what he heard Baruch reading to the people. 14 They sent Jehudi Ben-Nethaniah (Ben-Shelemiah Ben-Cushi) to Baruch and said, “Bring the scroll you read to the people.”
So Baruch took it to them.
Jer 36:9-14
15 “Sit down and read it to us.”
16 When they heard it, they turned in fear to one another and said to Baruch, “We’ll have to report this to the king. 17 Tell us how you wrote this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”
18 “He dictated it to me, and I wrote it in ink on the scroll.
19 The officials said, “Both of you, go hide. Don’t tell anybody where you are.”
King Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll
20 So they reported to the king what it said, but they’d deposited the scroll in the office of Elishama the secretary. 21 He sent Jehudi to get it, and he read it to the king and the officials standing beside him. 22 The king was sitting in the winter palace in the ninth month, with a fire burning in the brazier beside him. 23 When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them in the brazier till he’d burned up the whole scroll. 24 The king and his attendants weren’t afraid and didn’t tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah pleaded with him not to burn the scroll, he did it anyway. 26 He told Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah Ben-Azriel, and Shelemiah Ben-Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah; but Yahveh hid them.
Jer 36:15-26
27 A Message from Yahveh to Jeremiah
After the King Burned the Scroll
Baruch Had Written at Jeremiah’s Dictation
Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll
28 “Take another scroll and write down everything again. 29 Say to Jehoiakim, king of Judah, ‘You burned this scroll and said, “Why did you write that the king of Babylon will destroy this land and empty out its people and animals?” 30 This is Yahveh’s answer: ‘You won’t have any descendant to sit on David’s throne. They’ll toss your dead body out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. 31 I’ll punish you, your family, and your attendants for your sins. I’ll bring on you and the people in Jerusalem and Judah the catastrophe I’ve declared—but they didn’t listen.’”
32 So Jeremiah gave Baruch another scroll, and dictated everything Jehoiakim had burned, and added similar messages.
Jer 36:27-32