YIRMEYAHU 26

1 In the beginning of the reign of Yahoyaqim the son of Yoshiyahu, the sovereign of Yahuḏah, this word came from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, saying,

2 “Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, ‘Stand in the courtyard of the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and speak to all the cities of Yahuḏah, which come to bow themselves in the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.

3 ‘If so be that they listen and each turn from his evil way, then I shall repent of the evil that I plan to do to them, because of the evil of their deeds.’

4 “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “If you do not listen to Me, to walk in My Torah which I put before you,

5 to listen to the words of My servants the neḇi’im I am sending you, even rising up early and sending them – though you have not listened –

6 then I shall make this House like Shiloh, and make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.” ’ ”

7 And the kohenim and the neḇi’im and all the people heard Yirmeyahu speaking these words in the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

8 And it came to be, when Yirmeyahu had ended speaking all that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the kohenim and the neḇi’im and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall certainly die!

9 “Why have you naḇu in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, saying, ‘This House shall be like Shiloh, and this city be dried up, without an inhabitant’?” And all the people were gathered against Yirmeyahu in the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

10 And the heads of Yahuḏah heard this, and they came up from the sovereign’s house to the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and sat down in the entrance of the new gate of the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

11 And the kohenim and the neḇi’im spoke to the heads and all the people, saying, “A death sentence for this man! For he has naḇu against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”

12 And Yirmeyahu spoke to all the heads and all the people, saying, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 sent me to naḇa against this house and against this city with all the words you heard.

13 “And now, make good your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim, then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 shall relent concerning the evil He has pronounced against you.

14 “And I, look I am in your hand. Do with me as seems good and right to you.

15 “But know for certain that if you put me to death, you are bringing innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants. For truly 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

16 Then the heads and all the people said to the kohenim and the neḇi’im, “No death sentence for this man. For he has spoken to us in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 our Elohim.”

17 And some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,

18 “Miḵayah of Moresheth naḇu in the days of Ḥizqiyahu the sovereign of Yahuḏah, and he spoke to all the people of Yahuḏah, saying, ‘Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts, “Tsiyon shall become a ploughed field, and Yerushalayim be heaps, and the mountain of the House like the bare hills of the forest.” ’

19 “Did Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yahuḏah and all Yahuḏah indeed put him to death? Did he not revere 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and seek the favour 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄? And the Aḏon relented concerning the evil which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

20 There was however a man who naḇu in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Uriyahu the son of Shemayahu of Qiryath Ye’arim, who naḇu against this city and against this land according to all the words of Yirmeyahu.

21 And when Yahoyaqim the sovereign, with all his mighty men and all the heads, heard his words, the sovereign sought to put him to death. But Uriyahu heard of it, and was afraid and fled, and went to Mitsrayim.

22 Then Yahoyaqim the sovereign sent men to Mitsrayim: Elnathan the son of Aḵbor, and some men who went with him to Mitsrayim.

23 And they brought Uriyahu from Mitsrayim and brought him to Yahoyaqim the sovereign, who smote him with the sword and threw his dead body into the graves of the common people.

24 However, the hand of Aḥiqam son of Shaphan was with Yirmeyahu, so as not to give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.