Jeremiah

Warnings about Jerusalem's destruction due to unfaithfulness, with promises of a new covenant.

Chapter 36

1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

*In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim, who was the son of King Josiah of Judah, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah with a message.

2 Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.

*Get a notebook and write down everything I've told you about Israel, Judah, and all other countries since I first spoke to you during Josiah's time until now.

3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

*Perhaps the people of Judah will hear about the bad things I plan for them. This might make them change their ways, so I can forgive their wrongdoings and sins.

4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.

*Then Jeremiah asked Baruch, son of Neriah, to write down everything God told him, and Baruch wrote it on a scroll.

5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD:

*Jeremiah told Baruch, "I'm trapped and can't enter God's temple."

6 Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD’s house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.

*So go and read the words I told you to write, from my mouth, to the people at the Lord's house during the fasting day. Also, read them to everyone from Judah who comes out of their cities.

7 It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.

*They might ask God for forgiveness and change their ways, because God's anger and rage towards these people is immense.

8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD’s house.

*Baruch, son of Neriah, followed everything Jeremiah the prophet told him. He read the Lord's messages from the book inside the Lord's house.

9 And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

*In the fifth year of King Jehoiakim's reign, during the ninth month, a fast was declared by the people in Jerusalem and those from Judah's cities who came to the city. They did this to show their devotion to God.

10 Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house, in the ears of all the people.

*Then, in the Lord's house, in Gemariah's room, at the top courtyard near the new gate, Baruch read Jeremiah's words to everyone.

11 When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,

*When Michaiah, son of Gemariah and son of Shaphan, listened to the LORD's words from the book.

12 Then he went down into the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber: and, lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes.

*Then he entered the king's house and went to the scribe's room. There, he saw all the important leaders sitting, including Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and other top officials.

13 Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.

*Then Michaiah told everyone the words he heard, when Baruch read the book to the people.

14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, unto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came unto them.

*So all the leaders asked Jehudi, a descendant of Nethaniah, Shelemiah, and Cushi, to get the scroll from Baruch. They told him to bring it while holding it. When they asked, Baruch, son of Neriah, got the scroll and went to them.

15 And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.

*They told him to sit down and read it for them. So Baruch did, reading it out loud for them to hear.

16 Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words.

*After hearing everything, they were scared for themselves and Baruch, so they decided to inform the king about all these words.

17 And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

*They asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you write all these words as he spoke?"

18 Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.

*Then Baruch replied, "He spoke all these words to me, and I wrote them down with pen in a book using ink."

19 Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.

*Then the leaders told Baruch, "Go, you and Jeremiah, hide yourselves. Don't let anyone know where you are."

20 And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king.

*They entered the king's courtyard and shared the information with the king, while they hid the written record in Elishama the writer's room.

21 So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king.

*So, the king asked Jehudi to get the scroll. He got it from Elishama's room. Then, Jehudi read it out loud for the king and all the important people standing near him.

22 Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.

*Now, the king sat in a warm room during the ninth month; a fire was blazing in front of him.

23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

*Then, when Jehudi read a few pages, he used a knife to cut them and threw them into the fire in the hearth. He did this until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.

24 Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.

*However, nobody was scared or tore their clothes, not even the king or his helpers who listened to everything being said.

25 Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.

*However, Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to destroy the scroll, but he wouldn't listen to them.

26 But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.

*But the king ordered Jerahmeel, son of Hammelech, Seraiah, son of Azriel, and Shelemiah, son of Abdeel, to bring Baruch the writer and Jeremiah the prophet. But God secretly protected them.

27 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,

*Then, God spoke to Jeremiah again, after the king had destroyed the scroll with Baruch's words that he wrote based on what Jeremiah said.

28 Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.

*Write down the words from the first scroll again, as they were before, since King Jehoiakim of Judah burned them.

29 And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?

*You will tell King Jehoiakim of Judah, "This is what God says: You burned this scroll with writing that says, 'The king of Babylon will definitely come and destroy this land, killing both people and animals.' Why did you write that?"

30 Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

*So, God says this about Jehoiakim, Judah's king: No one will sit on his throne from the line of David. His body will be thrown out in the heat of the day and frozen at night.

31 And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.

*I will punish him, his children, and his helpers for their wrongdoing. I will bring great harm to them, the people in Jerusalem, and the people of Judah, just like I warned. But they didn't listen.

32 Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.

*Jeremiah gave Baruch, a writer and son of Neriah, another scroll. Baruch wrote down everything Jeremiah said, replacing the words that King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned. The new scroll also included more similar messages.

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