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¹ In the beginning of the reign of Yehoiakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehudah, came this word from the LORD, saying, ² Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Yehudah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command you to speak to them; don't diminish a word. ³ It may be they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings. ⁴ You shall tell them, Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, ⁵ to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but you have not listened; ⁶ then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the eretz.

⁷ The Kohanim and the prophets and all the people heard Yirmeyahu speaking these words in the house of the LORD. ⁸ It happened, when Yirmeyahu had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the Kohanim and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, You shall surely die. ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? All the people were gathered to Yirmeyahu in the house of the LORD. ¹⁰ When the princes of Yehudah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's [house]. ¹¹ Then spoke the Kohanim and the prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears. ¹² Then spoke Yirmeyahu to all the princes and to all the people, saying, the LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. ¹³ Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes. ¹⁵ Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on the inhabitants of it; for of a truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.

¹⁶ Then said the princes and all the people to the Kohanim and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God. ¹⁷ Then rose up certain of the Zakenim of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, ¹⁸ Mikhah the Morashti prophesied in the days of Hizkiyahu king of Yehudah; and he spoke to all the people of Yehudah, saying, Thus says the LORD of Hosts: Tziyon shall be plowed as a field, and Yerushalayim shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. ¹⁹ Did Hizkiyahu king of Yehudah and all Yehudah put him to death? Didn't he fear the LORD, and entreat the favor of the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls. ²⁰ There was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriyah the son of Shemayah of Kiryat-Ye`arim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Yirmeyahu: <sup>21</sup> and when Yehoiakim the king, with all his mighty-men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriyah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Mitzrayim: <sup>22</sup> and Yehoiakim the king sent men into Mitzrayim, [namely], Elnatan the son of `Akhbor, and certain men with him, into Mitzrayim; ²³ and they fetched forth Uriyah out of Mitzrayim, and brought him to Yehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people. ²⁴ But the hand of Achikam the son of Shafan was with Yirmeyahu, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.