Jeremiah

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

1Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this message came from the LORD.

2Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

2The LORD said: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's temple. Speak to all the people who come from the towns of Judah to worship there. Tell them every word I command you. Do not leave out a single word.

3If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

3Maybe they will listen. Maybe each person will turn away from his evil way. Then I will hold back the disaster I am planning to send because of the evil things they do.

NoteWhen the KJV says God will "repent" of the evil, it does not mean God did something wrong. "Repent" here means to change his mind and hold back, and "the evil" means the disaster he planned to send.

4And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

4Say to them: This is what the LORD says. You must listen to me and live by my law, the law I set in front of you.

5To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

5You must listen to the words of my servants the prophets. I sent them to you again and again, but you have not listened.

6Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

6If you will not listen, I will make this temple like Shiloh. And I will make this city a name that nations everywhere use as a curse.

NoteShiloh was the town where God's worship tent stood long before the temple was built. It was destroyed, and by Jeremiah's time it lay in ruins.

7So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

7The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the LORD's temple.

8Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

8As soon as Jeremiah finished saying everything the LORD had told him to say, they grabbed him. The priests, the prophets, and all the people said, "You must die!"

9Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

9"Why did you speak in the LORD's name and say this temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be empty, with nobody living in it?" All the people crowded around Jeremiah in the temple.

10When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house.

10When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they came up from the king's palace to the LORD's temple. They sat down at the entrance of the New Gate.

NoteThe "princes" in the KJV are not the king's sons. They are the royal officials who ran the government.

11Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man deserves to die. He has spoken against this city. You heard it with your own ears."

12Then spake Jeremiah unto 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 ye have heard.

12Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, "The LORD sent me. Every word you heard me say against this temple and this city, he sent me to say."

13Therefore now 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 hath pronounced against you.

13"So change your ways now. Change the things you do. Obey the voice of the LORD your God. Then the LORD will hold back the disaster he announced against you."

14As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

14"As for me, I am in your hands. Do to me whatever you think is good and right."

15But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

15"But be sure of this. If you put me to death, you will be guilty of killing an innocent man. That guilt will fall on you, on this city, and on everyone living here. The LORD truly sent me to speak all these words to you."

16Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve to die. He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."

17Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

17Then some of the elders of the land stood up and spoke to the whole crowd.

18Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

18"Micah from Moresheth was a prophet when Hezekiah was king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah what the LORD of Armies said: Zion will be plowed like a field. Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble. The temple hill will become a wooded ridge."

Note"Jerusalem shall become heaps" means the city will be knocked down into piles of stone. "The mountain of the house as the high places of a forest" means the temple hill will be left empty and overgrown with trees.

19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

19"Did Hezekiah king of Judah, or anyone else in Judah, put Micah to death? No. Hezekiah honored the LORD and begged him to be kind. And the LORD held back the disaster he had announced against them. But we are about to bring terrible harm on ourselves."

20And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

20There was another man who spoke in the LORD's name, Urijah son of Shemaiah, from Kirjath-jearim. He said the same things Jeremiah said against this city and this land.

21And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;

21King Jehoiakim, all his soldiers, and all his officials heard Urijah's words, and the king wanted to kill him. When Urijah heard about it, he was afraid and ran away to Egypt.

22And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.

22So King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt. He sent Elnathan son of Achbor, along with some other men.

23And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

23They brought Urijah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king had him killed with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of ordinary people.

24Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

24But Ahikam son of Shaphan stood by Jeremiah. So Jeremiah was not handed over to the people to be put to death.