Gemariah

9It was the ninth month of Jehoiakim's fifth year as king. The people were told to go without food and pray to the LORD. This was for everyone in Jerusalem and everyone who came from Judah's towns.

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.

NoteThe ninth month came near the end of their year. It was the cold, rainy time.

10Baruch read Jeremiah's words from the scroll in the LORD's house. He stood in the room of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. The room was in the upper courtyard, by the New Gate. All the people heard him read.

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.

NoteA scribe was someone whose job was writing things down. Most people then could not read or write at all.

11Micaiah was the son of Gemariah and the grandson of Shaphan. He heard all the LORD's words read from the scroll.

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

12So he went down to the king's palace, to the scribe's room. All the king's helpers were sitting there. They were Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and the rest of them.

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.

NoteThe king's helpers were important men who worked for the king. They gave him advice and carried out his orders.

13Micaiah told them all the words he had heard. He told them what Baruch had read to the people.

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

14So the king's helpers sent a man named Jehudi to Baruch. Jehudi was the son of Nethaniah, the grandson of Shelemiah, the great-grandson of Cushi. They said, "Bring the scroll you read to the people, and come here." So Baruch took the scroll and came.

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.

NotePeople were named by their father and grandfather. That way everyone knew which Jehudi was meant.

15They said, "Please sit down and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them.

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

16When they heard all the words, they looked at each other, afraid. They said to Baruch, "We must tell the king all of this."

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.

17They asked Baruch, "Tell us. How did you write all these words? Did Jeremiah say them to you?"

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

18Baruch said, "Yes. He said all these words out loud to me. I wrote them down with ink on the scroll."

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

NoteInk was a black liquid, a little like paint. Scribes wrote with a sharpened reed, the way we use a pen.

19Then the king's helpers said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah. Do not let anyone know where you are."

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

20They put the scroll away in the room of Elishama the scribe. Then they went to the king in the courtyard. They told him everything.

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.

21The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama's room. He read it to the king and to all the helpers standing beside him.

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.

22It was the ninth month, the cold part of the year. The king was sitting in his winter room. A fire was burning in a pot in front of him.

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

NoteRich houses had a warmer room to use in winter. The fire burned in a metal pot, not in a fireplace.

23Jehudi would read three or four columns of the scroll. Then the king cut them off with a small knife. He threw the pieces into the fire. He did this until the whole scroll was burned up.

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.

NoteWriting on a scroll was set out in tall strips called columns. The small knife was one scribes used to sharpen their pens.

24The king and his servants heard all these words. But they were not afraid. They did not tear their clothes.

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

NoteTearing your own clothes showed that you were very upset. It was how people showed sorrow, or that they were sorry.

25Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll. But he would not listen to them.

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.

26Instead the king gave an order to three men. They were Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel. He told them to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.

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.