Jehoiakim

1And 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,

It was the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. God gave a message to Jeremiah.

2Take 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.

God said, "Get a scroll and write on it. Write all the words I have told you about Israel, Judah, and every nation. Write everything from the days of King Josiah until today."

3It 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.

"Maybe the people of Judah will hear about the trouble I plan to send. Maybe each one will stop doing wrong. Then I will forgive the wrong things they have done."

4Then 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.

So Jeremiah called a man named Baruch, the son of Neriah. Jeremiah said the words out loud. Baruch wrote them all on a scroll.

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

Then Jeremiah told Baruch, "I am not allowed to go to the LORD's house."

6Therefore 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 you go instead. Go on a day when the people do not eat and they pray. Read the LORD's words from the scroll so all the people hear. Read them to everyone from Judah who comes in from their towns."

7It 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.

"Maybe they will pray to the LORD and ask him for help. Maybe each one will stop doing wrong. The LORD is very angry with these people."

8And 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 did just what Jeremiah told him. Jeremiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said. Baruch read the LORD's words in the LORD's house.

9And 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.

It 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.

10Then 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.

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

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

21So 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.

The 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.

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

It 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.

23And 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.

Jehudi 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.

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

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

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

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

26But 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.

Instead 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.

27Then 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,

Baruch had written the scroll while Jeremiah spoke the words. After the king burned it, the LORD spoke to Jeremiah again.

28Take 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.

"Get another scroll. Write on it all the same words that were on the first one. Jehoiakim king of Judah burned that first scroll."

29And 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?

"Say this to Jehoiakim king of Judah. The LORD says: You burned that scroll. You asked, 'Why did you write that the king of Babylon will surely come? Why did you write that he will destroy this land and empty it of people and animals?'"

30Therefore 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 this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah. No son of his will sit on David's throne. His dead body will be thrown outside. It will lie in the hot sun by day and the frost by night."

31And 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 servants for the wrong they have done. I warned them all, but they would not listen. I will bring all that trouble on them. I will bring it on the people of Jerusalem and Judah too."

32Then 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.

So Jeremiah got another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, son of Neriah. Jeremiah spoke, and Baruch wrote down every word of the burned scroll. Many more words like them were added too.

1The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. Baruch, the son of Neriah, wrote Jeremiah's words on a scroll while Jeremiah said them out loud. This happened in the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah. Then Jeremiah spoke this message to Baruch.

2Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch:

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch.

3Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

You said, "This is so hard for me! The LORD has piled more sadness on top of my hurting. I am worn out from crying. I cannot find any rest."

4Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

Jeremiah, tell Baruch this. The LORD says, "I built this land up, and now I will tear it down. I planted it, and now I will pull it up. I will do this to the whole land."

5And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

"And are you hoping for big things for yourself? Do not look for them. I am going to bring trouble on every living person, says the LORD. But wherever you go, I will let you keep your life."

1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

Jehoiakim was the king of Judah. In his third year as king, Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. His army surrounded the city and would not let anyone out.

2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

The Lord let King Jehoiakim be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the special dishes from God's temple. He carried them far away to the land of Shinar. He put them in the treasure room of his own god's temple.

3And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;

The king spoke to Ashpenaz, the leader of his palace helpers. He told him to bring in some young men from Israel. They were to come from the king's family and from other important families.

4Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

They had to be young men with healthy, strong bodies and pleasant faces. They had to be smart, full of knowledge, and quick to learn. They had to be ready to work in the king's palace. Then they would be taught the writing and language of the Chaldeans, the people of Babylon.

5And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Every day the king sent them food and wine from his own table. They would be trained this way for three years. After that they would come and serve the king.

6Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

Four of these young men came from Judah. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

7Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

The leader of the palace helpers gave them new names. He called Daniel by the name Belteshazzar. He called Hananiah by the name Shadrach. He called Mishael by the name Meshach. He called Azariah by the name Abednego.