Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Temple

36 In the (A)fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Take a [a](B)scroll and write on it all the (C)words which I have spoken to you concerning (D)Israel, Judah, and all the (E)nations, from the (F)day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. (G)Perhaps the house of Judah will listen to all the disaster which I plan to carry out against them, so that every person will (H)turn from his evil way; then I will (I)forgive their wrongdoing and their sin.”

Then Jeremiah called (J)Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a [b](K)scroll [c]at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him. Jeremiah then commanded Baruch, saying, “I am [d](L)restricted; I cannot go into the house of the Lord. So you go and (M)read from the scroll, which you have (N)written [e]at my dictation, the words of the Lord [f]to the people at the Lords house on a day of (O)fasting. And you shall also read them [g]to all the people of Judah who come from their cities. (P)Perhaps their pleading will [h]come before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his evil way; for (Q)great is the anger and the wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.” So Baruch the son of Neriah acted in accordance with all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, (R)reading from the book the words of the Lord in the Lords house.

Now in the (S)fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the (T)ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who (U)came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a (V)fast before the Lord. 10 Then Baruch read to all the people from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord in the (W)chamber of (X)Gemariah the son of Shaphan the (Y)scribe, in the upper courtyard, at the (Z)entry of the New Gate of the Lords house.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 36:2 Lit scroll of a book
  2. Jeremiah 36:4 Lit scroll of a book
  3. Jeremiah 36:4 Lit from the mouth of
  4. Jeremiah 36:5 Lit restrained
  5. Jeremiah 36:6 Lit from my mouth
  6. Jeremiah 36:6 Lit in the ears of, and so throughout this ch
  7. Jeremiah 36:6 Lit in the ears of, and so throughout this ch
  8. Jeremiah 36:7 Lit fall

Baruch Reads the Lord’s Messages

36 During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah,[a] the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: “Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message, right up to the present time. Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”

So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies that the Lord had given him, Baruch wrote them on a scroll. Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, “I am a prisoner here and unable to go to the Temple. So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from the Lord that I have had you write on this scroll. Read them so the people who are there from all over Judah will hear them. Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord’s forgiveness before it is too late. For the Lord has threatened them with his terrible anger.”

Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from the Lord to the people at the Temple. He did this on a day of sacred fasting held in late autumn,[b] during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah had come to Jerusalem to attend the services at the Temple on that day. 10 Baruch read Jeremiah’s words on the scroll to all the people. He stood in front of the Temple room of Gemariah, son of Shaphan the secretary. This room was just off the upper courtyard of the Temple, near the New Gate entrance.

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Footnotes

  1. 36:1 The fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign was 605 B.c.
  2. 36:9 Hebrew in the ninth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar (also in 36:22). The ninth month in the fifth year of Jehoiakim’s reign occurred within the months of November and December 604 B.c. Also see note on 1:3.