The Decree of Darius

6 Then Darius the king made a decree, and ^(A)search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored.

¹⁷ Therefore, if it seems good to the king, ^(A)let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.”

¹⁵ in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne ^(A)a scroll written within and on the back, ^(B)sealed with seven seals.

3 And he said to me, ^(A)“Son of man, eat whatever you find here. ^(B)Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”

⁹ And when I looked, behold, ^(A)a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, ^(B)a scroll of a book was in it.

³² Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to ^(A)Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who ^(B)wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

²⁹ And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, ^(A)“Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?”

²⁰ So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in ^(A)the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. ²¹ Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. ²² It was ^(B)the ninth month, and the king was sitting in ^(C)the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. ²³ As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot.