¹⁰ And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free.

Jeremiah Spared from Death

^16 (A)Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ^(B)“This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

¹⁰ When ^(A)the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the ^(B)entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord.

²⁰ for Herod ^(A)feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he ^(B)heard him gladly.

⁴ Then the officials said to the king, ^(A)“Let this man be put to death, ^(B)for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking ^(C)the welfare of this people, but their harm.”

²⁴ Yet ^(A)neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, ^(B)nor did they tear their garments. ²⁵ Even when ^(C)Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah ^(D)urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.

¹² he went down to the king's house, into the secretary's chamber, and ^(A)all the officials were sitting there: ^(B)Elishama the secretary, ^(C)Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, ^(D)Elnathan ^(E)the son of Achbor, ^(F)Gemariah the son of ^(G)Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials.

¹⁰ Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me ^(A)with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the Lord.”

¹¹ And the Lord said to me, ^(B)“Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.