Jeremiah Saved from Death^(A)

26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying, ² “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in ^(B)the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, ^(C)all the words that I command you to speak to them. ^(D)Do not diminish a word. ^3 (E)Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may ^(F)relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.’ ⁴ And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(G)“If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, ⁵ to heed the words of My servants the prophets ^(H)whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), ⁶ then I will make this house like ^(I)Shiloh, and will make this city ^(J)a curse to all the nations of the earth.” ’ ”

⁷ So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You will surely die! ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be ^(K)desolate, without an inhabitant’?” And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

¹⁰ When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. ¹¹ And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, ^[a]“This man deserves to ^(L)die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”

¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard. ¹³ Now therefore, ^(M)amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ As for me, here ^(N)I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and ^[b]proper to you. ¹⁵ But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

¹⁶ So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

^17 (O)Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: ^18 (P)“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? ^(S)Did he not fear the Lord and ^(T)seek the Lord’s favor? And the Lord ^(U)relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. ^(V)But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

²⁰ Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. ²¹ And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt. ²² Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt. ²³ And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the ^[e]common people.

²⁴ Nevertheless ^(W)the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

Pray for Us

3 Finally, brethren, ^(A)pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ² and ^(B)that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; ^(C)for not all have faith.

³ But ^(D)the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and ^(E)guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And ^(F)we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

⁵ Now may ^(G)the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(H)that you withdraw ^(I)from every brother who walks ^(J)disorderly and not according to the tradition which ^[a]he received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s bread ^[b]free of charge, but worked with ^(K)labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹ not because we do not have ^(L)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are ^(M)busybodies. ¹² Now those who are such we command and ^[c]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ ^(N)that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

¹³ But as for you, brethren, ^(O)do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this ^[d]epistle, note that person and ^(P)do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15 (Q)Yet do not count him as an enemy, ^(R)but ^[e]admonish him as a brother.

Benediction

¹⁶ Now may ^(S)the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

^17 (T)The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every ^[f]epistle; so I write.

^18 (U)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm ^(A)of the sons of Korah.