²⁰ After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. ²¹ The king sent Jehudi^(A) to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king^(B) and all the officials standing beside him. ²² It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment,^(C) with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. ²³ Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll,^(D) the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.^{(E) 24} The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear,^(F) nor did they tear their clothes.^{(G) 25} Even though Elnathan, Delaiah^(H) and Gemariah^(I) urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. ²⁶ Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest^(J) Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden^(K) them.