Jeremiah 26

New International Reader's Version

Jeremiah’s Enemies Try to Have Him Killed

26 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It was shortly after Jehoiakim became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. ²The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Stand in the courtyard of my house. Speak to the people of the towns in Judah. Speak to all those who come to worship in my house. Tell them everything I command you. Do not leave out a single word. ³Perhaps they will listen. Maybe they will turn from their evil ways. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on them. I had planned to punish them because of the evil things they had done. ⁴Tell them, ‘The Lord says, “Listen to me. Obey my law that I gave you. ⁵And listen to the words my servants the prophets are speaking. I have sent them to you again and again. But you have not listened to them. ⁶So I will make this house like Shiloh. All the nations on earth will use the name of this city in a curse.” ’ ”

⁷Jeremiah spoke these words in the Lord’s house. The priests, the prophets and all the people heard him. ⁸Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say. But as soon as he did, the priests, the prophets and all the people grabbed him. They said, “You must die! ⁹Why do you prophesy these things in the Lord’s name? Why do you say that this house will become like Shiloh? Why do you say that this city will be empty and deserted?” And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the Lord’s house.

¹⁰The officials of Judah heard what had happened. So they went up from the royal palace to the Lord’s house. There they took their places at the entrance of the New Gate. ¹¹Then the priests and prophets spoke to the officials and all the people. They said, “This man should be sentenced to death. He has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!”

¹²Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and people. He said, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city. He told me to say everything you have heard. ¹³So change the way you live and act. Obey the Lord your God. Then he won’t do what he said he would. He won’t bring on you the trouble he said he would bring. ¹⁴As for me, I’m in your hands. Do to me what you think is good and right. ¹⁵But you can be sure of one thing. If you put me to death, you will be held responsible for spilling my blood. And I haven’t even done anything wrong. You will bring guilt on yourselves and this city and those who live in it. The Lord has sent me to you. He wanted me to say all these things so you could hear them. And that’s the truth.”

¹⁶Then the officials and all the people spoke to the priests and prophets. They said, “This man shouldn’t be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

¹⁷Some of the elders of the land stepped forward. They spoke to the whole community gathered there. They said, ¹⁸“Micah from Moresheth prophesied. It was during the time Hezekiah was king over Judah. Micah spoke to all the people of Judah. He told them, ‘The Lord who rules over all says,

“ ‘ “Zion will be plowed up like a field.
Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash.
The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.” ’ (Micah 3:12)

¹⁹Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put Micah to death? Hezekiah had respect for the Lord and tried to please him. And the Lord didn’t judge Jerusalem as he said he would. He didn’t bring on it the trouble he said he would bring. But we are about to bring horrible trouble on ourselves!”

²⁰Uriah was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord. He was from Kiriath Jearim. He was the son of Shemaiah. Uriah prophesied against this city and this land. He said the same things Jeremiah did. ²¹King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard Uriah’s words. So the king decided to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it. He was afraid. And he ran away to Egypt. ²²So King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan to Egypt. He also sent some other men along with him. Elnathan was the son of Akbor. ²³Those men brought Uriah out of Egypt. They took him to King Jehoiakim. Then the king had Uriah struck down with a sword. He had Uriah’s body thrown into one of the graves of the ordinary people.

²⁴In spite of that, Ahikam stood up for Jeremiah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. Because of Ahikam, Jeremiah wasn’t handed over to the people to be put to death.

Jeremiah 26

English Standard Version

Jeremiah Threatened with Death

26 ^(A)In the beginning of the reign of ^(B)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: ²“Thus says the Lord: ^(C)Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord ^(D)all the words that I command you to speak to them; ^(E)do not hold back a word. ³^(F)It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, ^(G)that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them ^(H)because of their evil deeds. ⁴You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(I)If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, ⁵^(J)and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you ^(K)urgently, ^(L)though you have not listened, ⁶then I will make this house ^(M)like Shiloh, and I will make this city ^(N)a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”

⁷^(O)The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then ^(P)the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! ⁹Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be ^(Q)like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, ^(R)without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

¹⁰When ^(S)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 ^(T)entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. ¹¹Then ^(U)the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, ^(V)“This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

¹²Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. ¹³Now therefore ^(W)mend your ways and your deeds, ^(X)and obey the voice of the Lord your God, ^(Y)and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴^(Z)But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. ¹⁵Only know for certain that if you put me to death, ^(AA)you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

Jeremiah Spared from Death

¹⁶^(AB)Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ^(AC)“This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” ¹⁷^(AD)And certain of ^(AE)the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, ¹⁸“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts,

^(AF)“‘Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’

¹⁹Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? ^(AG)Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, ^(AH)and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? ^(AI)But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”

²⁰There was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from ^(AJ)Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. ²¹And when ^(AK)King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. ²²Then ^(AL)King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, ^(AM)Elnathan the son of ^(AN)Achbor and others with him, ²³and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, ^(AO)who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people.

²⁴But the hand of ^(AP)Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.

Jérémie 26

La Bible du Semeur

Salut pour Israël et Juda

Conflit de Jérémie avec les responsables religieux

Prédication au Temple

26 Au commencement du règne de Yehoyaqim, fils de Josias, roi de Juda, l’Eternel m’adressa la parole :

²Voici ce que déclare l’Eternel : Tiens-toi dans le parvis du temple de l’Eternel, et proclame aux habitants de toutes les villes de Juda qui viennent se prosterner dans le Temple, tout ce que je t’ordonne de leur dire ; tu n’en retrancheras pas un mot. ³Peut-être écouteront-ils et renonceront-ils à leur mauvaise conduite ; alors je renoncerai, de mon côté, au malheur que j’ai décidé de leur infliger à cause de leurs mauvaises actions. ⁴Tu leur diras : Voici ce que déclare l’Eternel : Si vous ne m’écoutez pas, si vous ne vivez pas selon la Loi que je vous ai donnée, ⁵si vous n’écoutez pas les paroles de mes serviteurs les prophètes que je vous envoie sans me lasser, depuis longtemps, sans que vous les écoutiez, ⁶alors je traiterai ce temple comme j’ai traité le sanctuaire de Silo^[a], et tous les peuples de la terre utiliseront le nom de cette ville dans leurs imprécations.

⁷Les prêtres, les prophètes et tout le peuple entendirent Jérémie prononcer ces paroles dans la cour du Temple. ⁸A peine eut-il achevé de dire tout ce que l’Eternel lui avait ordonné de dire à tout le peuple, que les prêtres, les prophètes et tout le peuple se saisirent de lui en criant : A mort ! A mort ! ⁹Comment oses-tu prophétiser au nom de l’Eternel en disant que ce temple va subir le même sort que le sanctuaire de Silo, et que cette ville sera détruite au point qu’il n’y restera plus d’habitants ?

Et toute la foule s’attroupa autour de Jérémie dans le Temple. ¹⁰Lorsque les ministres de Juda apprirent ce qui se passait, ils montèrent du palais royal au Temple et siégèrent à l’entrée de la « porte Neuve » du Temple^[b]. ¹¹Alors les prêtres et les prophètes dirent aux ministres et à toute la foule : Cet homme mérite d’être condamné à mort, car il a prophétisé contre cette ville, comme vous l’avez entendu de vos propres oreilles.

¹²Jérémie dit à tous les ministres et à toute la foule : L’Eternel m’a chargé de prophétiser au sujet de ce temple et de cette ville tout ce que vous m’avez entendu dire. ¹³Maintenant, adoptez une conduite bonne et agissez selon ce qui est bien et obéissez à l’Eternel, votre Dieu, alors l’Eternel renoncera au malheur dont il vous a menacés. ¹⁴Quant à moi, je suis en votre pouvoir, faites de moi ce que vous jugerez bon et juste. ¹⁵Mais, sachez bien que si vous me faites mourir, vous vous rendrez responsables, vous, cette ville et ses habitants, du meurtre d’un innocent, car l’Eternel m’a vraiment envoyé vers vous pour vous dire toutes ces choses.

¹⁶Alors les ministres et tout le peuple dirent aux prêtres et aux prophètes : Cet homme ne mérite pas la mort, car c’est au nom de l’Eternel, notre Dieu, qu’il nous a parlé.

¹⁷Quelques responsables du pays se levèrent et dirent à toute la foule qui était rassemblée : ¹⁸Au temps d’Ezéchias, roi de Juda, Michée de Morésheth prophétisait et il a dit ceci à tout le peuple de Juda : Voici ce que déclare le Seigneur des armées célestes :

Sion sera ╵labourée comme un champ,
et Jérusalem deviendra ╵un tas de ruines ;
le mont du Temple ╵sera une colline ╵couverte de broussailles^[c].

¹⁹A-t-il été mis à mort pour cela par Ezéchias, roi de Juda, ou par le peuple de Juda ? Le roi n’a-t-il pas plutôt craint l’Eternel ? Il l’a imploré, si bien que l’Eternel a renoncé au malheur dont il les avait menacés. Et nous, nous nous rendrions responsables d’un si grand crime^[d] ?

²⁰Il y avait encore un autre homme qui prophétisait au nom de l’Eternel : Urie, fils de Shemaya, de Qiryath-Yearim. Lui aussi prophétisa contre cette ville et contre ce pays, dans les mêmes termes que Jérémie. ²¹Le roi Yehoyaqim, tous les hommes de sa garde et tous ses ministres entendirent ses discours. Et le roi chercha à le faire mourir. Urie l’apprit, il eut peur et s’enfuit en Egypte. ²²Mais le roi Yehoyaqim envoya des hommes en Egypte : Elnathan, fils d’Akbor^[e], accompagné de quelques autres. ²³Ils ramenèrent Urie d’Egypte et le conduisirent devant le roi Yehoyaqim^[f] qui le fit tuer par l’épée et ordonna de jeter son cadavre dans la fosse commune.

²⁴Quant à Jérémie, il avait l’appui d’Ahiqam, fils de Shaphân^[g], qui empêchait qu’il soit livré au peuple pour être mis à mort.

Footnotes

26.6 Voir 7.12 et note.
26.10 Sans doute pour juger le cas de Jérémie. La porte Neuve est celle qu’avait fait construire le roi Yotam (2 R 15.35) ; elle est mentionnée aussi en 36.10. Elle menait au parvis intérieur.
26.18 Mi 3.12.
26.19 Autre traduction : nous nous attirerions un terrible malheur.
26.22 Elnathan: l’un des ministres du roi Yehoyaqim (36.12). Il interviendra auprès du roi en faveur de Jérémie (36.14-26) et demanda au prophète de se cacher (36.19).
26.23 Cet épisode se place sans doute au début du règne de Yehoyaqim au temps où il était encore vassal du pharaon Néko (2 Ch 36.4) et où il pouvait donc lui demander l’extradition du prophète.
26.24 Il s’agit probablement du Shaphân qui fut le secrétaire royal (voir 2 R 22.12-14). Ahiqam aura comme fils Guedalia, gouverneur de Juda après la chute de Jérusalem (40.7). Guemaria, un défenseur de Jérémie (36.12, 25) est sans doute aussi son fils.

Jeremiah 26

New International Version

Jeremiah Threatened With Death

26 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim^(A) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: ²“This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard^(B) of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord.^(C) Tell^(D) them everything I command you; do not omit^(E) a word. ³Perhaps they will listen and each will turn^(F) from their evil ways. Then I will relent^(G) and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. ⁴Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen^(H) to me and follow my law,^(I) which I have set before you, ⁵and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened^(J)), ⁶then I will make this house like Shiloh^(K) and this city a curse^[a]^(L) among all the nations of the earth.’”

⁷The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded^(M) him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized^(N) him and said, “You must die!^(O) ⁹Why do you prophesy in the Lord’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?”^(P) And all the people crowded^(Q) around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

¹⁰When the officials^(R) of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate^(S) of the Lord’s house. ¹¹Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death^(T) because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!”^(U)

¹²Then Jeremiah said to all the officials^(V) and all the people: “The Lord sent me to prophesy^(W) against this house and this city all the things you have heard.^(X) ¹³Now reform^(Y) your ways and your actions and obey^(Z) the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent^(AA) and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴As for me, I am in your hands;^(AB) do with me whatever you think is good and right. ¹⁵Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood^(AC) on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words^(AD) in your hearing.”

¹⁶Then the officials^(AE) and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death!^(AF) He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

¹⁷Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, ¹⁸“Micah^(AG) of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“‘Zion^(AH) will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,^(AI)
the temple hill^(AJ) a mound overgrown with thickets.’^[b]^(AK)

¹⁹“Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah^(AL) fear the Lord and seek^(AM) his favor? And did not the Lord relent,^(AN) so that he did not bring the disaster^(AO) he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster^(AP) on ourselves!”

²⁰(Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim^(AQ) was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. ²¹When King Jehoiakim^(AR) and all his officers and officials^(AS) heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death.^(AT) But Uriah heard of it and fled^(AU) in fear to Egypt. ²²King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan^(AV) son of Akbor to Egypt, along with some other men. ²³They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword^(AW) and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)^(AX)

²⁴Furthermore, Ahikam^(AY) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

Footnotes

Jeremiah 26:6 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
Jeremiah 26:18 Micah 3:12

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

English Standard Version (ESV)

La Bible du Semeur (BDS)

New International Version (NIV)

Jeremiah 26

New International Reader's Version

Jeremiah’s Enemies Try to Have Him Killed