The King Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll

²⁰ The officials^[a] went to the king in the courtyard, but they deposited the scroll in the office of Elishama the scribe. Then they reported everything written on the scroll^[b] to the king. ²¹ The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the office of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi read it to the king^[c] and to all the officials who were standing beside the king. ²² The king was sitting in the winter palace in the ninth month and a stove^[d] was burning in front of him.^{[e] 23} As Jehudi would read three or four columns, the king^[f] would cut it with a scribe’s knife and throw it into the fire which was in the stove, until all the scroll was burned^[g] in the fire in the stove. ²⁴ The king and all his officials^[h] who were listening to these words were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments. ²⁵ Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. ²⁶ The king ordered his^[i] son Jerahmeel, Azriel’s son Seraiah, and Abdeel’s son Shelemiah to get Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord had hidden them.