Jeremiah Seized

⁷ The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of the Lord. ⁸ When he finished the address the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people, immediately the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, “You must surely die! ⁹ How dare you prophesy in the name of the Lord, ‘This temple will become like Shiloh and this city will become an uninhabited ruin’!” Then all the people crowded around Jeremiah at the Lord’s temple.

¹⁰ When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went from the king’s palace to the Lord’s temple and sat at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s temple.^{[a](A) 11} Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man deserves the death sentence because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”^(B)

Jeremiah’s Defense

¹² Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy all the words that you have heard against this temple and city. ¹³ So now, correct your ways and deeds,^(C) and obey the Lord your God so that he might relent concerning the disaster he had pronounced against you. ¹⁴ As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right. ¹⁵ But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood^(D) on yourselves, on this city, and on its residents, for it is certain the Lord has sent me to speak all these things directly to you.”

Jeremiah Released

¹⁶ Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn’t deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God!”

¹⁷ Some of the elders of the land stood up^(E) and said to all the assembled people, ¹⁸ “Micah the Moreshite^(F) prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah^(G) and said to all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says:

¹⁹ Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did not the king fear the Lord and plead for the Lord’s favor,^[b](I) and did not the Lord relent concerning the disaster he had pronounced against them?^(J) We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!”