Beginning

35 The Davar which came unto Yirmeyah from Hashem in the days of Y’hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah, saying,

² Go unto the Bais of the Rechavim, and speak unto them, and bring them into the Beis Hashem, into one of the leshakhot (side rooms), and give them yayin to drink.

³ Then I took Ya’azanyah Ben Yirmeyah Ben Chavatzinyah, and his brethren, and all his banim, and kol Bais Rechavim;

⁴ And I brought them into the Beis Hashem, into the lishkah (room) of the Bnei Chanan Ben Yigdalyahu, an Ish HaElohim, which was by the lishkah of the sarim, which was above the lishkah of Ma’aseiyah Ben Shallum, the Shomer HaSaf (Gatekeeper);

⁵ And I set before the Bnei Bais Rechavim bowls full of yayin, and kosot (cups), and I said unto them, Drink ye yayin.

⁶ But they said, We will drink no yayin; for Yonadav Ben Rechav avinu commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no yayin, neither ye, nor your banim ad olam;

⁷ Neither shall ye build bais, nor sow zera, nor plant kerem (vineyard), nor have any; but all your days ye shall dwell in ohalim; that ye may live yamim rabbim in the adamah where ye are sojourners.

⁸ Thus have we obeyed the voice of Yonadav Ben Rechav avinu in all that he hath charged us, to drink no yayin kol yameinu (all our days), we, our nashim, our banim, nor our banot;

⁹ Nor to build batim for us to dwell in; neither have we kerem, nor sadeh, nor zera;

¹⁰ But we have dwelt in ohalim, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Yonadav avinu commanded us.

¹¹ But it came to pass, when Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel invaded ha’aretz, that we said, Come, and let us go to Yerushalayim because of the army of the Kasdim (Chaldeans), and because of the army of Aram (the Syrians); so we dwell in Yerushalayim.

¹² Then came the Devar Hashem unto Yirmeyah, saying,

¹³ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Go and tell the Ish Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, Will ye not learn musar to pay heed to My devarim? saith Hashem.

¹⁴ The devarim of Yonadav Ben Rechav, that he commanded his banim not to drink yayin, has been carried out; for unto this day they drink none, but obey the mitzvat avihem; notwithstanding, I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye paid heed not unto Me.

¹⁵ I have sent also unto you all My avadim the Nevi’im, rising up early and sending them, saying, Turn ye now every ish from his derech hara’ah, and amend your doings, and go not after elohim acherim to serve them, and ye shall dwell in ha’adamah which I have given to you and to avoteichem; but ye have not inclined your ozen (ear), nor paid heed unto Me.

¹⁶ Indeed the Bnei Yonadav Ben Rechav have carried out the mitzvat avihem, which he commanded them; but this people hath not paid heed unto Me:

¹⁷ Therefore, thus saith Hashem Elohei Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Hineni, I will bring upon Yehudah and upon all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim all the ra’ah that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken unto them, but they have not paid heed; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.

¹⁸ And Yirmeyah said unto the Bais Rechavim, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel; Because ye have obeyed the mitzvat Yonadav avichem, and have been shomer over all his mitzvot, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you,

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Yonadav Ben Rechav shall not lack an ish to stand before Me kol hayamim.

36 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Y’hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah, that this Davar came unto Yirmeyah from Hashem, saying,

² Take thee megilat sefer (scroll book), and write therein all the Devarim that I have spoken unto thee against Yisroel, and against Yehudah, and against kol HaGoyim, from the day I spoke unto thee, from the yamim of Yoshiyah, even unto this day.

³ It may be that Bais Yehudah will hear all the ra’ah (disaster, evil) which I purpose to do unto them; that they may turn every ish from his derech hara’ah; that I may forgive their avon and their chattat.

⁴ Then Yirmeyah called Baruch Ben Neriyah; and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Yirmeyah all the Divrei Hashem, which he spoke unto him, upon a megilat sefer.

⁵ And Yirmeyah commanded Baruch, saying, I am atzur (restricted, barred); I cannot go into Bais Hashem;

⁶ Therefore go thou, and read from the megilah, which thou hast written from my mouth, the Divrei Hashem in the oznayim (ears) of HaAm in the Bais Hashem on the yom tzom; and also thou shalt read them in the oznayim of all Yehudah that will be coming from their towns.

⁷ It may be they will present their techinnah (supplication) before Hashem, and they will turn every ish from his derech hara’ah; for gadol is the anger and the wrath that Hashem hath pronounced against HaAm Hazeh.

⁸ And Baruch Ben Neriyah did according to all that Yirmeyah HaNavi commanded him, reading the Sefer Divrei Hashem in the Bais Hashem.

⁹ And it came to pass in the fifth year of Y’hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a tzom before Hashem to kol HaAm in Yerushalayim, and to kol HaAm that came from the towns of Yehudah unto Yerushalayim.

¹⁰ Then Baruch read from the Sefer the Divrei Yirmeyah in the Bais Hashem, in the lishkah (chamber) of Gemaryah Ben Shaphan the sofer, in the khatzer haelyon, at the Petach Sha’ar HeChadash of Bais Hashem, in oznayim kol HaAm.

¹¹ When Michayah Ben Gemaryah, Ben Shaphan, had heard kol Divrei Hashem out of the Sefer,

¹² Then he went down into the Bais HaMelech, into the lishkah of the sofer, and, hinei, all the sarim sat there, even Elishama the sofer, and Delayahu Ben Shemayahu, and Elnatan Ben Achbor, and Gemaryah Ben Shaphan, and the sarim (officials).

¹³ Then Michayah declared unto them all the Devarim that he had heard, when Baruch read the Sefer in the oznayim of HaAm.

¹⁴ Therefore all the sarim sent Yehudi Ben Netanyahu Ben Shelemyah Ben Cushi unto Baruch, saying, Bring in thine yad the megilah wherein thou hast read in the oznayim of HaAm, and come. So Baruch Ben Neriyah took the megilah in his yad, and came unto them.

¹⁵ And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in ozneinu (our ears). So Baruch read it in their oznayim.

¹⁶ Now it came to pass, when they had heard kol haDevarim, they were afraid [looking fearfully] one to the other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell HaMelech of all these Devarim.

¹⁷ And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these Devarim at his peh (mouth [Jeremiah’s dictation])?

¹⁸ Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these Devarim unto me with his peh (mouth, dictation) and I wrote them with dyo (ink) in the Sefer.

¹⁹ Then said the sarim unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Yirmeyah; and let no ish have da’as of where ye be.

²⁰ And they went into the khatzer HaMelech, but they laid up the megilah in the lishka of Elishama the Sofer, and told all the Devarim in the oznayim of HaMelech.

²¹ So HaMelech sent Yehudi to bring the megilah; and he brought it out the lishka of Elishama the sofer. And Yehudi read it in the oznayim of HaMelech, and in the oznayim of all the sarim which Tzidkiyah Ben Chananyahu, and all stood beside HaMelech.

²² Now HaMelech sat in the Bais Hakhoref (Winter House) in the ninth month [Kislev]; and there was an akh (fireplace) burning before him.

²³ And it came to pass, that when Yehudi had read three or four delatot (columns), he cut it with a ta’ar hasofer (razor of a scribe), and cast it into the eish that was in the akh (fireplace), until all the megilah was consumed in the eish that was in the akh (fireplace).

²⁴ Yet they were not afraid, nor tore their begadim, neither HaMelech, nor any of his avadim that heard all these Devarim.

²⁵ Nevertheless Elnatan and Delayahu and Gemaryah had made intercession to HaMelech that he would not burn the megilah; but he would not heed them.

²⁶ HaMelech ordered that Yerachme’el Ben Hammelech, Serayah Ben Azriel, and Shelemyah Ben Avde’el, arrest Baruch HaSofer and Yirmeyah HaNavi; but Hashem hid them.

²⁷ Then the Devar Hashem came to Yirmeyah, after that HaMelech had burned the megilah, and the Devarim which Baruch wrote at the peh of Yirmeyah, saying,

²⁸ Shuv (turn) and take thee again another megilah, and write on it all the Devarim HaRishonim (former words) that were in the Megilah HaRishonah, which Y’hoyakim Melech Yehudah hath burned.

²⁹ And thou shalt say to Y’hoyakim Melech Yehudah, Thus saith Hashem: Thou hast burned this megilah, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, Melech Bavel shall certainly come and destroy HaAretz Hazot, and shall cause to cease from it adam and behemah?

³⁰ Therefore thus saith Hashem of Y’hoyakim Melech Yehudah: He shall have none to sit upon the kisse Dovid; and his nevelah (dead body) shall be cast out in the chorev (heat, drought) of the yom, and in the kerakh (ice, frost) of the lailah.

³¹ And I will visit him [for punishment] and his zera and his avadim for their avon; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and upon the Ish Yehudah, all the ra’ah (disaster, evil) that I have pronounced against them; yet they did not pay heed.

³² Then took Yirmeyah another megilah, and gave it to Baruch Ben Neriyah, HaSofer, who wrote therein from the peh of Yirmeyah all the Divrei HaSefer which Y’hoyakim Melech Yehudah had burned in eish; and there were added besides unto them many similar Devarim.

37 And Melech Tzidkiyah Ben Yoshiyah reigned instead of Coneyahu [Yehoyakin] Ben Y’hoyakim, whom Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel put on the throne in Eretz Yehudah.

² But neither he, nor his avadim, nor the Am HaAretz, did pay heed unto the Divrei Hashem, which He spoke by Yirmeyah HaNavi.

³ And HaMelech Tzidkiyah sent Yehukhal Ben Shelemyah and Tzephanyah Ben Maaseiyah the Kohen to Yirmeyah HaNavi, saying, Hitpalel na (pray now) unto Hashem Eloheinu for us.

⁴ Now Yirmeyah came in and went out among HaAm; for they had not put him into bais hakeleh (prison).

⁵ Then the army of Pharaoh was come forth out of Mitzrayim; and when the Kasdim (Chaldeans) that besieged Yerushalayim heard news of them, they withdrew from Yerushalayim.

⁶ Then came the Devar Hashem unto Yirmeyah HaNavi saying,

⁷ Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel; Thus shall ye say to Melech Yehudah, that sent you unto Me to enquire of Me; Hinei, the army of Pharaoh, which is come forth l’ezrah (to help, support) you, shall return to Mitzrayim into their own land.

⁸ And the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall return, and fight against HaIr hazot (this City, i.e., Jerusalem) and capture it, and burn it down with eish.

⁹ Thus saith Hashem; Deceive not nafshoteichem, saying, The Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart.

¹⁰ For though ye had struck down kol chayil Kasdim (the whole army of the Chaldeans) that fight against you, and there remained but anashim medukarim (wounded men) among them, yet should they rise up every ish in his ohel, and with eish burn down HaIr hazot.

¹¹ And it came to pass, that when the army of the Kasdim (Chaldeans) was withdrawn from Yerushalayim because of the army of Pharaoh,

¹² Then Yirmeyah went forth out of Yerushalayim to go into the Eretz Binyamin, to get [his] chelek from there among HaAm.

¹³ And when he was in the Sha’ar Binyamin, a ba’al pekidut (captain of the guard) was there, shmo Yiriyah Ben Shelemyah Ben Chananyah; and he arrested Yirmeyah HaNavi, saying, Thou fallest away as a deserter to the Kasdim (Chaldeans).

¹⁴ Then said Yirmeyah, Sheker; I fall not away as a deserter to the Kasdim (Chaldeans). But he paid heed not to him; so Yiriyah arrested Yirmeyah, and brought him to the sarim.

¹⁵ Therefore the sarim were enraged with Yirmeyah, and had him beaten, and put him in house arrest in the Bais Yohonatan the Sofer; for they had made that the bais hakeleh (prison).

¹⁶ When Yirmeyah was entered into the bais habor (dungeon), and into the cells, and Yirmeyah had remained there yamim rabbim;

¹⁷ Then HaMelech Tzidkiyah sent, and brought him out; and HaMelech asked him baseter (secretly) in his Bais (Palace), and said, Is there Devar from Hashem? And Yirmeyah said, There is; for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the yad Melech Bavel.

¹⁸ Moreover Yirmeyah said unto HaMelech Tzidkiyah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy avadim, or against Am Hazeh, that ye have put me in bais hakeleh?

¹⁹ Where are now your nevi’im which prophesied unto you, saying, Melech Bavel shall not come against you, nor against HaAretz hazot?

²⁰ Therefore hear now, O adoni HaMelech; let now my techinnah be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the Bais Yehonatan HaSofer, lest I die there.

²¹ Then HaMelech Tzidkiyah commanded that they should commit Yirmeyah into the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard, and that they should give him daily kikar lechem (loaf of bread) out of the street of ha’ofim (the bakers), until all the lechem in the Ir was gone. Thus Yirmeyah remained in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard.