Jeremiah 26:1-24, NLT
Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah’s Escape from Death
1This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah,*26:1 The first year of Jehoiakim’s reign was 608 b.c. king of Judah.
4“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me and obey my word I have given you,
7The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord’s Temple.
10When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court.
12Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his own defense. “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city,” he said. “The Lord gave me every word that I have spoken.
16Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, “This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”
17Then some of the wise old men stood and spoke to all the people assembled there.
‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:
Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field;
Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins!
A thicket will grow on the heights
where the Temple now stands.’*26:18 Mic 3:12.
19But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord. They begged him for mercy. Then the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm.”
20At this time Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim was also prophesying for the Lord. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did.
24Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed.