1: In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of
Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying, |
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2: Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house,
and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the
LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them;
diminish not a word: |
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3:
If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil
way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them
because of the evil of their doings. |
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4: And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will
not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, |
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5: To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I
sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not
hearkened; |
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6: Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this
city a curse to all the nations of the earth. |
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7: So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard
Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. |
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8: Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking
all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that
the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou
shalt surely die. |
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9: Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This
house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an
inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the
house of the LORD. |
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10: When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came
up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the
entry of the new gate of the LORD's house. |
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11: Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and
to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath
prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. |
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12: Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the
people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and
against this city all the words that ye have heard. |
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13: Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the
voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil
that he hath pronounced against you. |
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14: As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth
good and meet unto you. |
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15: But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall
surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and
upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto
you to speak all these words in your ears. |
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16: Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and
to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us
in the name of the LORD our God. |
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17: Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to
all the assembly of the people, saying, |
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18: Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king
of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the
LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall
become heaps, and the mountains of the house as the high places of a
forest. |
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19: Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to
death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD
repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus
might we procure great evil against our souls. |
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20: And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the
LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied
against this city and against this land according to all the words of
Jeremiah: |
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21: And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all
the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but
when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt; |
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22: And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan
the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt. |
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23: And they fetched forth ijah out of Egypt, and brought him
unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead
body into the graves of the common people. |
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24: Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with
Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to
put him to death. |