Jeremiah 26

1 At the beginning [in the early stages, from the very first] of the reign [kingdom, period of rule] of Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up] son [descendant, offspring] of Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] king [ruler, monarch] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], this word [message, saying] came [was given, existed] from the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]: word study 2 “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: Stand [take your position, be firmly established] in the courtyard [the open area, the outer court] of the house [the dwelling place, the temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] and speak [communicate, declare] all the words [everything, the entire message] I have commanded [given orders, instructed] you to speak [declare, proclaim] to all the cities [towns, communities] of Judah [the tribe, the region] who come [approach, gather] to worship [bow down, pay homage] there. Do not omit [diminish, leave out] a word [a single statement, a matter]. word study 3 Perhaps [it may be, if so be] they will listen [hear and obey, give attention] and turn [return, turn back]—each from his evil [bad, wicked] way of life [path, manner of action]—so that I may relent [be sorry, comfort] of the disaster [evil, calamity] I am planning [thinking, devising] to bring upon them because of the evil [bad, morally wrong] of their deeds [actions, works]. word study 4 And you are to tell them that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘If you do not listen [give ear, obey] to Me and walk [follow, live] in My law [instruction, the Ten Commandments], which I have set [given, established] before you, word study 5 and if you do not [refuse to, fail to] listen [give ear, heed] to the words [messages, teachings] of My servants [faithful messengers, prophets] the prophets [those who speak for God], whom I have sent [dispatched, commissioned] you again and again [repeatedly, persistently] even though you did not [would not, refused to] listen [obey, respond], word study 6 then I will make this house [like the desolate temple at Shiloh] like Shiloh, and I will make this city [a place of reviling] an object of cursing [a curse word, a byword for evil] among all [every one of, the whole of] the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrew peoples] of the earth [the land, the world].’” word study 7 Now the priests [spiritual leaders, ministers] and prophets [messengers of God, spokespersons] and all [every single one, the entire assembly] the people heard Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed, a major prophet] speaking [communicating, uttering] these words [messages, declarations] in the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], word study 8 and as soon as he had finished [come to the end of, completed] telling all the people [the nation, the crowd] everything the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had commanded [given orders, appointed] him to say [speak, communicate], the priests [those who serve God, spiritual leaders] and prophets [those who speak for God, spokespersons] and all the people [the crowd, the nation] seized [captured, took hold of] him, shouting, “You must surely [certainly, without a doubt] die [face death, receive the punishment of death]! word study 9 How dare you prophesy [speak under divine influence] in the name [identity, character] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] that this house [dwelling place, temple] will become like Shiloh [a place of rest] and this city [a walled town] will be desolate [laid waste, destroyed] and deserted [without inhabitant, empty]!” And all [everything, the entire assembly] the people [a nation, a group of individuals] assembled [gathered together, came together] against Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] in the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 10 When the officials [rulers, princes] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] heard [listened and gave attention to] these things, they went up [ascended, rose] from the king’s [royal, sovereign] palace [house, dwelling place] to the house [temple, place of worship] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and sat [dwelled, remained] there at the entrance [doorway, gate] of the New [recently created, renewed] Gate [entry point, doorway]. word study 11 Then the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators between God and people] and prophets [messengers of God, spokesmen for the divine] said to the officials [rulers, leaders] and all the people, “This man [the prophet Jeremiah] is worthy of death [deserves to die, judgment of death], for he has prophesied [spoken under divine inspiration] against this city [the city of Jerusalem, the capital of Judah], as you have heard [listened, given attention] with your own ears [in your own presence, personally]!” word study 12 But Jeremiah [the prophet, whom Jehovah has appointed] said to all [every single one] the officials [rulers, leaders] and all [every single one] the people, “The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] sent [appointed, commissioned] me to prophesy [speak under the influence of the divine spirit] against this house [the temple, a dwelling place] and against this city [a place with a wall, a settlement] all [everything, every word] the words [things, matters] that you have heard [listened, given attention]. word study 13 So now [at this time, in this moment], correct [amend, make right] your ways [path, journey] and deeds [actions, practices], and obey [listen to, heed] the voice [sound, command] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, supreme Creator], so that He might relent [be sorry, show compassion] of the disaster [evil, calamity] He has pronounced [spoken, declared] against you. word study 14 As for me [I, the prophet], here I am in your hands [under your power and control]; do to me what you think is [deem as] good [pleasant, beneficial] and right [just, upright]. word study 15 But know [be certain, have full assurance] for certain that if you put me to death [kill, take my life], you will bring [shed, pour out] innocent [guiltless, morally clean] blood upon yourselves, upon this city [this place, the inhabitants thereof], and upon its residents [the people who dwell here]; for truly [in truth, with faithfulness] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has sent [appointed, commissioned] me to speak [declare, proclaim] all these words [messages, revelations] in your hearing [in your ears, to your understanding].” word study 16 Then the officials [rulers, leaders] and all [every single one] the people told the priests [those who serve God, spiritual leaders] and prophets [those who speak for God, spokespersons], “This man [individual, person] is not worthy [deserving, deserving of] of death [physical death, eternal separation], for he has spoken [communicated, declared] to us in the name [identity, character, authority] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] our God [Elohim, the one true God, Creator]!” word study 17 Some [certain, specific] of the elders [old, elderly, respected leaders] of the land [earth, country, territory] stood up [rose, got up, took a stand] and said [spoke, addressed, proclaimed] to the whole [all, entire, complete] assembly [gathering, congregation, group] of the people [nation, crowd, community], word study 18 “Micah the Moreshite [the Morashtite, from Moresheth-gath] prophesied [spoke under the influence of the divine spirit] in the days [a period of time, an era] of Hezekiah [a king of Judah, son of Ahaz] king of Judah and told [spoke to, proclaimed to] all [every single one, the entirety] the people of Judah that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people or things] says: ‘Zion [a mountain in Jerusalem, the city of God] will be plowed [to be quiet or silent, to scratch or engrave] like a field [a flat area of land used for cultivation], Jerusalem [the capital city of Palestine, the city of peace] will become [to exist or come into being] a heap [a pile, a ruin] of rubble [broken stones, ruins], and the temple mount [the mountain of the house] a wooded [having many trees, a forest] ridge [a long, narrow elevation].’ word study 19 Did Hezekiah [a righteous king] king of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] or anyone else in Judah [the region of Judah] put him to death [kill, execute]? Did Hezekiah [fearing God] not fear [reverence, respect] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] and seek [plead, beg] His favor [mercy, kindness], and did not the LORD [in His sovereignty] relent [change His mind, show compassion] of the disaster [calamity, evil] He had pronounced [spoken, declared] against them? But we are about to bring [cause, inflict] great [extensive, severe] harm [evil, injury] on ourselves [our souls, our lives]!” word study 20 Now there was another man [a prophet, one who speaks for God] prophesying [speaking under the influence of the divine spirit] in the name [the character and authority] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], Uriah son of Shemaiah [heard by God] from Kiriath-jearim [the city of forests]. He prophesied [spoke words of warning and judgment] against this city [the place of human dwelling and governance] and against this land [the territory and nation of God’s people] the same things [all the words and messages] that Jeremiah [whom God has appointed] did [as a prophet and messenger of God]. word study 21 King Jehoiakim [the Lord has raised up] and all his mighty men [strong warriors, champions] and officials [rulers, leaders] heard his words, and the king [the supreme ruler, monarch] sought [searched, looked for] to put him to death [kill, slay]. But when Uriah [God is my light] found out about it, he fled [ran away, escaped] in fear [dread, terror] and went to Egypt [the land of the Nile, a place of refuge]. word study 22 Then King [ruler, monarch] Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up] sent [dispatched, commissioned] men [individuals, messengers] to [toward, in the direction of] Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]: Elnathan [God has given] son [descendant, offspring] of Achbor [a father’s name] along with [accompanied by, in the company of] some other men [additional individuals, certain ones]. word study 23 They brought Uriah [the prophet, God’s messenger] out of Egypt [the land of the Nile, a place of refuge] and took him to King Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up, the ruler of Judah], who had him put to the sword [killed with a cutting instrument, executed] and his body [carcass, lifeless corpse] thrown into the burial place [graves, sepulchres] of the common people [the general population, ordinary citizens]. word study 24 Nevertheless, Ahikam [a high-ranking official] son of Shaphan [rock badger, a type of hyrax] supported [gave help, took the side of] Jeremiah, so he was not handed over [given into the hand] to the people [a nation, a group of individuals] to be put to death [to die, killed]. word study