Jeremiah causeth Baruch to write his prophecy,

1 ¶ And it came to pass² in the fourthº yearº of Jehoiakimº the sonº of Josiahº kingº of Judah,º [that] this² wordº came² unto² Jeremiahº from²² the LORD,º saying,ºª 2 Takeºª thee a rollº of a book,º and writeºª therein²² all² the wordsº that² I have spokenºª unto² thee against² Israel,º and against² Judah,º and against² all² the nations,º from the dayº² I spakeºª unto² thee, from the daysº² of Josiah,º even unto² this² day.º 3 It may be that² the houseº of Judahº will hearºª² all² the evilº which² I² purposeºª to doºª unto them; that² they may returnºª every manº from his evilº way;º² that I may forgiveºª their iniquityº and their sin.º 4 Then Jeremiahº calledºª² Baruchº the sonº of Neriah:º and Baruchº wroteºª from the mouthº² of Jeremiahº² all² the wordsº of the LORD,º which² he had spokenºª unto² him, upon² a rollº of a book.º

and publickly to read it.

5 And Jeremiahº commandedºª² Baruch,º saying,ºª I² [am] shut up;ºª I cannotºª² goºª into the houseº of the LORD:º 6 Therefore goºª thou,² and readºª in the roll,º which² thou hast writtenºª from my mouth,º²² the wordsº of the LORDº in the earsº of the peopleº in the LORD'Sº houseº upon the fastingº day:º and also² thou shalt readºª them in the earsº of all² Judahº that come² out¹ª of their cities.º² 7 It may be² they will presentºª their supplicationº beforeº the LORD,º and will returnºª every oneº from his evilº way:º² for² greatº [is] the angerº and the furyº that² the LORDº hath pronouncedºª against² this² people.º 8 And Baruchº the sonº of Neriahº didºª according to all² that² Jeremiahº the prophetº commandedºª him, readingºª in the bookº the wordsº of the LORDº in the LORD'Sº house.º 9 And it came to pass² in the fifthº yearº of Jehoiakimº the sonº of Josiahº kingº of Judah,º in the ninthº month,º [that] they proclaimedºª a fastº beforeº the LORDº to all² the peopleº in Jerusalem,º and to all² the peopleº that cameºª from the citiesº² of Judahº unto Jerusalem.º 10 Then readºª Baruchº in the bookº² the wordsº of Jeremiahº in the houseº of the LORD,º in the chamberº of Gemariahº the sonº of Shaphanº the scribe,ºª in the higherº court,º at the entryº of the newº gateº of the LORD'Sº house,º in the earsº of all² the people.º

The princes, having intelligence thereof by Michaiah, send Jehudi to fetch the roll, and read it.

11 ¶ When Michaiahº the sonº of Gemariah,º the sonº of Shaphan,º had heardºª out of²² the bookº² all² the wordsº of the LORD,º 12 Then he went downºª into² the king'sº house,º into² the scribe'sºª chamber:º and, lo,² all² the princesº satºª there,² [even] Elishamaº the scribe,ºª and Delaiahº the sonº of Shemaiah,º and Elnathanº the sonº of Achbor,º and Gemariahº the sonº of Shaphan,º and Zedekiahº the sonº of Hananiah,º and all² the princes.º 13 Then Michaiahº declaredºª unto them² all² the wordsº that² he had heard,ºª when Baruchº readºª the bookº in the earsº of the people.º 14 Therefore all² the princesº sentºª² Jehudiº the sonº of Nethaniah,º the sonº of Shelemiah,º the sonº of Cushi,º unto² Baruch,º saying,ºª Takeºª in thine handº the rollº wherein² thou hast readºª in the earsº of the people,º and come.¹ª² So Baruchº the sonº of Neriahº tookºª² the rollº in his hand,º and cameºª unto² them. 15 And they saidºª unto² him, Sit downºª now,² and readºª it in our ears.º So Baruchº readºª [it] in their ears.º 16 Now it came to pass,² when they had heardºª² all² the words,º they were afraidºª bothº oneº and other,º and saidºª unto² Baruch,º We will surely¹ª tellºª the kingº of² all² these² words.º 17 And they askedºª Baruch,º saying,ºª Tellºª us now,² How² didst thou writeºª² all² these² wordsº at his mouth?º² 18 Then Baruchº answeredºª them, He pronouncedºª² all² these² wordsº unto² me with his mouth,º² and I² wroteºª [them] with inkº in² the book.º

They will Baruch to hide himself and Jeremiah.

19 Then saidºª the princesº unto² Baruch,º Go,¹ª² hideºª thee, thou² and Jeremiah;º and let no² manº knowºª whereº ye be.

The king Jehoiakim, being certified thereof, heareth part of it, and burneth the roll.

20 ¶ And they went inºª to² the kingº into the court,º but they laid upºª the rollº in the chamberº of Elishamaº the scribe,ºª and toldºª² all² the wordsº in the earsº of the king.º 21 So the kingº sentºª² Jehudiº to fetchºª² the roll:º and he tookºª it out of Elishamaº the scribe'sºª chamber.º² And Jehudiº readºª it in the earsº of the king,º and in the earsº of all² the princesº which stoodºª besideº² the king.º 22 Now the kingº satºª in the winterhouseºº in the ninthº month:º and [there was a fire] on the hearthº burningºª beforeº him. 23 And it came to pass,² [that] when Jehudiº had readºª threeº or fourº leaves,º he cutºª it with the penknife,ººª and castºª [it] into² the fireº that² [was] on² the hearth,º until² all² the rollº was consumedºª in² the fireº that² [was] on² the hearth.º 24 Yet they were not² afraid,ºª nor² rentºª² their garments,º [neither] the king,º nor any² of his servantsº that heardºª² all² these² words.º 25 Nevertheless² Elnathanº and Delaiahº and Gemariahº had made intercessionºª to the kingº that he would not² burnºª² the roll:º but he would not² hearºª² them. 26 But the kingº commandedºª² Jerahmeelº the sonº of Hammelech,º and Seraiahº the sonº of Azriel,º and Shelemiahº the sonº of Abdeel,º to takeºª² Baruchº the scribeºª and Jeremiahº the prophet:º but the LORDº hidºª them.

Jeremiah denounceth his judgment.

27 ¶ Then the wordº of the LORDº came² to² Jeremiah,º after¹ that² the kingº had burnedºª² the roll,º and the wordsº which² Baruchº wroteºª at the mouthº² of Jeremiah,º saying,ºª 28 Takeºª thee againºª anotherº roll,º and writeºª in² it² all² the formerº wordsº that² were² in² the firstº roll,º which² Jehoiakimº the kingº of Judahº hath burned.ºª 29 And thou shalt sayºª to² Jehoiakimº kingº of Judah,º Thus² saithºª the LORD;º Thou² hast burnedºª² this² roll,º saying,ºª Why² hast thou writtenºª therein,² saying,ºª The kingº of Babylonº shall certainly¹ª comeºª and destroyºª² this² land,º and shall cause to ceaseºª from² thence manº and beast?º 30 Therefore² thus² saithºª the LORDº of² Jehoiakimº kingº of Judah;º He shall have² none² to sitºª upon² the throneº of David:º and his dead bodyº shall be² cast outºª in the dayº to the heat,º and in the nightº to the frost.º 31 And I will punishºª² him and his seedº and his servantsº for² their iniquity;º and I will bringºª upon² them, and upon² the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalem,º and upon² the menº of Judah,º² all² the evilº that² I have pronouncedºª against² them; but they hearkenedºª not.²

Baruch writeth a new copy.

32 ¶ Then tookºª Jeremiahº anotherº roll,º and gaveºª it to² Baruchº the scribe,ºª the sonº of Neriah;º who wroteºª therein² from the mouthº² of Jeremiahº² all² the wordsº of the bookº which² Jehoiakimº kingº of Judahº had burnedºª in the fire:º and there were addedºª besides² unto² them manyº likeº words.º