בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלְכוּת יְהוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מֵאֵת ה' לֵאמֹר

At the beginning of the reign of Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu king of Judah, this matter was from the Lord, saying:

כֹּה אָמַר ה' עֲמֹד בַּחֲצַר בֵּית־ה' וְדִבַּרְתָּ עַל כָּל עָרֵי יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת בֵּית־ה' אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם אַל־תִּגְרַע דָּבָר

So said the Lord: Stand in the courtyard of the House of the Lord, where a large crowd of people will be present. The Temple was the only central gathering place where the congregated represented all the different echelons of society and the various subgroups within the people. And speak to all the inhabitants of the cities of Judah, who come to prostrate themselves in the House of the Lord, all the matters that I commanded you to speak to them; do not subtract a word from all that I am instructing you to say, despite the fact that your speech will not necessarily be pleasing to this diverse crowd.

אוּלַי יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיָשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וְנִחַמְתִּי אֶל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי חֹשֵׁב לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם מִפְּנֵי רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיהֶם

Perhaps they will heed, and repent each man from his evil way, and I will retract the evil that I am devising to do to them due to the evil of their actions.

וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אִם־לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ אֵלַי לָלֶכֶת בְּתוֹרָתִי אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיכֶם

You shall say to them: So said the Lord: If you will not heed Me, to follow My Torah that I placed before you;

לִשְׁמֹעַ עַל דִּבְרֵי עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִאִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ אֲלֵיכֶם וְהַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלֹחַ ולֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם –

if you do not listen to Me, to heed the words of My servants the prophets, whom I send to you, time and again, but still you did not heed their words, then

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה כְּשִׁלֹה וְאֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת אֶתֵּן לִקְלָלָה לְכֹל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ

I will render this House like the Tabernacle in Shilo, which was destroyed after it had stood for hundreds of years. And this city of Jerusalem I will render a curse for all the nations of the land.

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַנְּבִאִים וְכָל־הָעָם אֶת־יִרְמְיָהוּ מְדַבֵּר אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּבֵית ה'

The priests, who served in the Temple, and the prophets, the spiritual leaders, who were popular because they geared their statements to their audience’s expectations, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these matters in the House of the Lord.

וַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹת יִרְמְיָהוּ לְדַבֵּר אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה ה' לְדַבֵּר אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם וַיִּתְפְּשׂוּ אֹתוֹ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַנְּבִיאִים וְכָל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר מוֹת תָּמוּת

It was, as Jeremiah concluded to speak all that the Lord commanded him to speak to the entire people; Jeremiah presumably delivered his prophecy of admonishment in a loud voice, which caused a general uproar; then the priests, who were in charge of maintaining order in the Temple, and the prophets, who sought to disseminate their vision of a new era of freedom and independence, and all the people seized him, saying: You will die. This was not simply a curse, but a declaration of intent: The people wanted him executed.

מַדּוּעַ נִבֵּיתָ בְשֵׁם־ה' לֵאמֹר כְּשִׁלוֹ יִהְיֶה הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה וְהָעִיר הַזֹּאת תֶּחֱרַב מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב! וַיִּקָּהֵל כָּל־הָעָם אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ בְּבֵית ה'

The people complained: Why did you prophesy in the name of the Lord, saying: This House will be like Shilo, and this city will be destroyed, without inhabitants? All the people assembled around Jeremiah in the House of the Lord.

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה אֵת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיַּעֲלוּ מִבֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית ה' וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בְּפֶתַח שַׁעַר־ה' הֶחָדָשׁ

The princes of Judah, the representatives of the leadership, heard these matters. They received word of the commotion in the Temple courtyard, Jeremiah’s statements, and the anger of the people who sought to execute him. And they went up from the house of the king to the House of the Lord, and they sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord. The main tribunal of a city typically convened at its gate. This New Gate, where the princes assembled to sit in judgment, was apparently built at least partly in the non-sacred area of the Temple Mount, outside the Temple courtyard.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַנְּבִאִים אֶל־הַשָּׂרִים וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר מִשְׁפַּט־מָוֶת לָאִישׁ הַזֶּה כִּי נִבָּא אֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּאָזְנֵיכֶם

The priests and the prophets came to the New Gate to accuse Jeremiah formally. They were accompanied by many people who came motivated by curiosity. Some of those people favored Jeremiah, while others opposed him. The priests and the prophets said to the princes and to all the people, saying: This man has a death sentence because he prophesied against this city, foretelling its destruction, as you heard with your ears.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־כָּל־הַשָּׂרִים וְאֶל־כָּל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר ה' שְׁלָחַנִי לְהִנָּבֵא אֶל־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה וְאֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שְׁמַעְתֶּם

Jeremiah said to all the princes and to all the people, saying: The Lord sent me to prophesy about this House and about this city all the matters that you heard. First and foremost, I am merely God’s emissary.

וְעַתָּה הֵיטִיבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶם וְשִׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹל ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְיִנָּחֵם ה' אֶל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר עֲלֵיכֶם

And now, with regard to the accusations themselves, this is what I have to say to you: Improve your ways and your actions, and heed the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will reconsider the evil that He spoke about you. Your fate is not yet sealed. If you will only change your behavior, you will be spared the impending evil.

וַאֲנִי הִנְנִי בְיֶדְכֶם עֲשׂוּ־לִי כַּטּוֹב וְכַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵיכֶם

And I, behold, I am in your hands; do to me in accordance with the good and in accordance with the upright in your eyes. If you wish to kill me, I cannot stop you.

אַךְ יָדֹעַ תֵּדְעוּ כִּי אִם־מְמִתִים אַתֶּם אֹתִי – כִּי דָם נָקִי אַתֶּם נֹתְנִים עֲלֵיכֶם וְאֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְאֶל־יֹשְׁבֶיהָ כִּי בֶאֱמֶת שְׁלָחַנִי ה' עֲלֵיכֶם לְדַבֵּר בְּאָזְנֵיכֶם אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

However, know that if you execute me, then you are placing the sin of shedding innocent blood upon you, and upon this city, and upon its inhabitants, as truthfully, the Lord sent me to you to speak in your ears all these matters.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַשָּׂרִים וְכָל־הָעָם אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים אֵין־לָאִישׁ הַזֶּה מִשְׁפַּט־מָוֶת כִּי בְּשֵׁם ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ דִּבֶּר אֵלֵינוּ

When the princes and all the people heard Jeremiah’s defense, they said to the priests and to the prophets, his prosecutors: This man does not have a sentence of death, as in the name of the Lord our God he spoke to us.

וַיָּקֻמוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִזִּקְנֵי הָאָרֶץ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־כָּל־קְהַל הָעָם לֵאמֹר׃

Men who were of the elders of the land rose and stated to the entire assembly of the people, saying:

מִיכָה הַמּוֹרַשְׁתִּי הָיָה נִבָּא בִּימֵי חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־כָּל־עַם יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת צִיּוֹן שָׂדֶה תֵחָרֵשׁ וִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִיִּים תִּהְיֶה וְהַר הַבַּיִת לְבָמוֹת יָעַר

Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hizkiyahu king of Judah, and he stated to all the people of Judah, saying: So said the Lord of hosts: Zion will be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem will be heaps of ruins, and the Temple Mount will become a pile of dirt and stones like those mounds in a forest. This prophecy appears in the book of Micah (3:12).

הֶהָמֵת הֱמִתֻהוּ חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וְכָל־יְהוּדָה! הֲלֹא יָרֵא אֶת־ה' וַיְחַל אֶת־פְּנֵי ה'וַיִּנָּחֶם ה' אֶל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר עֲלֵיהֶם וַאֲנַחְנוּ עֹשִׂים רָעָה גְדוֹלָה עַל־נַפְשׁוֹתֵינוּ

Did Hizkiyahu king of Judah and all Judah execute him? Prophecies of this kind have been heard before, several generations previously. Then, too, people were not overjoyed to hear those statements, but they did not harm the prophet. Rather, didn’t he, King Hizkiyahu, fear the Lord and plead before the Lord in this very Temple? And the Lord reconsidered the evil that He spoke against them. And if we act differently, we are performing great evil against our souls, all the more so if we actively harm the prophet.

וְגַם־אִישׁ הָיָה מִתְנַבֵּא בְּשֵׁם ה' אוּרִיָּהוּ בֶּן־שְׁמַעְיָהוּ מִקִּרְיַת הַיְּעָרִים וַיִּנָּבֵא עַל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְעַל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת כְּכֹל דִּבְרֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ

When the distinguished elders finished relating the story of King Hizkiyahu, who took the words of the prophet to heart and did not disregard them, another faction described a much more recent precedent: And there was also a man who was prophesying in the name of the Lord, Uriyahu son of Shemayahu of Kiryat Ye’arim, and he prophesied about this city and about this land, and the words of his prophesy were like all the words of Jeremiah.

וַיִּשְׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוֹיָקִים וְכָל־גִּבּוֹרָיו וְכָל־הַשָּׂרִים אֶת־דְּבָרָיו וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲמִיתוֹ וַיִּשְׁמַע אוּרִיָּהוּ וַיִּרָא וַיִּבְרַח וַיָּבֹא מִצְרָיִם

King Yehoyakim, and all his mighty men, and all the princes heard his words, and the king sought to execute him. Uriyahu heard and he was afraid, and he fled and came to Egypt, which was outside Yehoyakim’s jurisdiction.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוֹיָקִים אֲנָשִׁים מִצְרָיִם אֶת־אֶלְנָתָן בֶּן־עַכְבּוֹר וַאֲנָשִׁים אִתּוֹ אֶל־מִצְרָיִם

King Yehoyakim sent men after him to Egypt, Elnatan son of Akhbor, and others of the king’s men with him, to Egypt.

וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֶת־אוּרִיָּהוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וַיְבִאֻהוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוֹיָקִים וַיַּכֵּהוּ בֶּחָרֶב וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶת־נִבְלָתוֹ אֶל־קִבְרֵי בְּנֵי הָעָם

They took Uriyahu out of Egypt, as he was not protected by Pharaoh’s official patronage, and they brought him back to Judah, to King Yehoyakim. He smote him with the sword. Yehoyakim commanded his servants to execute that individual, who had prophesied in a similar manner to Jeremiah. And moreover, he cast his corpse to the graves of the lowliest members of the people. Seeking to degrade Uriyahu as much as possible, Yehoyakim commanded his servants to cast his corpse into the common graves, where the outcasts of society were buried, as there was no one to tend to their burial.

אַךְ יַד אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן הָיְתָה אֶת יִרְמְיָהוּ לְבִלְתִּי תֵּת־אֹתוֹ בְיַד־הָעָם לַהֲמִיתוֹ

After the above argument and the ensuing commotion, the decision in Jeremiah’s case rested with the princes. Yehoyakim did not interfere and allowed the people to hold a public trial of sorts for Jeremiah. However, despite the forceful claims of those who sought to have Jeremiah executed, ultimately the hand of Ahikam son of Shafan, a prominent prince, was with Jeremiah, so as not to deliver him into the hand of the people to execute him.