וַיְהִי בַּשָּׁנָה הָרְבִעִית לִיהוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה' לֵאמֹר׃

It was during the fourth year of Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu, king of Judah, that this matter was to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:

קַח־לְךָ מְגִלַּת־סֵפֶר וְכָתַבְתָּ אֵלֶיהָ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל־יְהוּדָה וְעַל־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם מִיּוֹם דִּבַּרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ מִימֵי יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וְעַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Take a scrolled book and write in it all the matters that I spoke to you concerning Israel, and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Yoshiyahu until this day. This will be a collection of Jeremiah’s prophecies to date. According to the Sages, the verse is referring to the book of Lamentations.

אוּלַי יִשְׁמְעוּ בֵּית יְהוּדָה אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי חֹשֵׁב לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם לְמַעַן יָשׁוּבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וְסָלַחְתִּי לַעֲוֹנָם וּלְחַטָּאתָם

Perhaps these prophecies will be read aloud and the house of Judah will hear of all the evil that I am intending to do to them, so that they will repent, each man his evil way, and I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.

וַיִּקְרָא יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶת־בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־נֵרִיָּה וַיִּכְתֹּב בָּרוּךְ מִפִּי יִרְמְיָהוּ אֵת כָּל־דִּבְרֵי ה' אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו עַל־מְגִלַּת־סֵפֶר

Jeremiah called Barukh son of Neriya, his scribe, and Barukh wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord that He had spoken to him, in a scrolled book. Due to their significance, Jeremiah remembered all of these prophecies verbatim; therefore, he was able to dictate them to Barukh.

וַיְצַוֶּה יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶת־בָּרוּךְ לֵאמֹר אֲנִי עָצוּר לֹא אוּכַל לָבוֹא בֵּית ה'

Jeremiah commanded Barukh, saying: I am detained, I will not be able to come to the House of the Lord. Perhaps Jeremiah was ritually impure and was therefore unable to enter the Temple. Some explain that he was banned by royal decree from entering the Temple. The king sought to distance Jeremiah from the masses that gathered there, thereby preventing them from hearing his rebuke.

וּבָאתָ אַתָּה וְקָרָאתָ בַמְּגִלָּה אֲשֶׁר־כָּתַבְתָּ מִפִּי אֶת־דִּבְרֵי ה' בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם בֵית ה' בְּיוֹם צוֹם וְגַם בְּאָזְנֵי כָל־יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים מֵעָרֵיהֶם תִּקְרָאֵם

You shall come and read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you wrote from my mouth, in the ears of the people in the House of the Lord, on a fast day, when the people limit their private activities and gather for special prayers and introspection. On that day, there will be more people in the Temple than usual; and you shall read them also in the ears of all Judah, who come from their cities.

אוּלַי תִּפֹּל תְּחִנָּתָם לִפְנֵי ה' וְיָשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה כִּי־גָדוֹל הָאַף וְהַחֵמָה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה' אֶל הָעָם הַזֶּה

Perhaps after hearing these matters, their supplication will fall before the Lord, and each man will repent his evil way, for the wrath and the anger that the Lord spoke concerning this people are great.

וַיַּעַשׂ בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־נֵרִיָּה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּהוּ יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא לִקְרֹא בַסֵּפֶר דִּבְרֵי ה' בֵית ה'

Barukh son of Neriya acted in accordance with everything that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, to read from the scroll the words of the Lord, in the House of the Lord, before all those who were gathered there.

וַיְהִי בַשָּׁנָה הַחֲמִשִׁית לִיהוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁעִי קָרְאוּ צוֹם לִפְנֵי ה' כָּל־הָעָם בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְכָל־הָעָם הַבָּאִים מֵעָרֵי יְהוּדָה בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

It, this matter, was performed in the fifth year of Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu, king of Judah, in the ninth month, later known as Kislev, when all the people in Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord, and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem joined them.

וַיִּקְרָא בָרוּךְ בַּסֵּפֶר אֶת־דִּבְרֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ בֵּית ה' בְּלִשְׁכַּת גְּמַרְיָהוּ בֶן־שָׁפָן הַסֹּפֵר בֶּחָצֵר הָעֶלְיוֹן פֶּתַח שַׁעַר בֵּית־ה' הֶחָדָשׁ בְּאָזְנֵי כָּל־הָעָם

Barukh read from the scroll the words of Jeremiah in the House of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemaryahu son of Shafan the scribe, which was in the upper courtyard, at the entrance of the New Gate of the House of the Lord, in the ears of the entire people, who were gathered in the upper courtyard.

וַיִּשְׁמַע מִכָיְהוּ בֶן־גְּמַרְיָהוּ בֶן־שָׁפָן אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי ה' מֵעַל־הַסֵּפֶר

Mikhayhu, son of Gemaryahu, son of Shafan the scribe, heard all the words of the Lord that were read from the scroll. Apparently, Mikhayhu’s family maintained a special relationship with Jeremiah, and they heeded his prophecies more than others (see commentary on 26:24).

וַיֵּרֶד בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל לִשְׁכַּת הַסֹּפֵר וְהִנֵּה־שָׁם כָּל־הַשָּׂרִים יוֹשְׁבִים — אֱלִישָׁמָע הַסֹּפֵר וּדְלָיָהוּ בֶן־שְׁמַעְיָהוּ וְאֶלְנָתָן בֶּן־עַכְבּוֹר וּגְמַרְיָהוּ בֶן־שָׁפָן וְצִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־חֲנַנְיָהוּ וְכָל־הַשָּׂרִים

He, Mikhayhu, went down to the house of the king, to the scribe’s chamber, and behold, all the princes were sitting there: Elishama the scribe, and Delayahu son of Shemayahu, and Elnatan son of Akhbor, and Gemaryahu son of Shafan, and Tzidkiyahu son of Hananyahu, and all the other princes. This was a meeting of all the princes of Judah on the fast day.

וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם מִכָיְהוּ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמֵעַ בִּקְרֹא בָרוּךְ בַּסֵּפֶר בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם

Mikhayhu told them all the matters that he had heard when Barukh read from the scroll in the ears of the people.

וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ כָל־הַשָּׂרִים אֶל־בָּרוּךְ אֶת־יְהוּדִי בֶּן־נְתַנְיָהוּ בֶּן־שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ בֶן־כּוּשִׁי לֵאמֹר הַמְּגִלָּה אֲשֶׁר קָרָאתָ בָּהּ בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם — קָחֶנָּה בְיָדְךָ וָלֵךְ וַיִּקַּח בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־נֵרִיָּהוּ אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּה בְּיָדוֹ וַיָּבֹא אֲלֵיהֶם

All the princes sent Yehudi, son of Netanyahu, son of Shelemyahu, son of Kushi, to Barukh, saying: The scroll from which you read in the ears of the people, take it in your hand and go; come over here with it. Barukh son of Neriyahu took the scroll in his hand, and he came to them.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו שֵׁב נָא וּקְרָאֶנָּה בְּאָזְנֵינוּ וַיִּקְרָא בָרוּךְ בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם

They said to him: Please sit, and read it in our ears, and Barukh read it in their ears.

וַיְהִי כְּשָׁמְעָם אֶת־כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים פָּחֲדוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־בָּרוּךְ הַגֵּיד נַגִּיד לַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

It was when they heard all the matters, each man feared with his neighbor. Whether Jeremiah spoke in the Temple or whether he spoke in the streets of Jerusalem, these princes had not heard many of his statements until now. And they said to Barukh: These are frightening prophecies that we have not heard before; we will tell the king all these matters.

וְאֶת־בָּרוּךְ שָׁאֲלוּ לֵאמֹר הַגֶּד־נָא לָנוּ אֵיךְ כָּתַבְתָּ אֶת־כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה מִפִּיו

They asked Barukh, saying: Please tell us: How did you write all these matters from his, Jeremiah’s, mouth? The princes apparently wished to know whether the words in the scroll were an accurate rendition of those of the prophet.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם בָּרוּךְ מִפִּיו יִקְרָא אֵלַי אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַאֲנִי כֹּתֵב עַל־הַסֵּפֶר בַּדְּיוֹ

Barukh said to them: He would recite to me all these matters with his mouth, and when the prophet spoke to me I wrote them in the scroll in ink. The words in this scroll were not copied from any other written source, nor have I made any adjustments or additions of my own. This scroll contains the verbatim prophecies of Jeremiah, as he dictated them to me.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַשָּׂרִים אֶל־בָּרוּךְ לֵךְ הִסָּתֵר אַתָּה וְיִרְמְיָהוּ וְאִישׁ אַל־יֵדַע אֵיפֹה אַתֶּם

The princes said to Barukh: Go hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no man know where you are. The princes sensed that Yehoyakim might not respond favorably. Since this matter was sensitive, bordering on dangerous, the princes suggested that Jeremiah and Barukh should go into hiding. In that way, were the king to seek their censure, he would be unable to find them.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ חָצֵרָה וְאֶת־הַמְּגִלָּה הִפְקִדוּ בְּלִשְׁכַּת אֱלִישָׁמָע הַסֹּפֵר וַיַּגִּידוּ בְּאָזְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים

They came to the king, to the courtyard, and they deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and they told all the matters in the ears of the king.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־יְהוּדִי לָקַחַת אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּה וַיִּקָּחֶהָ מִלִּשְׁכַּת אֱלִישָׁמָע הַסֹּפֵר וַיִּקְרָאֶהָ יְהוּדִי בְּאָזְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבְאָזְנֵי כָּל־הַשָּׂרִים הָעֹמְדִים מֵעַל הַמֶּלֶךְ

The king sent Yehudi, who had previously been sent by the princes to summon Barukh (verse 14), to take the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. Yehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who were standing beside the king.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב בֵּית הַחֹרֶף בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁיעִי וְאֶת־הָאָח לְפָנָיו מְבֹעָרֶת

The king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, in the middle of winter, and the fireplace before him was burning.

וַיְהִי כִּקְרוֹא יְהוּדִי שָׁלֹשׁ דְּלָתוֹת וְאַרְבָּעָה יִקְרָעֶהָ בְּתַעַר הַסֹּפֵר וְהַשְׁלֵךְ אֶל־הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֶל־הָאָח עַד־תֹּם כָּל־הַמְּגִלָּה עַל־הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָאָח

It was, as Yehudi would read three columns or four, that he, the king, would cut it, the scroll, with a scribe’s razor, and cast it into the fire that was in the fireplace, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fireplace.

וְלֹא פָחֲדוּ וְלֹא קָרְעוּ אֶת־בִּגְדֵיהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־עֲבָדָיו הַשֹּׁמְעִים אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

Despite the fact that the vast majority of the prophecies in the scroll foretold doom, they did not fear and they did not rend their garments, the king and all of his servants who heard all these matters.

וְגַם אֶלְנָתָן וּדְלָיָהוּ וּגְמַרְיָהוּ הִפְגִּעוּ בַמֶּלֶךְ לְבִלְתִּי שְׂרֹף אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּה וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֲלֵיהֶם

Moreover, Elnatan and Delayahu and Gemaryahu entreated the king not to burn the scroll, which contained the word of God, but he did not heed them, as Yehoyakim was the exclusive, absolute authority in the country.

וַיְצַוֶּה הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־יְרַחְמְאֵל בֶּן־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֶת־שְׂרָיָהוּ בֶן־עַזְרִיאֵל וְאֶת־שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ בֶּן־עַבְדְּאֵל לָקַחַת אֶת־בָּרוּךְ הַסֹּפֵר וְאֵת יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא וַיַּסְתִּרֵם ה'

The king commanded Yerahme’el son of the king, Serayahu son of Azriel, and Shelemyahu son of Avdiel to take Barukh the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet into custody, or to punish them; but the Lord hid them, and the king’s messengers could not find them.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ אַחֲרֵי שְׂרֹף הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּה וְאֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר כָּתַב בָּרוּךְ מִפִּי יִרְמְיָהוּ לֵאמֹר׃

The word of the Lord was with Jeremiah after the king burned the scroll, and the matters that Barukh wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah, saying:

שׁוּב קַח־לְךָ מְגִלָּה אַחֶרֶת וּכְתֹב עָלֶיהָ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עַל־הַמְּגִלָּה הָרִאשֹׁנָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂרַף יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה

Again, take for you a different scroll, and write in it all the original matters that were in the original scroll that Yehoyakim king of Judah burned.

וְעַל־יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה תֹּאמַר כֹּה אָמַר ה' אַתָּה שָׂרַפְתָּ אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּה הַזֹּאת לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ כָּתַבְתָּ עָלֶיהָ לֵאמֹר בֹּא־יָבוֹא מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְהִשְׁחִית אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְהִשְׁבִּית מִמֶּנָּה אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה!

And concerning Yehoyakim king of Judah you shall say: So said the Lord: You burned this scroll, effectively saying to Jeremiah: Why did you write in it, saying: The king of Babylon will come, and he will destroy this land and eliminate from it man and animal? How dare you, a mere prophet, write statements of incitement and treachery?

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' עַל־יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה לֹא־יִהְיֶה־לּוֹ יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא דָוִד וְנִבְלָתוֹ תִּהְיֶה מֻשְׁלֶכֶת לַחֹרֶב בַּיּוֹם וְלַקֶּרַח בַּלָּיְלָה

Therefore, so said the Lord concerning Yehoyakim king of Judah: He will not have even one heir sitting on the throne of David, and his corpse will be cast out to the heat during the day, and to the frost during the night. He will not be privileged to receive a proper burial.

וּפָקַדְתִּי עָלָיו וְעַל־זַרְעוֹ וְעַל־עֲבָדָיו אֶת־עֲוֹנָם וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיהֶם וְעַל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה — אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא שָׁמֵעוּ

I will reckon upon him and upon his descendants and upon his servants their iniquity, and I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the men of Judah all the evil that I spoke against them and they did not heed.

וְיִרְמְיָהוּ לָקַח מְגִלָּה אַחֶרֶת וַיִּתְּנָהּ אֶל־בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־נֵרִיָּהוּ הַסֹּפֵר וַיִּכְתֹּב עָלֶיהָ מִפִּי יִרְמְיָהוּ אֵת כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׂרַף יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בָּאֵשׁ וְעוֹד נוֹסַף עֲלֵיהֶם דְּבָרִים רַבִּים כָּהֵמָּה

Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Barukh son of Neriyahu the scribe, and he, Barukh, wrote on it from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Yehoyakim king of Judah burned in the fire, and many similar matters were also added to them. It is likely that this scroll formed the basis for what would ultimately become the book of Jeremiah.