Jeremiah 26
26
Jeremiah’s Life Is Threatened
1Yahweh spoke these words to Jeremiah at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. # 26:1 The date of this chapter would be about 609 or 608 BC.
2Yahweh said to me, “Stand in the court of my house, the temple, and announce what I tell you to say to the crowds coming to worship me from the cities of Judah. Do not leave out anything or hold back a word. 3Perhaps they will listen, and they will all turn from their evil ways. If so, I will relent and not bring the impending disaster I have planned for them because of their evil deeds.
4“Give them this warning: ‘Yahweh says: If you will not listen to me and obey the instructions that I have given you 5or heed the words of my servants the prophets, whom I keep sending to you even though you have not obeyed them, 6then I will make this temple into a pile of ruins just like I did to Shiloh. # 26:6 Shiloh had once been the location of the tabernacle (see Josh. 18:1). The Philistines captured the ark of the covenant from Israel at the battle of Aphek (see 1 Sam. 4:1–11) and likely also destroyed Shiloh at that time (see Ps. 78:60–64; Jer. 7:12). This city will become a worldwide object of cursing.’ ”
7The priests, prophets, and all the people heard what Jeremiah said in the temple court of Yahweh. 8When Jeremiah had finished speaking the message Yahweh had ordered him to give to the people, all the priests, prophets, # 26:8 The Septuagint adds the word false (“false prophets”) in vv. 8, 11, and 16. Most of the prophets during the days of Jeremiah were false prophets who gave the people a false hope. and people forcefully seized him and said, “You ought to be killed for this! # 26:8 Or “Judgment of death to this man!” The people not only followed the lies of the false prophets, but they also hated the words of the true prophet and wanted to kill him. They believed Jeremiah was the false prophet among them. See Deut. 18:20. 9Why have you prophesied in Yahweh’s name, ‘This temple will become a pile of ruins like Shiloh, and Jerusalem become an uninhabited ruin?’ ” Then a mob formed and ganged up against Jeremiah in the temple court of Yahweh. 10Upon hearing about this, the leaders of Judah went up from the royal palace to the temple of Yahweh and took their seats to hold court at the gate of Yahweh’s temple. # 26:10 Or “the New Gate of the house of Yahweh,” which is likely an expanded text based on 36:10. In that era, city gates served as places for a court of judgment (see Deut. 21:19; 2 Sam. 15:2; Amos 5:10–12).
The Religious Leaders Bring Charges against Jeremiah
11Then the priests and prophets said to the leaders and all the people, “This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied horrible things against this city, which you yourselves have heard.”
12Then Jeremiah defended himself before all the leaders and the people, saying, “Yahweh himself sent me to prophesy this message you have heard me speak against this temple and this city. 13But if you stop doing evil, change your ways, and obey the voice of Yahweh your God, then Yahweh will stop the impending disaster and relent of what he has decreed against you. 14As for me, I am in your hands. Do with me whatever seems right to you. # 26:14 Jeremiah was a prophet of great faith and confidence in God’s protection, unlike Uriah, who fled (see vv. 20–23). 15Only be sure of this: if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its people, since Yahweh has truly sent me to bring you the warning you have heard.”
Jeremiah Spared
16Then all the leaders and the people said to the priests and prophets, “This man does not deserve to die, for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”
17And some of the elders of the nation # 26:17 The elders were community leaders and officials from various parts of Israel who had gathered in Jerusalem. Perhaps this episode took place during one of Israel’s national feasts. then stood to address the crowd: 18“In the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, the prophet Micah of Moresheth # 26:18 See Mic. 1:1. Moresheth was a small village about twenty-three miles (thirty-seven kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem. It has been tentatively identified as Tell ej-Judeideh, where, according to Jerome, a church was built over Micah’s tomb. prophesied to all the people of Judah, ‘Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, declares:
“ ‘Zion will be plowed under like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
and the Temple Mount will be covered with overgrowth.’ # 26:18 See Mic. 3:12. It is significant that this is the only place in all the prophetic literature where one prophet directly quotes another by name.
19“Did King Hezekiah and the people of Judah sentence Micah to death for prophesying this? Did not the king rather fear Yahweh, humble himself, and plead earnestly # 26:19 The phrase “plead earnestly” is a special Hebrew idiom (chalah panim) that most translate as “entreat the favor of.” It is literally “make gentle the face” or, colloquially, “to make God smile.” That is why you find it used in particularly stressful circumstances, when it is very important that the prayers of men cause God to change his mind. See 2 Kings 13:4. with him so that he relented of the disaster that he had decreed against them? Do we really want to bring a disaster upon ourselves with such a crime?”
The Prophet Uriah
20There was another prophet in those day who prophesied in Yahweh’s name, Uriah son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath Jearim. He prophesied the same things against Judah and Jerusalem as Jeremiah. 21When King Jehoiakim and all his leaders and mighty men heard what Uriah prophesied, the king was determined to put him to death. On hearing this, he was afraid and escaped to Egypt. 22King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Achbor to Egypt with others, 23who brought Uriah back from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king executed Uriah with the sword # 26:23 See Heb. 11:37. Uriah means “Yah is Light” or “Light of Yah.” and had his body thrown into the common burial ground.
24Nevertheless Jeremiah escaped execution—but only because Ahikam, # 26:24 Ahikam was one of those whom King Josiah sent to seek counsel from the prophetess Huldah about the scroll Josiah found in the temple (see 2 Kings 22:12). Ahikam’s son was Gedaliah, who also befriended Jeremiah (see Jer. 39:14) and was given charge of Judah after the Babylonian invasion. the son of Shaphan, protected him and would not allow him to be handed over to the furious crowd.
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Jeremiah 26: TPT
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