Jeremiah 36

1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim [whom Jehovah raises up] son of Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] king [royal ruler, monarch] of Judah [praise, a tribe of Israel], this word [message, utterance] came to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] from the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]: word study 2 “Take a scroll [a rolled-up book, like a parchment] and write on it all the words [messages, prophecies] I have spoken to you concerning [against, regarding] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants], Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob], and all the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples], from the day [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] I first spoke to you during the reign [kingly rule, leadership] of Josiah [whom Jehovah heals, a king of Judah] until [as far as, up to] today [this present day, the current time]. word study 3 Perhaps [it may be, if so be] when the people of Judah [the house of Judah] hear about all [every, each] the calamity [evil, disaster] I plan [purpose, devise] to bring upon them, each of them will turn [return, repent] from his wicked [evil, bad] way. Then I [the Lord] will forgive [pardon, be merciful to] their iniquity [moral evil, sin] and their sin [guilt, punishment for sin].” word study 4 So Jeremiah [the prophet whom Jehovah has appointed] called Baruch [blessed] son of Neriah, and at the dictation [from the mouth, as spoken] of Jeremiah, Baruch wrote [recorded, inscribed] on a scroll [a rolled-up book, a written document] all the words [messages, prophecies] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had spoken [communicated, commanded] to Jeremiah. word study 5 Then Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] commanded Baruch, “I am [shut up, restrained] restricted; I cannot [am not able, have no power to] enter the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]; word study 6 so you are to go [come, approach] to the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] on a day [period, time] of fasting [abstinence, self-denial], and in the hearing [presence, audience] of the people you are to read [call out, proclaim] the words [messages, declarations] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] from the scroll [book, written record] you have written [recorded, inscribed] at my dictation [command, instruction]. Read them in the hearing [presence, audience] of all [every, the whole] the people of Judah [the tribe of Judah, the southern kingdom] who are coming [going, approaching] from their cities [towns, villages]. word study 7 Perhaps [it may be, if so be] they will bring their petition [supplication, humble request for favor] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and each one will turn [return, turn back] from his wicked [evil, morally bad] way; for great [large, immense] are the anger [intense emotion] and fury [rage, intense anger] that the LORD has pronounced [spoken, declared] against this people [nation, group of people].” word study 8 So Baruch [blessed one] son of Neriah did everything [all that was commanded] that Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] the prophet [one who speaks for God] had commanded [given orders to] him. In the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] he read the words [things, matters] of the LORD [Yehovah] from the scroll [written document, book]. word study 9 Now in the ninth month of the fifth [fifth year of his reign, a period of significant change] year of Jehoiakim [meaning Jehovah raises up] son of Josiah [meaning whom Jehovah heals] king of Judah [the tribe of Judah, a people chosen by God], a fast [a time of abstaining from food, a spiritual discipline] before the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant name of God] was proclaimed to all [every single one, the entire population] the people of Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah] and all who had come there from the cities [towns and villages] of Judah [the region of Judah, the southern kingdom]. word study 10 From the chamber [room, private quarters] of Gemariah [Jehovah has accomplished] son of Shaphan [rock badger, a type of animal] the scribe [secretary, recorder], which was in the upper [higher, elevated] courtyard at the opening [entrance, doorway] of the New [recently created, renewed] Gate of the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], Baruch [blessed] read from the scroll [written document, book] the words [messages, prophecies] of Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] in the hearing [ears, presence] of all [every, the entire] the people [nation, community]. word study 11 When Micaiah [Micah, who is like God] son of Gemariah [Jehovah has accomplished], the son of Shaphan [rock badger], heard [listened attentively to, obeyed] all [everything, the entirety] the words [messages, Chronicles] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] from [out of, upon] the scroll [book, written document], word study 12 he went down [to a lower place, descended] to the scribe’s [secretary’s, recorder’s] chamber [room, office] in the king’s [royal, sovereign] palace, where all [every, the entire group] the officials [rulers, leaders] were sitting: Elishama [God has heard] the scribe [secretary, recorder], Delaiah [Jehovah has drawn] son of Shemaiah [heard by God], Elnathan [God has given] son of Achbor [mouse, a type of rodent], Gemariah [Jehovah has accomplished] son of Shaphan [rock badger, a type of animal], Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] son of Hananiah [God has favored], and all [every, the entire group] the other officials [rulers, leaders]. word study 13 And Micaiah [Micah, who is like God] reported to them all [everything, the entire message] the words [things, matters] he had heard [listened to, obeyed] Baruch [blessed, a friend of Jeremiah] read [call out, proclaim] from the scroll [book, written document] in the hearing [ears, presence] of the people [nation, community]. word study 14 Then all [every single one] the officials [rulers, leaders] sent word to Baruch [blessed, a friend of Jeremiah] through Jehudi [Jew, a servant of King Jehoiakim] son of Nethaniah [given of Jehovah], the son of Shelemiah [repaid by Jehovah], the son of Cushi [from the land of Cush], saying, “Bring [take in your hand] the scroll [a rolled-up book, a written message] that you read [proclaimed, declared] in the hearing [ears, presence] of the people [a nation, a community], and come [walk, approach] here.” So Baruch [blessed] son of Neriah [lamp of Jehovah, a father of Baruch] took [grasped, received] the scroll [a written record] and went [came, approached] to them. word study 15 “Please [I pray, kindly] sit down [be seated, dwell],” they said [to him, unto Baruch], “and read [call out, proclaim] it in our hearing [ears, audience, that we may hear].” So Baruch [blessed, a friend of Jeremiah] read [proclaimed, called out] it in their hearing [ears, presence]. word study 16 When they had heard [listened with attention and obedience] all these words, they turned [in fear, one toward another] to one another in fear [dread, being startled] and said to Baruch [the blessed one, Jeremiah’s friend], “Surely [certainly, without a doubt] we must report [tell, declare openly] all these words [messages, matters] to the king [the ruler, the sovereign].” word study 17 “Tell us now [please, we pray],” they asked Baruch [the blessed one], “how [in what manner] did you write [record, inscribe] all [every one of] these words [things, matters]? Was it [did you do so] at Jeremiah’s [the prophet’s] dictation [mouth, command]?” word study 18 “It was at his dictation [by word of mouth, from his lips],” Baruch replied [answered them]. “He recited [pronounced, spoke aloud] all these words [things, matters] to me and I wrote [recorded, inscribed] them in ink [dark liquid] on the scroll [book, written document].” word study 19 Then the officials [rulers, princes] said to Baruch, “You [as an individual, personally] and Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] must hide [conceal, keep secret] yourselves and tell no one [do not let anyone know] where you are [where you will be, your location].” word study 20 So the officials went [to pay their respects, to report] to the king [the ruler, the monarch] in the courtyard [the open square, the palace area]. And having stored [laid up, preserved] the scroll [the written record, the book] in the chamber [the room, the office] of Elishama [a scribe, a secretary] the scribe [one who records, a writer], they reported [told, declared] everything [all the words, the whole matter] to the king [the ruler, the one in authority]. word study 21 Then the king [the monarch, ruler] sent Jehudi [a servant of King Jehoiakim] to get the scroll [a rolled-up book, a written document], and he took it from the chamber [a room, a private office] of Elishama [a scribe, secretary] the scribe [one who records or inscribes]. And Jehudi read it in the hearing [in the presence, within earshot] of the king and all the officials [rulers, leaders] who were standing [positioned, placed] beside him. word study 22 Since it was the ninth month, the king [royal person, monarch] was sitting [to dwell, remain] in his winter [autumn, harvest time] quarters [house, dwelling place] with a fire [hearth, brazier] burning [consuming, ablaze] before him [in his presence, face to face]. word study 23 And as soon as Jehudi [the servant of King Jehoiakim] had read three [or four leaves, columns] or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut them off [tear, rend] with a scribe’s [secretary’s, recorder’s] knife [penknife, razor] and throw them into the firepot [brazier, container for fire], until the entire scroll [rolled-up book, manuscript] had been consumed [completely burned, destroyed] by the fire [divine judgment, refining presence]. word study 24 Yet in hearing [listening with attention and obedience] all these words, the king [royal person, monarch] and his servants [attendants, slaves] did not become frightened [afraid, nor rent their garments] or tear [rend, rip apart] their garments [clothing, robes] [showing no signs of grief or remorse]. word study 25 Even though [also, too] Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah [pleaded, made intercession] urged the king [the ruler, sovereign] not to burn [set on fire, kindle flames] the scroll [a rolled-up book, containing written words], he would not [refused to, did not] listen [hear, pay attention] to them [toward them, in their direction]. word study 26 Instead, the king [ruler, monarch] commanded Jerahmeel, a son [descendant, offspring] of the king [Melech, royal person], as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize [take, arrest] Baruch the scribe [secretary, recorder] and Jeremiah the prophet [spokesperson for God, messenger]. But the LORD [Yehovah, God’s personal name] had hidden [concealed, protected] them. word study 27 After the king [the ruler, monarch] had burned [set on fire, consumed] the scroll [a rolled-up book, containing written words] containing the words [messages, prophecies] that Baruch [the blessed one, Jeremiah’s friend] had written [recorded, inscribed] at Jeremiah’s [whom Jehovah has appointed, the prophet] dictation [spoken words, command], the word [message, revelation] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] came to Jeremiah [the prophet, God’s messenger]: word study 28 “Take [get, acquire] another [different, next] scroll [rolled-up book, manuscript] and rewrite [write again, record] on it the very words [exact messages, same content] that were on the original [first, primary] scroll [document, writing], which [that is, the one] Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up] king of Judah [region, tribe] has burned [set on fire, destroyed]. word study 29 You are to proclaim concerning Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up, a king of Judah] king of Judah that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: You have burned [set on fire, kindled flames] the scroll and said, ‘Why have you written [recorded, inscribed] on it that the king of Babylon [a city and empire, meaning confusion or mixing] would surely [certainly, without a doubt] come and destroy [ruin, corrupt] this land [the soil, a country, or region] and deprive it of man [Adam, the first human, including all humanity] and beast [animals, especially large quadruped mammals]?’ word study 30 Therefore [in this manner, thus] this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says about Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up] king of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah]: He will have no one [none, not a single descendant] to sit [to dwell, to remain] on David’s [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] throne [a seat of power], and his body [carcass, dead body] will be thrown out [cast away, rejected] and exposed to heat [drought, desolation] by day [a literal 24-hour period] and frost [ice, cold temperatures] by night [a period of rest, darkness]. word study 31 I will punish him and his descendants [seed, offspring] and servants [those who serve him] for their iniquity [moral evil, sin]. I will bring on them, on the residents [inhabitants, dwellers] of Jerusalem, and on the men [individuals, people] of Judah, all the calamity [evil, disaster, adversity] about which I warned them [spoke to them, proclaimed to them] but they did not listen [hear, obey].” word study 32 Then Jeremiah [the prophet, whom Jehovah has appointed] took another [separate, different] scroll and gave it to the scribe [secretary, recorder] Baruch [blessed] son of Neriah, and at Jeremiah’s dictation [mouth, spoken words] he wrote on it all [every, the entirety of] the words [messages, prophecies] of the scroll [book, written document] that Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up] king of Judah had burned [destroyed, consumed] in the fire [flames, divine judgment]. And many [numerous, abundant] similar [like, comparable] words [messages, teachings] were added [included, appended] to them. word study