耶利米被捕
1犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬执政初期，耶和华对耶利米说： 2“这是耶和华说的，‘你要站在我殿的院子里，把我吩咐你的话一字不漏地告诉从犹大各城前来敬拜的人。 3或许他们会听从我的话，改邪归正，那样我会施怜悯，取消原本用来惩治他们罪恶的灾祸。 4你要告诉他们，耶和华这样说，“如果你们不听从我的话，不遵行我赐给你们的律法， 5不听从我屡次派我的仆人——众先知传给你们的话， 6我必使这殿像示罗一样被毁，使耶路撒冷被万国咒诅。”’”
7祭司、先知和民众都听见了耶利米在耶和华的殿里说的这些话。 8耶利米传达完耶和华的话之后，祭司、先知和民众就抓住他，说：“你真该死！ 9你为什么奉耶和华的名预言这殿必像示罗一样被毁，这城必要荒无人烟呢？”于是，他们在耶和华的殿里把耶利米围了起来。
10犹大的首领得知后，就离开王宫，上到耶和华的殿，坐在耶和华殿新门的入口。 11祭司和先知对官员和民众说：“这人该被处死！因为他预言这城要被毁，这是你们亲耳听到的。”
12耶利米对官员和民众说：“你们刚才听见的这些关于这殿和这城的预言都是耶和华差我说的。 13你们要改邪归正，听从你们上帝耶和华的话，这样耶和华必施怜悯，取消本来要降给你们的灾祸。 14至于我，我已落在你们手中，你们认为怎样好就怎样待我吧！ 15不过，你们要知道，如果你们置我于死地，你们和这城及城中的居民必担当滥杀无辜的罪，因为确实是耶和华派我来告诉你们这些预言的。”
16官员和民众便对祭司和先知说：“这人不该被处死，因为他是奉我们上帝耶和华的名对我们说话。” 17有几个长老站起来对众人说： 18“犹大王希西迦执政期间，摩利沙人弥迦对犹大众人预言说，
“‘万军之耶和华说锡安必被夷为平地，
耶路撒冷必沦为废墟，
圣殿山要成为一片荒林。’
19“但犹大王希西迦和犹大众人并没有处死他。希西迦敬畏耶和华，求祂开恩，耶和华才施怜悯，没有把原本预备的灾祸降给他们。若处死这人，我们会大祸临头。”
20当时，基列·耶琳人示玛雅的儿子乌利亚也奉耶和华的名预言这城和这地方将被毁，内容与耶利米说的一样。 21约雅敬王和他的王公大臣听见乌利亚的话，就想处死他。乌利亚得知后，吓得逃到埃及去了。 22约雅敬王便派亚革波的儿子以利拿单率随从去埃及捉拿他。 23他们把乌利亚从埃及押到约雅敬王面前，王用刀杀了他，把尸首抛在平民的坟地中。 24然而，沙番的儿子亚希甘保护耶利米，他才没被交给民众处死。
Jeremiah’s Enemies Try to Have Him Killed
1A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It was shortly after Jehoiakim became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. 2The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Stand in the courtyard of my house. Speak to the people of the towns in Judah. Speak to all those who come to worship in my house. Tell them everything I command you. Do not leave out a single word. 3Perhaps they will listen. Maybe they will turn from their evil ways. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on them. I had planned to punish them because of the evil things they had done. 4Tell them, ‘The Lord says, “Listen to me. Obey my law that I gave you. 5And listen to the words my servants the prophets are speaking. I have sent them to you again and again. But you have not listened to them. 6So I will make this house like Shiloh. All the nations on earth will use the name of this city in a curse.” ’ ”
7Jeremiah spoke these words in the Lord’s house. The priests, the prophets and all the people heard him. 8Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say. But as soon as he did, the priests, the prophets and all the people grabbed him. They said, “You must die! 9Why do you prophesy these things in the Lord’s name? Why do you say that this house will become like Shiloh? Why do you say that this city will be empty and deserted?” And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the Lord’s house.
10The officials of Judah heard what had happened. So they went up from the royal palace to the Lord’s house. There they took their places at the entrance of the New Gate. 11Then the priests and prophets spoke to the officials and all the people. They said, “This man should be sentenced to death. He has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!”
12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and people. He said, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city. He told me to say everything you have heard. 13So change the way you live and act. Obey the Lord your God. Then he won’t do what he said he would. He won’t bring on you the trouble he said he would bring. 14As for me, I’m in your hands. Do to me what you think is good and right. 15But you can be sure of one thing. If you put me to death, you will be held responsible for spilling my blood. And I haven’t even done anything wrong. You will bring guilt on yourselves and this city and those who live in it. The Lord has sent me to you. He wanted me to say all these things so you could hear them. And that’s the truth.”
16Then the officials and all the people spoke to the priests and prophets. They said, “This man shouldn’t be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”
17Some of the elders of the land stepped forward. They spoke to the whole community gathered there. They said, 18“Micah from Moresheth prophesied. It was during the time Hezekiah was king over Judah. Micah spoke to all the people of Judah. He told them, ‘The Lord who rules over all says,
“ ‘ “Zion will be plowed up like a field.
Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash.
The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.” ’ (Micah 3:12)
19Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put Micah to death? Hezekiah had respect for the Lord and tried to please him. And the Lord didn’t judge Jerusalem as he said he would. He didn’t bring on it the trouble he said he would bring. But we are about to bring horrible trouble on ourselves!”
20Uriah was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord. He was from Kiriath Jearim. He was the son of Shemaiah. Uriah prophesied against this city and this land. He said the same things Jeremiah did. 21King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard Uriah’s words. So the king decided to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it. He was afraid. And he ran away to Egypt. 22So King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan to Egypt. He also sent some other men along with him. Elnathan was the son of Akbor. 23Those men brought Uriah out of Egypt. They took him to King Jehoiakim. Then the king had Uriah struck down with a sword. He had Uriah’s body thrown into one of the graves of the ordinary people.
24In spite of that, Ahikam stood up for Jeremiah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. Because of Ahikam, Jeremiah wasn’t handed over to the people to be put to death.
