1. At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came from Yahweh, saying,
2. “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Stand in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh, and you must speak to all the cities of Judah that come to bow in worship in the house of Yahweh all the words that I command you to speak to them. You must not omit a word.
3. Perhaps they will listen and turn back each from his evil way, and I will relent of the disaster that I am planning to do to them because of their evil deeds.
4. And you shall say to them, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you,
5. to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I have sent to you, over and over again, though you have not listened,
6. then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the earth.’ ” ’ ”
7. And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of Yahweh.
8. And then as Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You will die!
9. Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be in ruins, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the temple of Yahweh.