6. So you go there. Go on a day when the people are fasting. Read to them from the scroll. Read the words of the Lord you wrote down as I gave them to you. Read them to all of the people of Judah who come in from their towns.
7. They will hear what the Lord will do to them when his burning anger blazes out against them. Then perhaps they will pray to him. And maybe all of them will turn from their evil ways."
8. Baruch, the son of Neriah, did everything I told him to do. He went to the Lord's temple. There he read the words of the Lord from the scroll.
9. It was in the fifth year that Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, was king of Judah. It was the ninth month of that year. A time of fasting at the Lord's temple had been ordered. All of the people in Jerusalem were told to take part in it. So were those who had come in from the towns of Judah.
10. Baruch read to all of the people who were at the Lord's temple. He read my words from the scroll. He was in the room of the secretary Gemariah. It was located in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple. Gemariah was the son of Shaphan.
11. Micaiah was the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. Micaiah heard Baruch reading all of the Lord's words that were written on the scroll.
12. Then he went down to the secretary's room in the royal palace. All of the officials were sitting there. They included the secretary Elishama and Delaiah, the son of Shemaiah. Elnathan, the son of Acbor, was also there. So was Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. Zedekiah, the son of Hananiah, was there too. And so were all of the other officials.
13. Micaiah told all of them what he had heard. He told them everything Baruch had read to the people from the scroll.
14. All of the officials sent Jehudi to speak to Baruch, the son of Neriah. Jehudi was the son of Nethaniah. Nethaniah was the son of Shelemiah. Shelemiah was the son of Cushi. Jehudi said to Baruch, "Come. Bring the scroll you have read to the people." So Baruch went to them. He carried the scroll with him.
15. The officials said to him, "Please sit down. Read the scroll to us." So Baruch read it to them.
16. They heard all of its words. Then they looked at each other in fear. They said to Baruch, "We must report all of these words to the king."