1. In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord:
2. “the Lord says: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word.
3. It may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way; that I may relent from the evil which I intend to do to them because of the evil of their doings.’
4. You shall tell them, “the Lord says: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5. to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but you have not listened;
6. then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”
7. The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the Lord’s house.
8. When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die!
9. Why have you prophesied in the Lord’s name, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant?’” All the people were crowded around Jeremiah in the Lord’s house.
10. When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the Lord’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of the Lord’s house.
11. Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”