During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah, the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah:
"Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message you have given, right up to the present time.
Perhaps the people of Judah will repent if they see in writing all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings."
So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote down all the prophecies that the LORD had given him.
Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, "I am a prisoner here and unable to go to the Temple.
So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from the LORD that are on this scroll. On that day people will be there from all over Judah.
Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the LORD's forgiveness before it is too late. For the LORD's terrible anger has been pronounced against them."
Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from the LORD to the people at the Temple.
This happened on the day of sacred fasting held in late autumn, during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah came to attend the services at the Temple on that day.
Baruch read Jeremiah's words to all the people from the Temple room of Gemariah son of Shaphan. This room was just off the upper courtyard of the Temple, near the New Gate entrance.
When Micaiah son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan heard the messages from the LORD,
he went down to the secretary's room in the palace where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama the secretary was there, along with Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the others with official responsibilities.
When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people,
the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah, and great-grandson of Cushi, to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them.
"Sit down and read the scroll to us," the officials said, and Baruch did as they requested.
By the time Baruch had finished reading, they were badly frightened. "We must tell the king what we have heard," they said.
"But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did they come directly from Jeremiah?"
So Baruch explained, "Jeremiah dictated them to me word by word, and I wrote down his words with ink on this scroll."
"You and Jeremiah should both hide," the officials told Baruch. "Don't tell anyone where you are!"
Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king.
The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama's room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by.
It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm.
Whenever Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took his knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up.
Neither the king nor his officials showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard.
Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn't listen.
Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the LORD had hidden them.
After the king had burned Jeremiah's scroll, the LORD gave Jeremiah another message. He said,
"Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned.
Then say to the king, `This is what the LORD says: You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this land and everything in it.
Now this is what the LORD says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no heirs to sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to lie unburied--exposed to hot days and frosty nights.
I will punish him and his family and his officials because of their sins. I will pour out on them and on all the people of Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have promised, for they would not listen to my warnings.'"
Then Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to his secretary Baruch. He wrote everything that had been on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. Only this time, he added much more!