CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Jeremiah 26
Chapter 26 of 52
Chapter Overview
What happens in Jeremiah 26
Early in King Jehoiakim's reign, God sends Jeremiah to stand in the temple courtyard and warn the people that if they do not repent, God will destroy the temple just as he destroyed Shiloh. The priests and prophets seize Jeremiah and want him killed. But some officials defend him, and his life is spared.
Scripture
Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah's Temple Sermon
Study note
God tells Jeremiah to stand in the courtyard of the temple and speak to all who come to worship. If the people will listen and turn from their evil ways, God will change his mind about the planned disaster. But if not, God will destroy the temple like he destroyed Shiloh.
1 Early in the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this message came from the Lord. In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
2 The Lord said, "Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's Temple and speak to everyone from the towns of Judah who comes to worship there. Tell them every word I command you. Don't leave out anything." Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
3 "Maybe they will listen and turn away from their evil behavior. If they do, I will change my mind about the disaster I am planning because of the evil they have done." If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
4 "Tell them, 'The Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law that I gave you," And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5 "What if you refuse to hear my servants the prophets? I have sent them to you over and over. But you never listened." To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
6 "then I will make this Temple like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse word among all the nations on earth.'" Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
Jeremiah Seized and Threatened
Study note
The priests, prophets, and all the people hear Jeremiah's message and seize him, saying he deserves to die. They are outraged that he would speak against the temple and the city.
7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the Lord's Temple. So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
8 Jeremiah finished saying all the Lord told him to say. Then the priests, prophets, and all the people grabbed him. They yelled, "You must die!" Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
9 "Why did you prophesy in the Lord's name that this Temple will end up like Shiloh and this city will be abandoned?" The whole crowd surrounded Jeremiah in the Lord's Temple. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 When the officials of Judah heard about what was going on, they came up from the royal palace to the Temple. They sat down at the entrance of the New Gate. When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house.
11 The priests and prophets spoke to the officials and the crowd: "This man deserves death! He prophesied against this city — you heard him with your own ears!" Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
Jeremiah Defends Himself
Study note
Jeremiah tells the officials and the people that the Lord sent him to prophesy. He urges them to change their ways. He says he is in their hands, but warns that if they kill him, they will bring the guilt of innocent blood on themselves.
12 Then Jeremiah spoke up and said to all the officials and the people, "The Lord himself sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city. Everything you heard came from him." Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
13 "Now change your behavior and start obeying the Lord your God. If you do, the Lord will change his mind about the disaster he has announced against you." Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
14 "As for me, I'm in your hands. Do whatever you think is right." As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
15 "Know this for certain: if you kill me, you will be putting an innocent man's blood on your own heads and on this city and everyone who lives in it. Because the Lord truly did send me to speak all these words to you." But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.
Jeremiah Is Spared
Study note
The officials and the people side with Jeremiah, saying he does not deserve death. Some elders recall how the prophet Micah spoke similar words in Hezekiah's day and was not killed. However, they also remember how the prophet Uriah, who spoke similar words, was killed by King Jehoiakim. Ahikam son of Shaphan protects Jeremiah from being handed over to the mob.
16 The officials and the people then said to the priests and prophets, "This man should not be put to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God." Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.
17 Then some of the older leaders stood up and spoke to the whole assembly. Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 They said, "Micah from Moresheth prophesied during the time of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told all the people, 'The Lord of Armies says: Zion will be plowed like a field. Jerusalem will become a pile of rubble. The Temple hill will be overgrown with weeds.'" Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
19 "Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah kill Micah for that? No! Instead, Hezekiah respected the Lord and prayed to him. And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster he had announced. If we kill Jeremiah, we will be bringing terrible disaster on ourselves!" Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.
20 There was also another man who prophesied in the Lord's name — Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim. He spoke the same warnings against this city and land that Jeremiah did. And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
21 When King Jehoiakim, his warriors, and his officials heard what Uriah said, the king tried to have him killed. But Uriah found out and fled to Egypt in fear. And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
22 King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Akbor and some other men to Egypt to get him. And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 They brought Uriah back from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him killed with a sword. His body was thrown into the common burial ground. And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 But Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah. So Jeremiah was not handed over to the mob to be killed. Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Key Themes
Themes in Jeremiah 26
Prophetic courage in the face of deathThe possibility of averted judgment through repentanceReligious leaders as opponents of truthThe precedent of micah's prophecyGod's protection of His servants
Apply This Today
Living Jeremiah 26
Speaking truth to powerful people takes extraordinary courage, especially when one's life is at stake. The example of King Hezekiah, who repented at Micah's warning and saved the nation, shows that judgment is not always inevitable. How we respond to hard truths determines our future.
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