Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim's reign over Judah, the Lord gave Jeremiah a message saying, "Take a scroll and write on it everything I've said about Israel, Judah, and all the nations since the day I started speaking to you. Write down every word from my mouth that I've spoken against them."

Jeremiah called his friend Baruch, the son of Neriah, and told him to write down all the words of the Lord that he had received on a scroll. Jeremiah said, "I'm stuck at home; I can't go into the temple. So you go read this roll in the temple on the fast day, and tell everyone who comes from their cities about it."

Baruch did exactly what Jeremiah instructed him to do. He went into the temple, read the words of the Lord from the scroll, and told the people about them. Baruch hoped that by doing so, they would turn back from their evil ways and pray for mercy.

It was now the fifth year of King Jehoiakim's reign, in the ninth month, when a fast day was declared throughout Jerusalem and Judah. On this day, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll to the people gathered at the temple.

When Michaiah, the son of Gemariah and Shaphan, heard Baruch read from the scroll, he rushed down to the king's palace to report what he had heard. He told the princes who were seated in the scribe's chamber about the words of the Lord that Baruch had read.

The princes then sent Jehudi, a man from Nethaniah's family, to fetch Baruch and bring him to them. When Baruch arrived, they asked him to sit down and read the scroll to them again. As soon as they heard all the words, they were afraid and decided to inform King Jehoiakim about it.

The princes questioned Baruch, asking how he had written everything on the scroll at Jeremiah's mouth. Baruch replied that Jeremiah had spoken every word directly to him, and he had written it down in ink on the scroll.

Because of this, the princes ordered Baruch and Jeremiah to hide, but secretly they took the scroll into the palace and told King Jehoiakim about its contents.

The king sent Jehudi to fetch the scroll from Elishama's chamber, where it was hidden. When Jehudi read three or four leaves of the scroll in front of the king and his princes, he cut them up with a penknife and threw them into the fire on the hearth until the entire roll was consumed.

The king and all his servants stood by without fear or remorse, hearing all the words that Baruch had written down. Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king to spare the scroll, but he refused to listen.

King Jehoiakim ordered Jerahmeel, Seraiah, and Shelemiah to seize Baruch and Jeremiah, but the Lord protected them. Later, the Lord told Jeremiah, "Take another scroll and write on it all the words that King Jehoiakim has burned."

Jeremiah wrote these new words down: "This is what the Lord says to King Jehoiakim of Judah: 'You thought you were so smart, burning this scroll with my words. You said, 'Why did Jeremiah write that the king of Babylon will come and destroy this land, leaving it empty?'"

The Lord declared a terrible fate for King Jehoiakim: "He will have no descendants to sit on the throne of David, and his body will be left out in the scorching heat during the day and freezing cold at night." The Lord would punish him and his servants for their wickedness, just as he had threatened.

Jeremiah then gave Baruch another scroll to write down all the words that King Jehoiakim had burned. To this new scroll were added many more warnings similar to those on the first scroll.