Jeremiah 26
The full text of Jeremiah 26 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:
2 "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the court of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.
3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.
4 Say to them: 'This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you,
5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened),
6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.'"
7 The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.
8 But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, "You must die!
9 Why do you prophesy in the LORD's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the royal palace to the house of the LORD and took their seats at the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD's house.
11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people: "This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"
12 Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard.
13 Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you.
14 As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right.
15 But know this for certain: if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears."
16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets: "This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."
17 Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people,
18 "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah: 'This is what the LORD of hosts says:
"Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets."
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the LORD and seek his favor? And did not the LORD relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!"
20 (Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did.
21 When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and was afraid and fled and went to Egypt.
22 King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Achbor to Egypt, along with some other men.
23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)
24 Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
Translation notes (11)
- Jeremiah 26:1a The Hebrew phrase bᵉrēʾšît mamleket means 'at the beginning of the reign,' referring to the king's accession year. This passage provides the narrative account of the sermon that was summarized in chapter 7.
- Jeremiah 26:2a The Hebrew phrase 'al-tigra' dābār, meaning 'do not remove/diminish a word,' commands the complete and unaltered transmission of the prophetic message, allowing for no softening or self-censorship.
- Jeremiah 26:3a The Hebrew phrase 'ûlay yišmᵉʿû...wᵉniḥamtî expresses divine uncertainty ('perhaps') and contingency ('then I will relent'). This shows that the divine action of nāḥam, meaning 'relenting,' is conditional on human response, as also seen in chapter 18.
- Jeremiah 26:6a Heb. kᵉšilôh — Shiloh, where the tabernacle stood, was destroyed (cf. 1 Sam 4; Ps 78:60). The temple is not inviolable. This is the scandalous claim.
- Jeremiah 26:10a The Hebrew word śārîm refers to the officials who come from the palace. The 'New Gate' possibly refers to the upper or new gate of the temple (see 20:2). These officials together form the court.
- Jeremiah 26:14a The Hebrew phrase hinnᵉnî bᵉyedkem, meaning 'I am in your hands,' is a declaration of total vulnerability. Jeremiah surrenders to the court's authority without attempting to flee or retract his words.
- Jeremiah 26:15a The Hebrew phrase dam nāqî, meaning 'innocent blood,' refers to the blood-guilt that would fall upon the city if they were to execute an authorized prophet. This warning effectively turns their own threat back on them.
- Jeremiah 26:18a Heb. citation of Mic 3:12 verbatim — the only OT quote of one prophet by another within the canon. The precedent: Micah said exactly what Jeremiah said, and was not killed.
- Jeremiah 26:19a The Hebrew phrase wayyiḥal 'et-pᵉnê YHWH means 'he sought/appeased the face of YHWH'. The successful precedent is that Hezekiah's response to Micah was repentance, not execution, and God relented.
- Jeremiah 26:23a The Hebrew phrase qibrôt bᵉnê hāʿām means 'graves of the sons of the people'. This refers to a common burial site, not the royal or honored tombs, signifying total dishonor in death.
- Jeremiah 26:24a Heb. Ahikam ben Shaphan — from the pro-Deuteronomy scribal family (cf. 2 Kgs 22:12); his father Shaphan was the scribe who brought the Torah scroll to Josiah. Ahikam's support was crucial.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own modern English translation, worked directly from the original Hebrew and honest to the earliest manuscripts. It was completed in 2026 — the most modern English Bible translation — and is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter, including all of Jeremiah, is free to read here on the web.
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