1 No quarto ano do reinado de Joaquim (filho de Josias), rei de Judá, o Senhor transmitiu esta mensagem a Jeremias:
2 Arranja um rolo para escrever, e regista lá todas as mensagens que tenho dado contra Israel, Judá e as outras nações. Começa com a primeira mensagem, ainda nos tempos de Josias; escreve todas elas. Talvez que quando o povo de Judá ver escritas todas as coisas terríveis que lhes farei, se arrependam. E nessa altura, perdoar-lhes-ei.
4 Por isso Jeremias mandou buscar Baruque (filho de Nerias), e fê-lo escrever todas as profecias.
5 Depois de acabar, Jeremias disse a Baruque: Visto que estou aqui como prisioneiro, lê tu este rolo no templo, no próximo dia de jejum, porque nesse dia haverá uma grande assembleia com o povo que há-de vir de toda a parte de Judá. Talvez eles renunciem aos seus maus caminhos e peçam ao Senhor que lhes perdoe, antes que seja demasiado tarde, e que estas maldições proferidas pelo próprio Senhor caiam sobre eles.
8 Baruque fez como Jeremias lhe tinha dito e leu todas aquelas mensagens ao povo, no templo. Isso ocorreu no dia de jejum, que teve lugar no mês de Dezembro do quinto ano do reinado de Joaquim (filho de Josias,) dia em que veio povo de toda a parte de Judá assistir no templo às celebrações especiais desse dia. Baruque foi igualmente à sala de trabalho de Gemarias o secretário (filho de Safã) para lhe ler o rolo. (Essa sala era mesmo ao lado da entrada que dava para o salão superior de assembleias do templo, junto à porta nova.)
11 Quando Micaías (filho de Gemarias e neto de Safã) ouviu aquelas mensagens de Deus, desceu até ao palácio, à câmara de conferências, onde estavam reunidos os chefes da administração pública - entre outros, Elisama o secretário, Delaías (filho de Semaías), Elnatã (filho de Acbor), Gemarias (filho de Safã), Zedequias (filho de Hananias), assim como todos os outros que tinham responsabilidades similares. Quando Micaías os pôs ao corrente das mensagens que Baruque tinha lido ao público, aqueles administradores enviaram Jeudi (filho de Netanias, filho de Selemias e filho de Cusi), que pedisse a Baruque para vir ler-lhes essas mensagens, também; e Baruque aceitou.
16 Quando terminou a leitura, os outros estavam extremamente aterrorizados. Temos de dizer ao rei, disseram eles. Mas primeiro diz-nos como foi que obtiveste estas mensagens. Foi mesmo Jeremias quem tas ditou a ti próprio? t
18 E então Baruque explicou-lhes que foi Jeremias quem lhe ditou tudo, palavra por palavra, e ele, Baruque, escreveu com tinta no rolo.
19 Vocês, tu e Jeremias, têm de se esconder os dois, disseram os administradores a Baruque. E não digam a ninguém onde estão! Aqueles magistrados esconderam o rolo nos aposentos de Elisama, o secretário, e foram contar tudo ao rei.
21 Este mandou Jeudi ir buscar o rolo. Jeudi trouxe-o das dependências de Elisama e leu-o ao rei, na presença de todos os altos magistrados. Encontravam-se na parte do palácio que o rei usava durante o Inverno. Havia um grande braseiro, diante do qual o rei estava sentado, porque era em Dezembro e fazia frio. Então, depois de Jeudi ter lido umas três ou quatro faixas de escrita, o rei pegou numa faca e começou a rasgar o rolo; depois lançou-o ao fogo, até que acabou por ficar todo queimado. E ninguém abriu a boca em protesto, com excepção de Elnatã, de Delaías e de Gemarias. Estes ainda pediram ao rei para não o queimar, mas ele não quis ouvi-los. Ninguém mais da corte do rei mostrou sinais de temor ou revolta pelo que tinha sido feito.
26 Depois o rei mandou Jerameel (membro da família real), Seraías (filho de Azriel), e Selemias (filho de Abdeel) prenderem Baruque e Jeremias. Mas o Senhor escondeu-os.
27 Depois do rei ter queimado o rolo, o Senhor disse a Jeremias:
28 Arranja outro rolo; escreve nele tudo de novo, como no primeiro, e diz assim ao rei: Diz o Senhor - Fizeste arder o rolo, porque dizia lá que o rei de Babilónia havia de destruir esta nação, com tudo o que nele há. Pois agora, o Senhor acrescenta ainda isto, a respeito de ti, Joaquim, rei de Judá: Não terás quem te suceda no trono de David. O teu cadáver será exposto à torreira do Sol, às geadas das noites; castigar-te-ei, assim como à tua família e os teus administradores, por causa dos teus pecados. Derramarei sobre vocês todo o mal que prometi - sobre vocês e sobre todo o povo de Judá e de Jerusalém, pois que não querem prestar atenção aos meus avisos.
32 Então Jeremias arranjou outro rolo, e tornou a ditar a Baruque tudo o que tinha sido escrito antes. Só que desta vez o Senhor fê-lo acrescentar uma quantidade de coisas!
1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
2 Take a roll of a book, and write in it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day.
3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do to them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of Yahweh, which he had spoken to him, on a roll of a book.
5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I can't go into the house of Yahweh:
6 therefore you go, and read in the roll, which you have written from my mouth, the words of Yahweh in the ears of the people in Yahweh's house on the fast-day; and also you will read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.
7 It may be they will present their supplication before Yahweh, and will return every one from his evil way; for great is the anger and the wrath that Yahweh has pronounced against this people.
8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of Yahweh in Yahweh's house.
9 Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that all the people in Jerusalem, and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem, proclaimed a fast before Yahweh.
10 Then Baruch read in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan, the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the new gate of Yahweh's house, in the ears of all the people.
11 And when Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of Yahweh,
12 he went down into the king's house, into the scribe's chamber: and, look, all the princes were sitting there, [to wit], Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes.
13 Then Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.
14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, Take in your hand the roll in which you have read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came to them.
15 And they said to him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.
16 Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they turned in fear one toward another, and said to Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words.
17 And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How did you write all these words at his mouth?
18 Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.
19 Then said the princes to Baruch, Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah; and let no man know where you{+} are.
20 And they went in to the king into the court; but they had laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; and they told all the words in the ears of the king.
21 So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll; and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes that stood beside the king.
22 Now the king was sitting in the winter-house in the ninth month: and [there was a fire in] the brazier burning before him.
23 And it came to pass, when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, that [the king] cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
24 And they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his slaves who heard all these words.
25 Moreover Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll; but he would not hear them.
26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but Yahweh hid them.
27 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, after the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
28 Take again another roll for yourself, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you will say, Thus says Yahweh: You have burned this roll, saying, Why have you written in it, saying, The king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cause to cease from there man and beast?
30 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have none to sit on the throne of David; and his dead body will be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.
31 And I will punish him and his seed and his slaves for their iniquity; and I will bring on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them, but they didn't listen.
32 Then Jeremiah took another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote in it from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added besides to them many like words.