← All Chapters The Book of Jeremiah · Chapter 26

Jeremiah 26: On Trial for the Word

Jeremiah preaches in the temple court and is seized and threatened with death, yet entrusts himself to God and is spared.

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Jeremiah 26 (WEB)

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from Yahweh, saying,

2 Thus says Yahweh: Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them; don’t diminish a word.

3 It may be they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings.

4 You shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

5 to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but you have not listened;

6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in Yahweh’s house.

8 When Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die.”

9 Why have you prophesied in Yahweh’s name, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? All the people were gathered to Jeremiah in Yahweh’s house.

10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to Yahweh’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Yahweh’s house.

11 Then spoke the priests and the prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.

12 Then spoke Jeremiah to all the princes and to all the people, saying, Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

13 Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey Yahweh your God’s voice; and Yahweh will repent him of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes.

15 Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for of a truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.

16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.

17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,

18 Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus says Yahweh of Armies: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear Yahweh, and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls.

20 There was also a man who prophesied in Yahweh’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

21 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 Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt:

22 and Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt;

23 and they fetched Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

24 But 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.

Summary

Early in Jehoiakim's reign, God commands Jeremiah to stand in the temple court and speak every word he is given, diminishing nothing, in hope that the people might still turn and God relent. Jeremiah warns that if they will not listen, God will make this temple like Shiloh—the ruined sanctuary of old—and the city a curse among the nations. The reaction is fury: the priests, prophets, and people seize him, crying "You shall surely die!" When the princes of Judah come up to hold court at the New Gate, the religious leaders press for a death sentence. Jeremiah answers with quiet courage: God truly sent him; let them amend their ways and Yahweh may relent; as for him, he is in their hands to do as they see fit—but if they kill him, they will bring innocent blood upon themselves and the city. The princes and people then rule that he is not worthy of death, for he has spoken in Yahweh's name. The elders support this by recalling how Micah prophesied similar things in Hezekiah's day and was not killed, since the king feared God and God relented. The chapter closes with a sober counterexample: the prophet Uriah, who spoke a like message, fled to Egypt, was extradited by Jehoiakim, and killed. Jeremiah is preserved only because Ahikam the son of Shaphan stands with him. The faithful word costs much, but God protects his servant in the hour of danger.

Voices

  • Jeremiah — The prophet who preaches the full temple sermon, is seized and tried for his life, and entrusts himself to God's hand.
  • The priests and prophets — The religious leaders who seize Jeremiah and demand his death for prophesying against the temple and city.
  • The princes and elders — The officials and elders who judge Jeremiah not worthy of death, recalling the precedent of Micah in Hezekiah's day.
  • Ahikam son of Shaphan — The protector whose hand was with Jeremiah, sparing him from being handed over to be killed.

Key Verse

Jeremiah 26:13 (WEB)

Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey Yahweh your God’s voice; and Yahweh will repent him of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

Lessons Learned

  • Faithfulness may require speaking the whole truth without softening it, even at great risk (Jeremiah 26:2).
  • God's threats of judgment are often invitations to repentance and his relenting (Jeremiah 26:3, 13).
  • Standing for God's word can provoke fierce opposition, even from religious leaders (Jeremiah 26:8).
  • God can raise up unexpected defenders to protect his servants in danger (Jeremiah 26:24).
  • Do not diminish God's word. Jeremiah is to speak “all the words… don’t diminish a word” (Jeremiah 26:2, WEB). Faithfulness means delivering the message whole, not the comfortable parts only.
  • Judgment is announced to invite repentance. “Amend your ways… and Yahweh will repent him of the evil” (Jeremiah 26:13, WEB). God warns so that we might turn and be spared.
  • Faithful witnesses entrust themselves to God. “I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes” (Jeremiah 26:14, WEB). Jeremiah surrenders the outcome to God.
  • God provides protectors in the storm. “The hand of Ahikam… was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him… to put him to death” (Jeremiah 26:24, WEB). God raises up allies for his servants.
  1. Why does God tell Jeremiah not to diminish a single word of his message (26:2)?
  2. How does Jeremiah's calm response under threat of death (26:12-15) model courage and trust?
  3. What does the elders' appeal to Micah and Hezekiah (26:17-19) teach about learning from history?
  4. Why does the chapter end with the contrasting story of Uriah, who was killed (26:20-23)?
  5. Where is God calling you to speak or live the truth even when it may be costly, and how can you entrust the outcome to him?
  1. God wants the full message delivered because the people's only hope of repentance lies in hearing the whole truth, including the hard parts (26:2-3). Softening it would rob them of the warning that might save them. Help the group value truth spoken in love over comfortable half-messages.
  2. Facing a death threat, Jeremiah neither retracts nor rages; he restates God's call, urges repentance, and places his life in their hands while warning of innocent blood (26:12-15). His composure flows from trusting God with the outcome. Encourage the group toward this kind of surrendered courage.
  3. The elders remember that Micah preached judgment under Hezekiah, yet the king feared God and was spared, so killing Jeremiah would be folly (26:17-19). Knowing how God has acted before guides wise present action. Invite the group to draw courage and wisdom from God's past faithfulness.
  4. Uriah's death shows the very real danger Jeremiah faced and that faithfulness does not always end in earthly rescue (26:20-23). It keeps us from a simplistic view that obedience guarantees safety. Let the group hold both Jeremiah's deliverance and Uriah's martyrdom honestly before God.
  5. This is a personal-application question. Gently invite members to name a costly truth they sense God calling them to speak or live, and how they can trust him with the results. As leader, point to Jesus, who spoke truth to the cost of his life and entrusted himself to the Father, and keep the tone hopeful.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.