1. During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord said to me, “Jeremiah,
2. since the time Josiah was king, I have been speaking to you about Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Now, get a scroll and write down everything I have told you,
3. then read it to the people of Judah. Perhaps they will stop sinning when they hear what terrible things I plan for them. And if they turn to me, I will forgive them.”
4. I sent for Baruch son of Neriah and asked him to help me. I repeated everything the Lord had told me, and Baruch wrote it all down on a scroll.
5. Then I said,Baruch, the officials refuse to let me go into the Lord's temple,
6. so you must go instead. Wait for the next holy day when the people of Judah come to the temple to pray and to go without eating. Then take this scroll to the temple and read it aloud.
7. The Lord is furious, and if the people hear how he is going to punish them, perhaps they will ask to be forgiven.
8-10. In the ninth month of the fifth year that Jehoiakim was king, the leaders set a day when everyone who lived in Jerusalem or who was visiting here had to pray and go without eating. So Baruch took the scroll to the upper courtyard of the temple. He went over to the side of the courtyard and stood in a covered area near New Gate, where he read the scroll aloud.This covered area belonged to Gemariah, one of the king's highest officials.
11. Gemariah's son Micaiah was there and heard Baruch read what the Lord had said.