First Reading

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,

son of Josiah, king of Judah,

this message came from the Lord:

Thus says the Lord:

Stand in the court of the house of the Lord

and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah

who come to worship in the house of the Lord;

whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.

Perhaps they will listen and turn back,

each from his evil way,

so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them

for their evil deeds.

Say to them: Thus says the Lord:

If you disobey me,

not living according to the law I placed before you

and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets,

whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,

I will treat this house like Shiloh,

and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth

shall refer when cursing another.Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people

heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord.

When Jeremiah finished speaking

all that the Lord bade him speak to all the people,

the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,

“You must be put to death!

Why do you prophesy in the name of the Lord:

‘This house shall be like Shiloh,’ and

‘This city shall be desolate and deserted’?”

And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.