Read · Listen · Study

Jeremiah 36 · Berean Standard Bible

Playback speed

¹In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ²“Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you during the reign of Josiah until today. ³Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the calamity I plan to bring upon them, each of them will turn from his wicked way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.” ⁴So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and at the dictation of Jeremiah, Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words that the LORD had spoken to Jeremiah. ⁵Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I am restricted; I cannot enter the house of the LORD; ⁶so you are to go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting, and in the hearing of the people you are to read the words of the LORD from the scroll you have written at my dictation. Read them in the hearing of all the people of Judah who are coming from their cities. ⁷Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each one will turn from his wicked way; for great are the anger and fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people.” ⁸So Baruch son of Neriah did everything that Jeremiah the prophet had commanded him. In the house of the LORD he read the words of the LORD from the scroll. ⁹Now in the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a fast before the LORD was proclaimed to all the people of Jerusalem and all who had come there from the cities of Judah. ¹⁰From the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, which was in the upper courtyard at the opening of the New Gate of the house of the LORD, Baruch read from the scroll the words of Jeremiah in the hearing of all the people. ¹¹When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll, ¹²he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. ¹³And Micaiah reported to them all the words he had heard Baruch read from the scroll in the hearing of the people. ¹⁴Then all the officials sent word to Baruch through Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, saying, “Bring the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come here.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll and went to them. ¹⁵“Please sit down,” they said, “and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing. ¹⁶When they had heard all these words, they turned to one another in fear and said to Baruch, “Surely we must report all these words to the king.” ¹⁷“Tell us now,” they asked Baruch, “how did you write all these words? Was it at Jeremiah’s dictation?” ¹⁸“It was at his dictation,” Baruch replied. “He recited all these words to me and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.” ¹⁹Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must hide yourselves and tell no one where you are.” ²⁰So the officials went to the king in the courtyard. And having stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, they reported everything to the king. ²¹Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing beside him. ²²Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him. ²³And as soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire. ²⁴Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments. ²⁵Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. ²⁶Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them. ²⁷After the king had burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ²⁸“Take another scroll and rewrite on it the very words that were on the original scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah has burned. ²⁹You are to proclaim concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah that this is what the LORD says: You have burned the scroll and said, ‘Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon would surely come and destroy this land and deprive it of man and beast?’ ³⁰Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his body will be thrown out and exposed to heat by day and frost by night. ³¹I will punish him and his descendants and servants for their iniquity. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the calamity about which I warned them but they did not listen.” ³²Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and at Jeremiah’s dictation he wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Berean Standard Bible · public domain. More versions and languages in the Reading Plan.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36

The Scroll of Judgment and the Fire of Rejection

✦

Objective

To reveal the divine call to proclaim judgment through written prophecy, the resistance of earthly authority to God's word, and the steadfastness of the prophet amid opposition.

Overview

In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim, Jeremiah receives a command from the LORD to write all His words of warning on a scroll. Baruch, his scribe, records these words and reads them publicly during a fast, seeking repentance among Judah's people. The king’s officials hear the scroll and fear its message, reporting it to the king. Jehoiakim responds with contempt, cutting and burning the scroll before all, yet God commands Jeremiah to rewrite the words with added warnings. Despite royal opposition, the prophetic word endures, testifying to God's judgment and mercy.

Detailed Analysis

Event Description

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the LORD commands Jeremiah to take a scroll and write all the words spoken against Israel, Judah, and the nations since the days of Josiah. This act is a solemn documentation of divine judgment and a call to repentance.

Central Themes

The authority of God's word

the permanence of divine judgment

the call to repentance.

Cultural & Historical Context

Writing prophecy on scrolls was a recognized method of preserving and proclaiming God's message (cf. Habakkuk 2:2). The historical backdrop is a Judah facing impending judgment due to persistent sin despite Josiah’s reforms.

Key Verse

Jeremiah 36:2

Vivid Artistic Descriptions

The Divine Commission to Record Judgment

A dim chamber lit by a single lamp, where Jeremiah solemnly dictates to Baruch, the scroll unrolled before them like a river of words flowing from heaven’s decree, the weight of impending judgment heavy in the air.

Public Reading and the People's Hearing

A crowded temple courtyard on a fasting day, faces turned upward in mixed awe and dread as Baruch’s voice carries the burning words of warning, a palpable tension woven through the gathered assembly.

The Princes’ Fear and the King's Rejection

A royal winterhouse glowing with firelight, the king seated with pride and scorn, the scroll’s leaves severed and consumed by flames, while courtiers exchange fearful glances, the sacred word swallowed by defiant heat.

God’s Sovereign Preservation and Renewed Command

In secret places, Jeremiah and Baruch hidden yet unbroken, a new scroll being written under the steady hand of divine inspiration, the words glowing with renewed life and unstoppable purpose.

Song

Jeremiah 36 Song

Verse 1:

From whispered word to written scroll, The prophet’s voice obeys the call. A message grave, a warning clear, To ears that tremble yet won’t hear.

Verse 2:

Baruch reads in sacred halls, The fasting crowd before Him falls. Princes fear, but hearts stay cold, The King’s disdain, a tale retold.

Chorus:

Burn the scroll, but not the word, God’s truth remains, forever heard. Fires rage, but cannot consume, The holy voice that breaks the gloom.

Bridge:

Yet God protects His faithful ones, His word endures when all seems done. Another scroll, another plea, A call to turn, to be set free.

Final Chorus:

Burn the scroll, but not the word, God’s truth remains, forever heard. Fires rage, but cannot consume, The holy voice that breaks the gloom.

Practical Application

Personal Life

Embrace God’s word even when it challenges comfort or authority.

Respond to conviction with repentance and humility.

Trust that God preserves His truth amid opposition.

Community & Society

Encourage open proclamation of God’s word within the church and society.

Support those who faithfully witness despite resistance or rejection.

Foster communal repentance and prayer in times of national or moral crisis.

Global Perspective

Recognize the global call to heed God’s warnings through His servants.

Advocate for justice and righteousness in leadership and governance.

Pray for protection and perseverance of God’s messengers worldwide.

Conclusion

Jeremiah 36 stands as a solemn testament to the power and persistence of God's word. Though earthly powers may seek to silence or destroy it, the divine message of judgment and mercy endures, calling all to repentance. The chapter challenges believers to honor the prophetic voice, trust in God's sovereign protection, and remain faithful amid opposition.