Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house, in the ears of all the people. {entry: or, door}

Then said Jeremiah, {It is} false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. {false: Heb. falsehood, or, a lie}

Nevertheless 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.

Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood. {power: Heb. arm}

Then he went down into the king's house, into the scribe's chamber: and, lo, all the princes sat there, {even} 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.

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. {welfare: Heb. peace}

Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.

The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man {is} not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.

Her princes in the midst thereof {are} like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, {and} to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house, in the ears of all the people. {entry: or, door}

Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let {them} go.

And he commanded them, saying, This {is} the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, {doing} according to their abominations, {even} of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which {was} by the chamber of the princes, which {was} above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door: {door: Heb. threshold, or, vessel}

And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them {was} clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. {which lieth: Heb. which is turned} {a slaughter...: Heb. a weapon of his breaking in pieces} {by his...: Heb. upon his loins}