Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll

During the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, instructing him to write all the words spoken against Israel and Judah on a scroll. Because Jeremiah was restricted from entering the temple, he dictated these words to Baruch son of Neriah, who wrote them with ink (Jeremiah 36:4). Jeremiah commanded Baruch to go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read the words in the hearing of all the people of Jerusalem and those coming from the towns of Judah.

In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim, Baruch read the scroll from the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan at the entry of the New Gate (Jeremiah 36:10). Micaiah heard these words and informed the officials gathered in the scribe's chamber at the king's palace. The officials, including Elishama the scribe, sent Jehudi to bring Baruch and the scroll to them. After hearing the words, the officials were afraid and informed Baruch and Jeremiah to hide themselves, though the text does not say where they went (Jeremiah 36:19). The officials then went to the king, leaving the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe.

King Jehoiakim was sitting in his winter house with a fire burning in the brazier before him when Jehudi was sent to fetch and read the scroll. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the fire until the entire scroll was consumed (Jeremiah 36:23). Although Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he did not listen. The king then commanded the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah, but the Lord had hidden them. Following the destruction of the first scroll, the Lord commanded Jeremiah to take another scroll and write all the former words that were on the first scroll.