16 So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

17 nThen certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: 18 o“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

p“Zion shall be plowed like a field,

Jerusalem shall become qheaps of ruins,

And the mountain of the 3temple

Like the 4bare hills of the forest.” ’

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? rDid he not fear the Lord and sseek the Lord’s favor? And the Lord trelented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. uBut we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

20 Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt. 22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt. 23 And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the 5common people.

24 Nevertheless vthe hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.