The King Burned My Homework
- God tells Jeremiah to take a scroll and write down all the prophecies he's spoken so far against Judah, Israel, and the nations, from Josiah's reign up to the present. Maybe it'll get people to mend their ways.
- Jeremiah dictates his prophecies to his faithful scribe, Baruch.
- Jeremiah isn't allowed in the temple anymore because the priests have had it with his jeremiads, so he sends Baruch to read it to the people gathered there during a fast day. Baruch reads them the scroll in the chamber of this guy named Gemariah.
- (This happens during Jehoiakim's reign, by the way. Kind of a flashback.)
- Gemariah's son, Michaiah, tells a bunch of palace officials about the words read by Baruch.
- So the officials send a dude named Jehudi to fetch Baruch and to have him read the scroll to them.
- Baruch reads to them and tells them Jeremiah dictated the book. The officials decide that the king definitely should hear these prophecies.
- But first they make sure that Baruch and Jeremiah are safely hidden away.
- They leave the scroll with the king and tell Jehudi to retrieve it when King Jehoiakim's ready to hear it.
- But as Jehudi reads the scroll, the king cuts off pieces and throws them in the fire until the whole scroll's burned up.
- The officials urge him not to burn the scroll but Jehoiakim won't listen. He orders Jeremiah and Baruch arrested, but God's already hidden them.
- God tells Jeremiah to dictate the scroll to Baruch over again (which he does). This time Jeremiah adds in some more prophecies.