Jeremiah 43
Big idea: The answer is rejected in a single sentence — you speak falsely — the prophet and his secretary are taken to Egypt against their will, and the first thing he does on arrival is bury stones in the pavement of a government building.
The accusation that Baruch is behind it is the only place in the book where the secretary is treated as the author.
43:1–13 — You speak falsely
The rejection is immediate and it is put as a charge of forgery: Azariah, Johanan and all the proud men said to Jeremiah, you speak falsely; Yahweh our God has not sent you to say, you shall not go into Egypt to live there. But Baruch son of Neriah has set you on against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death and carry us away captive to Babylon. Ten days earlier they swore to obey whatever came; now the message is attributed to the secretary's political agenda. It is the only place where Baruch is accused of writing the material rather than taking it down.
1 When Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all the words of Yahweh their God, with which Yahweh their God had sent him to them, even all these words, 2 then Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely. Yahweh our God has not sent you to say, ‘You shall not go into Egypt to live there;’ 3 but Baruch the son of Neriah has turned you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” 4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, didn’t obey Yahweh’s voice, to dwell in the land of Judah. 5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah, who had returned from all the nations where they had been driven, to live in the land of Judah— 6 the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, and every person who Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. 7 They came into the land of Egypt, for they didn’t obey Yahweh’s voice; and they came to Tahpanhes. 8 Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 9 “Take great stones in your hand and hide them in mortar in the brick work which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah. 10 Tell them, Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his royal pavilion over them. 11 He will come, and will strike the land of Egypt; such as are for death will be put to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity, and such as are for the sword to the sword. 12 I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt. He will burn them, and carry them away captive. He will array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment; and he will go out from there in peace. 13 He will also break the pillars of Beth Shemesh that is in the land of Egypt; and he will burn the houses of the gods of Egypt with fire.’”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).