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In the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD to Jeremiah, saying:
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“Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until now.
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Perhaps when the house of Judah hears of all the disaster that I intend to bring upon them, each one will turn from his evil way, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
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Then Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on the scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation all the words that the LORD had spoken to him.
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And Jeremiah gave Baruch this command: “I am prevented; I cannot go to the house of the LORD.
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So on the fast day you shall go and read the words of the LORD to the people in the house of the LORD from the scroll that you wrote at my dictation; you shall also read them to all the people of Judah who come from their cities.
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Perhaps their plea will come before the LORD, and each one will turn from his evil way; for great is the anger and the wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people.”
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And Baruch son of Neriah did exactly as the prophet Jeremiah had commanded him, reading the words of the LORD from the book in the house of the LORD. —
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Now in the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, a fast was proclaimed before the LORD for all the people in Jerusalem and for all the people who had come from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem. —
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Then Baruch read to all the people the words of Jeremiah from the book, in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entrance of the New Gate of the house of the LORD.
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When Micaiah son of Gemariah son of Shaphan heard all the words of the LORD from the book,
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he went down to the king’s house, to the scribe’s chamber. There all the officials were sitting: the scribe Elishama, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.
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Then Micaiah reported to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book to the people.
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So the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah son of Shelemiah son of Cushi to Baruch, saying, “Bring the scroll that you read to the people, and come here.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll and came to them.
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They said to him, “Please sit down and read it to us.” So Baruch read it to them.
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When they heard all these words, they were alarmed and said to one another, “We must surely tell the king all these words at once!”
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Then they asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us, how did you write all these words?”
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Baruch answered them, “Jeremiah spoke all these words to me from his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.”
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Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.”
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Then they went to the king in the court, after they had stored the scroll in the chamber of the scribe Elishama. They reported all these words to the king.
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The king sent Jehudi to fetch the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of the scribe Elishama. Jehudi read it to the king and to all the officials who stood beside the king.
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It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, with a fire burning in the brazier before him.
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Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the fire in the brazier, until the whole scroll was consumed by the fire in the brazier.
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Neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was alarmed, and they did not tear their garments.
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Indeed, Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, but he would not listen to them.
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Even the king commanded Jerahmeel the prince, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah, but the LORD hid them.
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After the king had burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s mouth, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying:
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“Take another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned.
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And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, you shall say: Thus says the LORD: You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will surely come and destroy this land, and cut off from it man and beast?’
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Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out, exposed to the heat by day and to the frost by night.”
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I will punish him, his descendants, and his servants for their iniquity; I will bring upon them, upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah all the disaster that I have threatened against them, but they would not listen.”
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Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, who wrote on it at Jeremiah’s dictation all the words that were in the book which Jehoiakim, king of Judah, had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
📜🔥🏛 Summary of Jeremiah 36 – The Burned Scroll, the Word That Remains Forever
Jeremiah 36 shows the direct conflict between the Word of God and human power. God commanded Jeremiah to write His prophecies on a scroll so that the people might repent. Jeremiah, unable to be present at the house of God, had Baruch read it aloud. But when the scroll reached King Jehoiakim, he burned it page by page, as a rejection of God’s warning. Yet the Word of God could not be extinguished — God told Jeremiah to write the scroll again, even adding new content.
📌 1. The Command to Write the Scroll of Prophecy (verses 1–3)
“Take a scroll… write all My words…”
➡️ God told Jeremiah to write down again all the prophecies from the days of Josiah until now.
➡️ The purpose: so that Judah might repent and God would forgive.
🎯 God’s word is delivered with love and hope for repentance.
📌 2. Baruch Reads the Scroll (verses 4–10)
“Baruch wrote it with ink on the scroll…”
➡️ Jeremiah could not come to the house of the LORD (possibly because he was restrained), so Baruch represented him.
➡️ The word was read before the people gathered on a fast day.
🎯 Even though Jeremiah was restricted, the Word of God still found its way.
📌 3. The Word Reaches the Leaders (verses 11–19)
“All these words were reported to the officials…”
➡️ After the people heard it, the news reached the leaders. They were startled and ordered the scroll to be read again.
➡️ They decided to inform the king and ordered Baruch and Jeremiah to hide.
🎯 Some feared the Word, but also feared the king — a fear that was not complete.
📌 4. King Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll (verses 20–26)
“After three or four columns had been read, the king cut it off and threw it into the fire…”
➡️ Jehoiakim showed open rejection of the Word of the Lord.
➡️ He was not afraid, did not repent, but instead burned the Word piece by piece.
➡️ He also ordered Jeremiah and Baruch to be seized, but the Lord hid them.
🎯 A hardened heart can hate the truth so much that it is willing to destroy it.
📌 5. The Word Is Written Again, Even Added To (verses 27–32)
“Take another scroll and write all the words…”
➡️ The Lord told Jeremiah to write out the whole scroll again, even adding a prophecy of judgment against Jehoiakim.
➡️ Jehoiakim would have no descendant to sit on the throne, and his body would be cast out.
🎯 The Word of the Lord cannot be stopped — people may burn the paper, but they cannot silence the voice of God.
📖 Main Teaching
- The Word of the Lord is written and proclaimed to awaken and save
- Rejection of the Word of the Lord is a form of direct rebellion against God
- A person’s response to the Word shows the condition of the heart: repentance or rebellion
- The Word of the Lord cannot be destroyed — even if rejected, God will make it known again
- God protects those who faithfully proclaim the truth
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 Matthew 24:35
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
➡️ As in Jeremiah 36 — the word of the Lord is everlasting and cannot be destroyed.
📖 2 Timothy 3:16
“All Scripture inspired by God is indeed useful…”
➡️ Jeremiah’s scroll is an example of divine revelation with power to teach and reprove.
📖 Hebrews 4:12
“The word of God is living and powerful…”
➡️ The word cannot be quenched by fire or restrained by power.
📖 Revelation 10:9–11
“Take the book and eat it…”
➡️ A picture that the word must be lived out and spoken again, even when it carries the bitterness of prophecy.
🕊️ “Perhaps the people of Judah will hear all the disaster… so that they may repent.” – Jeremiah 36:3
🕊️ “The king cut the scroll… and threw it into the fire.” – Jeremiah 36:23
🕊️ “Write all the words again…” – Jeremiah 36:28
🕊️ “Jeremiah wrote again… and many similar words were added.” – Jeremiah 36:32
