Jeremiah 36:16-26

16When they had heard it all, they expressed their alarm to one another. Then they said to Baruch, “We must certainly give the king a report about everything you have read!”

17Then they asked Baruch, “How did you come to write all these words? Do they actually come from Jeremiah’s mouth?”

18Baruch answered, “Yes, they came from his own mouth. He dictated all these words to me and I wrote them down in ink on this scroll.”

19Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must go and hide. You must not let anyone know where you are.”

20The officials put the scroll in the room of Elishama, the royal secretary, for safekeeping. Then they went to the court and reported everything to the king.

21The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. He went and got it from the room of Elishama, the royal secretary. Then he himself read it to the king and all the officials who were standing around him.

22Since it was the ninth month of the year, the king was sitting in his winter quarters. A fire was burning in the firepot in front of him.

23As soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king would cut them off with a penknife and throw them on the fire in the firepot. He kept doing so until the whole scroll was burned up in the fire.

24Neither he nor any of his attendants showed any alarm when they heard all that had been read. Nor did they tear their clothes to show any grief or sorrow.

25The king did not even listen to Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah, who had urged him not to burn the scroll.

26He also ordered Jerahmeel, who was one of the royal princes, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. However, the Lord hid them.