36 In the fourth year of the reign Yehudah’s (Judah’s) King Yehoyakim (son of Yoshiyah (Josiah)), Yahweh gave this message to Yirmiyah (Jeremiah):[ref] 2 Get a scroll for yourself and write all the messages on it that I’ve told you concerning Yisrael (Israel) and Yehudah, and all the other nations. Do this for everything I have said, back from the time of Yoshiyah until the present time. 3 Perhaps Yehudah’s people will hear about all the disasters that I intend to bring on them and then turn away from their wicked ways, so I can forgive them for their wickedness and their disobedience.

4 Then Yirmiyah called Neriyah’s son Baruk, and Yirmiyah dictated all the messages that Yahweh had given to him, for Baruk to record on a scroll. 5 Then Yirmiyah instructed Baruk saying, “I’m restrained from entering Yahweh’s residence 6 so you must go and read from the scroll that you wrote at my dictation. On the day of the fast, you must read Yahweh’s messages so that all the people in the temple will hear them as well as the people from the rest of Yehudah’s cities. Proclaim these messages to them. 7 Perhaps Yahweh will take notice of their pleas for mercy. Perhaps everyone will turn from their wicked ways, since the anger and fury that Yahweh has proclaimed against this nation is severe. 8 So Neriyah’s son Baruk did everything that the prophet Yirmiyah had told him to—he read Yahweh’s messages aloud at Yahweh’s temple.

9 In the ninth month of the next year, all the people in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and the visitors to the city from the rest of Yehudah, announced a fast to honour Yahweh. 10 Again Baruk read Yirmiyah’s messages aloud at Yahweh’s temple, from the room of Gemaryah (son of the scribe Shafan) in the upper courtyard, by the entrance gate to Yahweh’s residence. He did this so that all the people could hear it.