Single lesson
Jeremiah Is Threatened for His Message
Jeremiah 26:1–24
Jeremiah 26 tells of a hard day when Jeremiah delivered Yahweh’s message in Yahweh’s house. Students will trace the whole chapter, including Uriah’s case, and compare the choices people made and what followed.
Before you teach
At the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, Yahweh told Jeremiah to stand in the court of Yahweh’s house and speak all the words he was commanded. The message warned Judah to listen, turn from evil ways, and obey Yahweh’s voice. The chapter then shows several responses to that message, including accusation, defence, a remembered earlier example, Uriah’s death, and Jeremiah’s protection.
Students will be able to sequence Jeremiah 26:1-24, identify major choices and outcomes across the whole account, and explain from the passage that Yahweh sent a warning message and people responded to it in very different ways.
Welcome: Listen for choices and outcomes
4 minIntroduce the lesson by saying this chapter shows one message from Yahweh and many different responses. Ask students to listen for who speaks, who accuses, who defends, who remembers an earlier prophet, what happens to Uriah, and who helps Jeremiah. Write these names where all can see: Jeremiah, priests, prophets, people, princes, elders, Uriah and Ahikam.
Jeremiah 26:2, Jeremiah 26:7, Jeremiah 26:10, Jeremiah 26:17, Jeremiah 26:20, Jeremiah 26:24
Read and explain: Jeremiah speaks every word
8 minRead verses 1 to 6 and explain that Jeremiah was told to stand in the court of Yahweh’s house and not omit a word. Then read verses 7 to 15. Notice that after the people seize him, Jeremiah still says Yahweh sent him and still calls them to amend their ways, obey Yahweh, and take seriously the warning about innocent blood.
Jeremiah 26:1, Jeremiah 26:2, Jeremiah 26:3, Jeremiah 26:6, Jeremiah 26:8, Jeremiah 26:12, Jeremiah 26:13, Jeremiah 26:15
Discuss: Some accuse, some defend, some remember
6 minRead verses 16 to 19 together after briefly noting the accusation in verse 11. Help students compare the responses. The priests and prophets say Jeremiah is worthy of death. The princes and all the people say he is not. The elders then remember Micah’s warning and say Hezekiah feared Yahweh and Yahweh relented of disaster.
Jeremiah 26:11, Jeremiah 26:16, Jeremiah 26:17, Jeremiah 26:18, Jeremiah 26:19
Make and respond: Five-part story sequence
8 minGive students five cards to draw or label with these moments: Yahweh sends Jeremiah, Jeremiah is seized, the assembly hears and some defend him, Uriah is pursued and killed, Ahikam protects Jeremiah. Students place the cards in order and retell the chapter. Explain soberly that Uriah’s case shows the danger to prophets was real before the chapter ends with Jeremiah being protected.
Jeremiah 26:2, Jeremiah 26:8, Jeremiah 26:16, Jeremiah 26:20, Jeremiah 26:21, Jeremiah 26:23, Jeremiah 26:24
Closing: What does this chapter show about God and people?
4 minSummarise the whole passage together. Yahweh sends a warning and calls people to change their ways and obey. People react differently across the chapter: some reject the message, some recognise it, elders remember Micah, Uriah’s case shows real danger, and Ahikam helps Jeremiah. Invite each student to finish the sentence, “This passage shows...”.
Jeremiah 26:13, Jeremiah 26:16, Jeremiah 26:19, Jeremiah 26:23, Jeremiah 26:24
Questions to explore
What was Jeremiah told to do in Yahweh’s house, and how careful did he need to be with the message?
Look for Yahweh’s command about where Jeremiah should stand, who should hear him, and the instruction not to omit a word.
Jeremiah 26:2
What change did Jeremiah call the people to make after he said Yahweh had sent him?
Find the verse where Jeremiah tells them to amend their ways and doings and obey Yahweh’s voice.
Jeremiah 26:12, Jeremiah 26:13
How does the report about Uriah add to the ending of the chapter?
Compare what happened to Uriah with what happened to Jeremiah, and notice who helped Jeremiah at the end.
Jeremiah 26:20, Jeremiah 26:21, Jeremiah 26:23, Jeremiah 26:24
Make, think or respond
Jeremiah 26 Full Chapter Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- Plain paper or light card
- Pencils or textas
- Scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Make five cards labelled or drawn with these moments: Yahweh sends Jeremiah, Jeremiah is seized, princes and people answer, Uriah is brought back and killed, Ahikam protects Jeremiah.
- Mix the cards and ask students to place them in chapter order.
- Read the matching verses aloud as students check and adjust their sequence.
- Ask pairs to retell the whole chapter using all five cards and at least three names from the passage.
This activity helps students include the whole flow of Jeremiah 26:1-24, especially the contrast between Uriah’s outcome and Jeremiah’s protection in Jeremiah 26:20-24.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, pre-write the five card titles and let them add simple drawings before sequencing them.
- For older or more confident children, ask them to add a short phrase from the text to each card, such as “don’t omit a word”, “not worthy of death”, or “the hand of Ahikam was with Jeremiah”.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, please help us listen carefully to your word, respond rightly to what you say, and speak truthfully and wisely. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Jeremiah 26
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Yahweh:
2 “Yahweh says: ‘Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word.
3 It may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way, that I may relent from the evil which I intend to do to them because of the evil of their doings.’ ”
4 You shall tell them, “Yahweh says: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you,
5 to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them—but you have not listened—
6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’ ”
7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in Yahweh’s house.
8 When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die!
9 Why have you prophesied in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” All the people were crowded around Jeremiah in Yahweh’s house.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to Yahweh’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Yahweh’s house.
11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, “Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
13 Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey Yahweh your God’s voice; then Yahweh will relent from the evil that he has pronounced against you.
14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hand. Do with me what is good and right in your eyes.
15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for in truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”
17 Then certain of the elders of the land rose up, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 “Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “ ‘Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear Yahweh, and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? We would commit great evil against our own souls that way!”
20 There was also a man who prophesied in Yahweh’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.
21 When Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.
22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 They fetched Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they didn’t give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.