Dramatised Reading – Jeremiah 36

(Adapted from Contemporary English Version)

Narrator, Jeremiah, Baruch, King Jehoiakim, king’s secretary

Narrator – stands at lectern
Jeremiah – stands front of stage, organ side
Baruch – sitting in congregation
King Jehoiakim – sits regally centre-stage, wearing his crown.
King’s secretary – stands beside Jehoiakim.

Props: scroll, crown, large pair of scissors, paper shredder

The scroll should be in three sections, with the following words on sec. 1:

“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem?
Who will mourn for you?

sec. 2:

Who will stop to ask how you are?
You have rejected me,” declares the Lord.

sec. 3:

“You keep on backsliding.
So I will lay hands on you and destroy you;
I can no longer show compassion.”

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Narrator: During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the LORD said to Jeremiah, “Jeremiah, since the time Josiah was king, I have been speaking to you about Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Now, get a scroll and write down everything I have told you, then read it to the people of Judah. Maybe they will stop sinning when they hear what terrible things I plan for them. And if they turn to me, I will forgive them.”

Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah.

[Baruch comes and stands next to Jeremiah]

Jeremiah: Baruch, I need your help.  I want you to take this scroll, and write down everything that the Lord has told me.  The officials refuse to let me go into the LORD’s temple, so you must go instead. Take the scroll to the temple and read it aloud. The LORD is furious, but if the people hear how he is going to punish them, maybe they will ask to be forgiven.

[Jeremiah hands the scroll to Baruch.  Baruch goes up into pulpit]

Baruch [reading from scroll]:

“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem?
Who will mourn for you?
Who will stop to ask how you are?
You have rejected me,” declares the Lord.
“You keep on backsliding.
So I will lay hands on you and destroy you;
I can no longer show compassion.”

Narrator: When the king’s officials heard about this, they decided that the king must be told.  So they told the king about the scroll, and he sent his secretary to get it.

[Secretary fetches the scroll from Baruch, brigs it to the king, and reads from it]

Secretary [reading from scroll]:
“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem?
Who will mourn for you?”

[King cuts off a piece of the scroll and puts it in the shredder]

Secretary: “Who will stop to ask how you are?
You have rejected me,” declares the Lord.

[King cuts off a piece of the scroll and puts it in the shredder]

Secretary: “You keep on backsliding.
So I will lay hands on you and destroy you;
I can no longer show compassion.”

[King puts last piece of the scroll in the shredder]

The king’s officials begged him not to destroy the scroll, but he ignored them.

Jeremiah: I had told Baruch what to write on that scroll, but King Jehoiakim destroyed it. So the LORD told me to get another scroll and write down everything that had been on the first one. Then he told me to say to King Jehoiakim:

[Jeremiah turns to Jehoiakim]

I warned you and the people of Judah and Jerusalem that I would bring disaster, but none of you have listened. So now you are doomed!

[Jeremiah turns back to face front]

After the LORD finished speaking to me, I got another scroll and gave it to Baruch. Then I told him what to write, so this second scroll would contain even more than was on the scroll Jehoiakim had destroyed.