Jeremiah 36:17

Good News Translation

Then they asked him, "Tell us, now, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it to you?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you write all these words? At his dictation?”

Hebrew Names Version
They asked Barukh, saying, Tell us now, How did you write all these words at his mouth?

King James Version
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

English Standard Version
Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?"

New American Standard Bible
Then they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at Jeremiah's dictation?"

New Century Version
Then the officers asked Baruch, "Tell us, please, where did you get all these words you wrote on the scroll? Did you write down what Jeremiah said to you?"

Amplified Bible
And they asked Baruch, "Tell us now, how did you write all these words? At his (Jeremiah's) dictation?"

World English Bible
They asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How did you write all these words at his mouth?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they examined Baruch, saying, Tell vs nowe, howe diddest thou write all these wordes at his mouth?

Legacy Standard Bible
And they asked Baruch, saying, "Declare to us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?"

Berean Standard Bible
"Tell us now," they asked Baruch, "how did you write all these words? Was it at Jeremiah's dictation?"

Contemporary English Version
"Did someone tell you what to write on this scroll?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Then they asked Barukh, "Tell us now, how did you write all these words? At his dictation?"

Darby Translation
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words from his mouth?

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the officials asked Baruch, "Tell us, Baruch, where did you get these messages that you wrote on the scroll? Did you write down what Jeremiah said to you?"

George Lamsa Translation
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, how did you write all these words at his mouth?

Lexham English Bible
Then they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us please, how did you write all these words, from his mouth?"

Literal Translation
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, how did you write all these words? From his mouth?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they examined Baruch, sayenge: Tell vs, how didest thou wryte all these wordes out off his mouth?

American Standard Version
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

Bible in Basic English
And questioning Baruch, they said, Say now, how did you put all these words down in writing from his mouth?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they asked Baruch, saying: 'Tell us now: How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?'

King James Version (1611)
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell vs now, How diddest thou write all these words at his mouth?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they examined Baruch, saying: Tell vs, howe diddest thou write all these wordes out of his mouth?

English Revised Version
And they asked Baruch, saying, tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei axiden hym, and seiden, Schewe thou to vs, hou thou hast write alle these wordis of his mouth.

Update Bible Version
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How did you write all these words at his mouth?

Webster's Bible Translation
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

New English Translation
Then they asked Baruch, "How did you come to write all these words? Do they actually come from Jeremiah's mouth?"

New King James Version
And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us now, how did you write all these words--at his instruction?" [fn]

New Living Translation
"But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did they come directly from Jeremiah?"

New Life Bible
And they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you write all this? Did Jeremiah tell it to you?"

New Revised Standard
Then they questioned Baruch, "Tell us now, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then unto Baruch, put they questions saying, - Tell us, we pray thee, How, didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they asked him, saying: Tell us how didst thou write all these words from his mouth.

Revised Standard Version
Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?"

Young's Literal Translation
And they asked Baruch, saying, `Declare, we pray thee, to us, how didst thou write all these words -- from his mouth?'

THE MESSAGE
They asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Was it at Jeremiah's dictation?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?"

Contextual Overview

⁹ In the ninth month of the fifth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, the people fasted to gain the Lord 's favor. The fast was kept by all who lived in Jerusalem and by all who came there from the towns of Judah. ¹⁰ Then, while all the people were listening, Baruch read from the scroll everything that I had said. He did this in the Temple, from the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan, the court secretary. His room was in the upper court near the entrance of the New Gate of the Temple. ¹¹ Micaiah, the son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan, heard Baruch read from the scroll what the Lord had said. ¹² Then he went to the royal palace, to the room of the court secretary, where all the officials were in session. Elishama, the court secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials were there. ¹³ Micaiah told them everything that he had heard Baruch read to the people. ¹⁴ Then the officials sent Jehudi (the son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah, and great-grandson of Cushi) to tell Baruch to bring the scroll that he had read to the people. Baruch brought them the scroll. ¹⁵ "Sit down," they said, "and read the scroll to us." So Baruch did. ¹⁶ After he had read it, they turned to one another in alarm and said to Baruch, "We must report this to the king." ¹⁷ Then they asked him, "Tell us, now, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it to you?" ¹⁸ Baruch answered, "Jeremiah dictated every word of it to me, and I wrote it down in ink on this scroll."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Tell: John 9:10, John 9:11, John 9:15, John 9:26, John 9:27

Reciprocal: Proverbs 26:5 - a fool Jeremiah 36:4 - wrote

Cross-References

Genesis 36:4
Adah bore Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel;

1 Chronicles 1:37
And Reuel became the ancestor of the tribes of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they asked Baruch,.... The following question, which may seem at first sight an odd, needless, and trifling one, as some have called it:

saying, tell us now, how didst thou write all these words at his mouth? this question does not regard the manner of writing them, whether with ink or not, for that they could see with their eyes, and yet Baruch's answer seems to have respect to this, as if he so understood them; nor barely the matter of them, as whether it was the substance of what was contained in the roll that Jeremiah dictated, and that only, leaving it to Baruch to use what words he would, or whether the express words were dictated by him; but rather it seems to have regard to the possibility of doing it: by the question it appears, that Baruch had told the princes that the prophet had dictated all these things to him, and he had taken them down in writing from his mouth; now they wanted more satisfaction about the truth of this matter. It was a difficulty with them how it was possible for Jeremiah to recollect so many different discourses and prophecies, delivered at different times, and some many years ago, and so readily dictate them to Baruch, as fast as he could write them; wherefore they desire he would tell them plainly and faithfully the truth of the matter, how it was, that so they might, if they could, affirm it with certainty to the king; since, if this was really fact which he had related, these prophecies originally, and the fresh dictating of them, must be from the Spirit of God, and would certainly have their accomplishment.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The scroll might have been drawn up by Baruch from memoranda of his own without the prophet’s direct authority. The princes therefore did not ask from curiosity, but to obtain necessary information.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 36:17. How didst thou write all these words? - At his mouth? — So the text should be pointed. They wished to know whether he had not copied them, or whether he wrote as Jeremiah prophesied.