After the death of Josiah, Judah was left without a righteous king. This led Jeremiah to speak the Word of God with increased urgency. He urged the people to repent before it was too late, but the people refused to listen and instead beat him and made a fool of him. Knowing that this message was both for now and for the generation to come, he called for Baruch to write down the message God had been giving him. But when the word of God came to the house of the King, he burned it piece by piece.