Jeremiah 44:20-29

New American Standard Bible

Disaster for the Jews

²⁰ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who were giving him such an answer—saying, ²¹ “As for the ^[a](A)smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the ^(B)streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, did the Lord not ^(C)remember them, and did all of this not come into His ^[b]mind? ²² So the Lord was ^(D)no longer able to endure it, ^(E)because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; so your land has become a ^(F)place of ruins, an object of horror, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. ²³ Since you have burned ^[c]sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and ^(G)not obeyed the voice of the Lord nor ^(H)walked in His Law, His statutes, or His testimonies, therefore this ^(I)disaster has happened to you, as it has this day.”

²⁴ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “^(J)Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are ^(K)in the land of Egypt! ²⁵ This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel ^[d]says: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will ^(L)certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn ^[e]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” ^(M)By all means fulfill your vows, and be sure to perform your vows!’ ^26 [f]In return, hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have ^(N)sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall ^(O)never be invoked again by the mouth of anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “^(P)As the Lord ^[g]God lives.” ²⁷ Behold, I am watching over them ^(Q)for harm and not for good, and ^(R)all the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will ^[h]meet their end by the sword or by famine until they ^[i]are completely gone. ^28 (S)Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah ^[j](T)few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know ^(U)whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. ²⁹ And this will be the ^(V)sign to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that ^(W)My words will assuredly stand against you for harm.’