42 Все полководцы вместе с Иохананом, сыном Кареаха, и Иезанией[a], сыном Гошаи, и весь народ, от малого до великого, подошли к пророку Иеремии и сказали ему:

– Просим тебя, выслушай нашу просьбу и помолись Господу, твоему Богу, за всех этих уцелевших. Ведь ты сам видишь, как нас, некогда многочисленных, осталось мало. Помолись, чтобы Господь, твой Бог, сказал, куда нам идти и что делать.

– Хорошо, – ответил пророк Иеремия. – Я помолюсь Господу, вашему Богу, как вы просили, и все, что скажет мне Господь, я перескажу вам, ничего не утаив.

А они сказали Иеремии:

– Пусть Господь будет истинным и верным свидетелем против нас, если мы не сделаем всего, что Господь, твой Бог, посылает тебя сказать нам. Будь то нам во благо или во зло – мы будем послушны Господу, нашему Богу, к Которому мы посылаем тебя, чтобы нам обрести благо за то, что мы будем слушаться Господа, нашего Бога.

Спустя десять дней к Иеремии было слово Господа. Он созвал Иоханана, сына Кареаха, всех полководцев, которые были при нем, и весь народ, от малого до великого. Он сказал им:

– Так говорит Господь, Бог Израиля, к Которому вы посылали меня со своей просьбой: 10 «Если вы останетесь в этой стране, Я буду созидать вас, а не разрушать; Я насажу вас, а не искореню, – ведь Я скорблю о зле, которое Я вам причинил. 11 Не бойтесь царя Вавилона, которого вы боитесь. Не бойтесь его, – возвещает Господь, – потому что Я с вами, и Я спасу вас и избавлю от него. 12 Я помилую вас, и он явит вам милость и вернет вас в вашу землю».

13 Но если вы скажете: «Мы не останемся в этой стране» – и ослушаетесь Господа, вашего Бога, 14 если вы скажете: «Нет, мы уйдем и будем жить в Египте, где не увидим войны, не услышим зова рога и не будем голодать», 15 то слушайте слово Господа, вы, остаток Иудеи. Так говорит Господь Сил, Бог Израиля: «Если вы решите идти в Египет и пойдете, чтобы поселиться там, 16 то меч, которого вы боитесь, настигнет вас там, а голод, которого вы боитесь, устремится за вами в Египет, и там вы умрете. 17 Так будет: все, кто решит идти в Египет, чтобы поселиться там, умрут от меча, голода и мора; никто из них не уцелеет и не спасется от беды, которую Я на них нашлю». 18 Так говорит Господь Сил, Бог Израиля: «Как Мой гнев и негодование обрушились на тех, кто жил в Иерусалиме, так Мой гнев обрушится и на вас, когда вы войдете в Египет. Вы будете проклятием и ужасом, порицанием и презрением, и вы никогда больше не увидите этой страны».

19 Господь говорит вам, остаток Иудеи: «Не ходите в Египет». Будьте уверены в том, что сегодня я вас предупредил: 20 вы совершили страшную ошибку, когда вы сами послали меня к Господу, нашему Богу, сказав: «Помолись о нас Господу, нашему Богу, и перескажи нам все, что Господь, наш Бог, скажет, и мы это исполним». 21 Сегодня я все пересказал вам, но вы все-таки ослушались Господа, вашего Бога, во всем, что Он послал меня сказать вам. 22 Так знайте же: вы умрете от меча, голода и мора в том краю, куда вы хотите идти, чтобы поселиться.

Footnotes

  1. 42:1 В других рукописях: «Азарией» (ср. 43:1). Возможно, что Иезания было вторым именем Азарии.

42 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

That the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

Then they said to Jeremiah, The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us.

Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.

And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah.

Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

And said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the Lord your God,

14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:

15 And now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

18 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

19 The Lord hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

21 And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.

22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

The Flight to Egypt Forbidden

42 Now all the captains of the forces, (A)Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near and said to Jeremiah the prophet, (B)“Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and (C)pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but (D)a few of many, as you can see), that the Lord your God may show us (E)the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do.”

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and it shall be, that (F)whatever the Lord answers you, I will declare it to you. I will (G)keep nothing back from you.”

So they said to Jeremiah, (H)“Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you. Whether it is [a]pleasing or [b]displeasing, we will (I)obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, (J)that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”

And it happened after ten days that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him: 10 ‘If you will still remain in this land, then (K)I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I (L)relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you. 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, (M)‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand. 12 And (N)I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.’

13 “But if (O)you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God, 14 saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of (P)Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell’— 15 Then hear now the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you (Q)wholly[c] set (R)your faces to enter Egypt, and go to dwell there, 16 then it shall be that the (S)sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die. 17 So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there. They shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. And (T)none of them shall remain or escape from the disaster that I will bring upon them.’

18 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘As My anger and My fury have been (U)poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will My fury be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And (V)you shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you shall see this place no more.’

19 “The Lord has said concerning you, O remnant of Judah, (W)‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have [d]admonished you this day. 20 For you [e]were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will do it. 21 And I have this day declared it to you, but you have (X)not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, or anything which He has sent you by me. 22 Now therefore, know certainly that you (Y)shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 42:6 Lit. good
  2. Jeremiah 42:6 Lit. evil
  3. Jeremiah 42:15 Or surely
  4. Jeremiah 42:19 warned
  5. Jeremiah 42:20 Lit. used deceit against your souls