²⁶ At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt^(A) for fear of the Babylonians.

⁴ So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people^(A) disobeyed the Lord’s command^(B) to stay in the land of Judah.^{(C) 5} Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.^{(D) 6} They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women,^(E) the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch^(F) son of Neriah along with them. ⁷ So they entered Egypt^(G) in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.^(H)

Flight to Egypt

¹⁶ Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(A) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,^(B) whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. ¹⁷ And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham^(C) near Bethlehem^(D) on their way to Egypt^{(E) 18} to escape the Babylonians.^[a] They were afraid^(F) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah^(G) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

¹⁴ and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt,^(A) where we will not see war or hear the trumpet^(B) or be hungry for bread,’^{(C) 15} then hear the word of the Lord,^(D) you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, ¹⁶ then the sword^(E) you fear^(F) will overtake you there, and the famine^(G) you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.^{(H) 17} Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague;^(I) not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ ¹⁸ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath^(J) have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,^(K) so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse^[a](L) and an object of horror,^(M) a curse^[b] and an object of reproach;^(N) you will never see this place again.’^(O)

¹⁹ “Remnant^(P) of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’^(Q) Be sure of this: I warn you today ²⁰ that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’^{(R) 21} I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you.^{(S) 22} So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine^(T) and plague^(U) in the place where you want to go to settle.”^(V)