Geremia 44
La Nuova Diodati
44 La parola che fu rivolta a Geremia riguardo a tutti i Giudei che dimoravano nel paese di Egitto, che dimoravano a Migdol, a Tahpanhes, a Nof e nel paese di Pathros, dicendo:
2 «Cosí dice l'Eterno degli eserciti, il DIO d'Israele: Voi avete visto tutto il male che ho fatto venire su Gerusalemme, e su tutte le città di Giuda; ecco, oggi sono una desolazione e nessuno piú vi abita,
3 a motivo della malvagità che hanno commessa provocandomi ad ira, andando a bruciare incenso, e a servire altri dèi, che né essi né voi né i vostri padri avevano mai conosciuto,
4 Eppure io vi ho mandato tutti i miei servi, i profeti, con urgenza ed insistenza a dirvi: "Deh, non fate questa cosa abominevole che io odio".
5 Ma essi non hanno ascoltato né hanno prestato orecchio, in modo da ritrarsi dalla loro malvagità, smettendo di bruciare incenso ad altri dèi.
6 Perciò il mio furore, la mia ira si sono riversati e sono divampati nelle città di Giuda e nelle vie di Gerusalemme, che sono divenute deserte e desolate, come sono ancor oggi».
7 Ma ora cosí dice l'Eterno, il DIO degli eserciti, il DIO d'Israele: «Perché commettete questo gran male contro voi stessi, facendovi sterminare di mezzo a Giuda, uomini e donne, bambini e lattanti, in modo che non rimanga di voi neppure un residuo?
8 Perché mi provocate ad ira con l'opera delle vostre mani, bruciando incenso ad altri dèi nel paese d'Egitto dove siete venuti a dimorare? Cosí vi farete sterminare e diventerete una maledizione e un obbrobrio fra tutte le nazioni della terra.
9 Avete forse dimenticato le malvagità dei vostri padri, le malvagità dei re di Giuda, le malvagità delle loro mogli, le vostre malvagità e le malvagità commesse dalle vostre mogli nel paese di Giuda e per le vie di Gerusalemme
10 Fino ad oggi non si sono pentiti né hanno avuto timore né hanno camminato secondo la mia legge e secondo i miei statuti, che io ho posto davanti a voi e ai vostri padri».
11 Perciò cosí dice l'Eterno degli eserciti, il DIO d'Israele: «Ecco, io volgo la mia faccia contro di voi per il vostro male e per distruggere tutto Giuda.
12 Prenderò il resto di Giuda che si è ostinato a venire nel paese d'Egitto per dimorarvi; essi saranno tutti consumati e cadranno nel paese d'Egitto. Saranno consumati dalla spada e dalla fame, dal piú piccolo al piú grande; periranno di spada e di fame e diventeranno un oggetto di esecrazione, di stupore, di maledizione e di obbrobrio.
13 Punirò quelli che dimorano nel paese d'Egitto, come ho punito Gerusalemme con la spada, con la fame e con la peste.
14 Non si salverà né scamperà nessuno del resto di Giuda, che è venuto a dimorare nel paese d'Egitto, per ritornare poi nel paese di Giuda, dove essi desiderano ardentemente ritornare per dimorarvi; ma essi non vi ritorneranno ad eccezione di alcuni scampati»,
15 Allora tutti gli uomini che sapevano che le loro mogli bruciavano incenso ad altri dèi e tutte le donne che erano presenti, una grande moltitudine, e tutto il popolo che dimorava nel paese d'Egitto in Pathros, risposero a Geremia, dicendo:
16 «Quanto alla parola che ci hai detto nel nome dell'Eterno, non ti ascolteremo,
17 ma intendiamo fare tutto ciò che è uscito dalla nostra bocca, bruciando incenso alla Regina del cielo e versandole libazioni, come abbiamo fatto noi, i nostri padri, i nostri re e i nostri principi nelle città di Giuda e per le vie di Gerusalemme, perché allora avevamo pane in abbondanza, stavamo bene e non vedevamo alcuna sventura.
18 Da quando però abbiamo cessato di bruciare incenso alla Regina del cielo e versarle libazioni, ci è venuto a mancare ogni cosa e siamo stati consumati dalla spada e dalla fame».
19 Le donne aggiunsero: «Quando bruciamo incenso alla Regina del cielo e le versiamo libazioni, è forse senza il consenso dei nostri mariti che le facciamo focacce con la sua immagine e le versiamo libazioni?».
20 Allora Geremia parlò a tutto il popolo, agli uomini, alle donne e a tutta la gente che gli aveva risposto in quel modo e disse:
21 «Non si è forse l'Eterno ricordato e non gli è venuto in mente l'incenso che avete bruciato nelle città di Giuda e per le vie di Gerusalemme, voi, i vostri padri, i vostri re, i vostri principi e il popolo del paese?
22 L'Eterno non l'ha piú potuto sopportare, a motivo della malvagità delle vostre azioni e a motivo delle abominazioni che avete commesso. Perciò il vostro paese è divenuto una desolazione un oggetto di stupore, una maledizione e senza alcun abitante, come è ancora oggi.
23 Poiché voi avete bruciato incenso e poiché avete peccato contro l'Eterno e non avete ascoltato la voce dell'Eterno e non avete camminato secondo la sua legge, i suoi statuti e i suoi precetti, perciò vi è venuta addosso questa calamità, come oggi si vede».
24 Poi Geremia disse a tutto il popolo e a tutte le donne: «Ascoltate la parola dell'Eterno, o voi tutti di Giuda, che siete nel paese d'Egitto.
25 Cosí dice l'Eterno degli eserciti, il DIO d'Israele: Voi e le vostre mogli lo avete detto con la vostra bocca e lo avete compiuto con le vostre mani, dicendo: "Noi vogliamo adempiere i voti che abbiamo fatto, bruciando incenso alla Regina del cielo, e versandole libazioni". Sí, voi adempirete certamente i vostri voti e compirete i vostri voti.
26 Perciò ascoltate la parola dell'Eterno, o voi tutti di Giuda che dimorate nel paese d'Egitto: Ecco, io l'ho giurato per il mio grande nome, dice l'Eterno, che in tutto il paese d'Egitto il mio nome non sarà piú invocato dalla bocca di alcun uomo di Giuda che dica: Il Signore, l'Eterno, vive!
27 Ecco, io vigilo su di loro per il loro male e non per il loro bene; e tutti gli uomini di Giuda che sono nel paese d'Egitto saranno consumati dalla spada e dalla fame, fino alla loro completa distruzione.
28 Tuttavia un piccolo numero di scampati dalla spada ritornerà dal paese d'Egitto nel paese di Giuda. Cosí tutto il resto di Giuda, che è venuto nel paese d'Egitto per dimorarvi, saprà quale parola si compirà, se la mia o la loro.
29 E questo sarà per voi il segno, dice l'Eterno, che io vi punirò in questo luogo affinché sappiate che le mie parole contro di voi si compiranno veramente per vostra sciagura». Cosí dice l'Eterno:
30 «Ecco, io darò il Faraone Hofra, re d'Egitto, in mano dei suoi nemici, in mano di quelli che cercano la sua vita, come ho dato Sedekia, re di Giuda, in mano di Nebukadnetsar, re di Babilonia, suo nemico, che cercava la sua vita».
Jeremiah 44
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord Warns the People of Judah
44 Jeremiah received a message from the Lord for all the people of Judah living in Egypt. The message was for the people of Judah living in the towns of Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and southern Egypt. This was the message: 2 “This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: ‘You people saw the disasters that I brought on the city of Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. The towns are empty piles of stones today. 3 They were destroyed because the people living in them did evil. They gave sacrifices to other gods, and that made me angry! Your people and your ancestors did not worship those gods in the past. 4 I sent my servants, the prophets, to those people again and again. They spoke my message and said to the people, “Don’t do this terrible thing. I hate for you to worship idols.” 5 But they didn’t listen to the prophets or pay attention to them. They didn’t stop doing wicked things. They didn’t stop making sacrifices to other gods. 6 So I showed my anger against them. I punished the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. My anger made Jerusalem and the towns of Judah the empty piles of stone they are today.’
7 “So this is what the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why are you hurting yourselves by continuing to worship idols? You are separating the men and women, the children and babies from the family of Judah. And so you leave yourselves without anyone left from the family of Judah. 8 Why do you people want to make me angry by making idols? Now you are living in Egypt. And now you are making me angry by offering sacrifices to the false gods of Egypt. You will destroy yourselves, and it will be your own fault. The people of all the other nations on the earth will say bad things about you and make fun of you. 9 Have you forgotten about the wicked things your ancestors did? And have you forgotten about the wicked things the kings and queens of Judah did? Have you forgotten about the wicked things you and your wives did in Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 Even to this day the people of Judah have not made themselves humble. They have not shown any respect for me, and they have not followed my teachings. They have not obeyed the laws I gave you and your ancestors.’
11 “So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have decided to make terrible things happen to you. I will destroy the whole family of Judah. 12 There were a few survivors from Judah. They came here to Egypt. But I will destroy the few survivors from the family of Judah. They will be killed with swords or die from hunger. The people of other nations will point at them and wish evil for them. People will be shocked and frightened by what has happened to them. The name Judah will become a curse word and an insult. 13 I will punish those who have gone to live in Egypt. I will use war, hunger, and disease to punish them. I will punish them just as I punished the city of Jerusalem. 14 Not one of the few survivors of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape my punishment. None of them will survive to come back to Judah. They want to come back to Judah and live there. But not one of them will go back to Judah, except a few people who escape.’”
15 There were many people from Judah living in southern Egypt. Many of the women from Judah were meeting together in a large group and making sacrifices to other gods, and their husbands knew what they were doing. Those men said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen to the message from the Lord that you spoke to us. 17 We promised to make sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven, and we will do everything we promised. We will offer sacrifices and pour out drink offerings in worship to her. We did that in the past. Our ancestors, our kings, and our officials did that in the past. All of us did those things in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. When we worshiped the Queen of Heaven, we had plenty of food. We were successful. Nothing bad happened to us. 18 But then we stopped making sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven, and we stopped pouring out drink offerings to her. And we have had problems ever since we stopped worshiping her. Our people have been killed by war and hunger.”
19 Then the women spoke up[a] and said to Jeremiah, “Our husbands knew what we were doing. We had their permission to make sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven. We had their permission to pour out drink offerings to her. Our husbands also knew that we were making cakes that looked like her.”
20 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the men and women who told him these things. 21 He said, “The Lord remembered that you made sacrifices in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. You and your ancestors, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land did that. He remembered what you had done and thought about it. 22 The Lord hated the terrible things you did, and he could not be patient with you any longer. So he made your country an empty desert. No one lives there now. Other people say bad things about that country. 23 The reason all those bad things happened to you is that you made sacrifices to other gods. You sinned against the Lord. You didn’t obey him or follow his teachings or the laws he gave you. You didn’t keep your part of the agreement.[b]”
24 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the men and women. He said, “All you people of Judah who are now in Egypt, listen to this message from the Lord. 25 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the people of Israel, says: ‘You women did what you said you would do. You said, “We will keep the promises we made. We promised to make sacrifices and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.” So go ahead. Do what you promised you would do. Keep your promises.’ 26 But listen to this message from the Lord, all you people of Judah who are living in Egypt: ‘I, the Lord, use my own great name to make this promise: None of the people of Judah who are now living in Egypt will ever again use my name to make promises. They will never again say, “As surely as the Lord God lives ….” 27 I am watching over the people of Judah, but I am not watching over them to take care of them. I am watching over them to bring them harm. The people of Judah who live in Egypt will die from hunger or be killed in war until they are completely destroyed. 28 Some people of Judah will escape being killed by the sword. They will come back to Judah from Egypt. But only a few people of Judah will escape. Then the survivors of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word proves to be true. They will know whether it was my word or their word that came true. 29 I will give you people proof,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish you here in Egypt. Then you will know for sure that my promises to harm you will really happen. 30 This will be your proof that I will do what I say.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘Pharaoh Hophra is the king of Egypt. His enemies want to kill him. I will give Pharaoh Hophra to his enemies. Just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah to his enemy Nebuchadnezzar, in the same way I will give Pharaoh Hophra to his enemies.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 44:19 Then the women spoke up This is from the ancient Greek version.
- Jeremiah 44:23 agreement This probably means the Law of Moses, the commands and agreement God made with the Israelites.
Jeremiah 44
King James Version
44 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
3 Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.
4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.
6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
7 Therefore now thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;
8 In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9 Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
10 They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.
12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:
14 So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
15 Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
16 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee.
17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
20 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,
21 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, and came it not into his mind?
22 So that the Lord could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
25 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth.
27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or their's.
29 And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
30 Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.
Jeremiah 44
American Standard Version
44 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, that dwelt at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying, 2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, 3 because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, that they knew not, neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers. 4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. 5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods. 6 Wherefore my wrath and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day. 7 Therefore now thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you none remaining; 8 in that ye provoke me unto anger with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye are gone to sojourn; that ye may be cut off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
11 Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah. 12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt shall they fall; they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine; they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine; and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. 13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; 14 so that none of the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or be left, to return into the land of Judah, to which they [a]have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return save such as shall escape.
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great assembly, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, 16 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of Jehovah, we will not hearken unto thee. 17 But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of [b]victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. 18 But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. 19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to [c]worship her, and pour out drink-offerings unto her, without our husbands?
20 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people that had given him that answer, saying, 21 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not Jehovah remember them, and came it not into his mind? 22 so that Jehovah could not longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day. 23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against Jehovah, and have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as it is this day.
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of Jehovah, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: 25 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her: establish then your vows, and perform your vows. 26 Therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith Jehovah, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, As the Lord Jehovah liveth. 27 Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. 28 And they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose word shall stand, mine, or theirs. 29 And this shall be the sign unto you, saith Jehovah, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil: 30 Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy, and sought his life.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 44:14 Hebrew lift up their soul.
- Jeremiah 44:17 Hebrew bread.
- Jeremiah 44:19 Or, portray
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Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
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