¹² The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense,^(A) but they will not help them at all when disaster^(B) strikes.

¹⁷ We will certainly do everything we said we would:^(A) We will burn incense^(B) to the Queen of Heaven^(C) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials^(D) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.^(E) At that time we had plenty of food^(F) and were well off and suffered no harm.^{(G) 18} But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings^(H) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.^(I)”

¹⁹ The women added, “When we burned incense^(J) to the Queen of Heaven^(K) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands^(L) know that we were making cakes^(M) impressed with her image^(N) and pouring out drink offerings to her?”

²⁰ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, ²¹ “Did not the Lord remember^(O) and call to mind the incense^(P) burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem^(Q) by you and your ancestors,^(R) your kings and your officials and the people of the land?^{(S) 22} When the Lord could no longer endure^(T) your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse^(U) and a desolate waste^(V) without inhabitants, as it is today.^{(W) 23} Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed^(X) his law or his decrees^(Y) or his stipulations, this disaster^(Z) has come upon you, as you now see.”^(AA)

²⁴ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,^(AB) “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.^{(AC) 25} This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives^(AD) have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’^(AE)

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!^{(AF) 26} But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt:^(AG) ‘I swear^(AH) by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Sovereign^(AI) Lord lives.”^{(AJ) 27} For I am watching^(AK) over them for harm,^(AL) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish^(AM) by sword and famine^(AN) until they are all destroyed.^(AO)

²² In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful^(A) to the Lord.

¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save^(A) you when you are in trouble!^(B)”