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42 At this point, all the army leaders, Johanan (son of Kareah), Jezaniah (son of Hoshaiah), and the rest of the Judeans from the least to the greatest, came to the prophet Jeremiah.

People: Please hear our request and pray to the Eternal your God for the few of us who are still here. As you can see, what used to be many people is now just a remnant. Pray that the Eternal your God will tell us where to go and what to do.

Jeremiah: I have heard your request, and you can be assured that I will pray to the Eternal, just as you asked. I will tell you everything He says. I will hold nothing back.

People: May the Eternal be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not obey every word He speaks to us through you. Whether we like the answer or not, we promise to obey the voice of the Eternal our God. That is why we are sending you to Him. We want to obey the Eternal our God so things will go well for us.

Ten days later, the Eternal gave His answer to Jeremiah. Then the prophet assembled Johanan (son of Kareah), all the army leaders, and the rest of the Judeans from the least to the greatest.

Jeremiah: You sent me to present your request to the Eternal, the God of Israel. Here is His answer: 10 “If you will stay here in this land, I will bless and protect you. I will rebuild you and not tear you down. I will plant you anew and not uproot you. For I deeply regret the disaster I had to bring upon you. 11 I know you are afraid of this king of Babylon, but don’t fear him any longer. For I, the Eternal One, declare that I am with you and I will save you and rescue you from his authority. 12 I will show you compassion, and then he will have compassion on you. He will even restore you to your land. 13 But if you disobey the Eternal your God and say, ‘We’re not staying in this land; 14 no, we will go and live in Egypt where we will not have to face the sights and sounds of war or go hungry for lack of bread,’ 15 then listen closely to what I am saying to you, O remnant of Judah. The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, declares: if you are determined to go to Egypt anyway and settle there after hearing My answer, 16 the wars you fear and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt. And there, you will die. 17 Yes, all of you who are determined to run to Egypt and settle there will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you who go there will survive or escape the disaster I will bring to them—not even a remnant of this remnant.”

18 For this is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, promises: “Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the citizens of Jerusalem, so it will be poured out on you when you step foot in Egypt. You will become a curse, an object of horror, a disgraced and ridiculed people. And you will never see this place, Judah, again.”

19 O remnant of Judah, listen to what the Eternal has said to you: “Do not go to Egypt!” You must recognize that today I have given you fair warning. 20 Your lives are at risk, for you did not mean it when you sent me to the Eternal your God with this promise: “Pray to the Eternal our God for us, and tell us everything He says. We will obey Him no matter what the answer is.” 21 So today I have given you His answer, but I can see you have no intention of obeying the Eternal your God, regardless of what He sends me to tell you. 22 So you will surely die from war, famine, and disease in that place where you are now determined to go.

42 Then all the army officers, including Johanan(A) son of Kareah and Jezaniah[a] son of Hoshaiah,(B) and all the people from the least to the greatest(C) approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray(D) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.(E) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few(F) are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”(G)

“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray(H) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell(I) you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”(J)

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true(K) and faithful(L) witness(M) against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well(N) with us, for we will obey(O) the Lord our God.”

Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers(P) who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest.(Q) He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition,(R) says:(S) 10 ‘If you stay in this land,(T) I will build(U) you up and not tear you down; I will plant(V) you and not uproot you,(W) for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.(X) 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,(Y) whom you now fear.(Z) Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save(AA) you and deliver you from his hands.(AB) 12 I will show you compassion(AC) so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’(AD)

13 “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey(AE) the Lord your God, 14 and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt,(AF) where we will not see war or hear the trumpet(AG) or be hungry for bread,’(AH) 15 then hear the word of the Lord,(AI) 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(AJ) you fear(AK) will overtake you there, and the famine(AL) you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.(AM) 17 Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague;(AN) 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(AO) have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,(AP) so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse[b](AQ) and an object of horror,(AR) a curse[c] and an object of reproach;(AS) you will never see this place again.’(AT)

19 “Remnant(AU) of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’(AV) 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.’(AW) 21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you.(AX) 22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine(AY) and plague(AZ) in the place where you want to go to settle.”(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 42:1 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also 43:2) Azariah
  2. Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.
  3. Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.