43 When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them(A) Azariah son of Hoshaiah(B) and Johanan(C) son of Kareah and all the arrogant(D) men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying!(E) The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’(F) But Baruch(G) son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”(H)

So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people(I) disobeyed the Lord’s command(J) to stay in the land of Judah.(K) 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.(L) 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,(M) the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch(N) son of Neriah along with them. So they entered Egypt(O) in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.(P)

In Tahpanhes(Q) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones(R) with you and bury them in clay in the brick(S) pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace(T) in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant(U) Nebuchadnezzar(V) king of Babylon, and I will set his throne(W) over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy(X) above them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt,(Y) bringing death(Z) to those destined(AA) for death, captivity to those destined for captivity,(AB) and the sword to those destined for the sword.(AC) 12 He will set fire(AD) to the temples(AE) of the gods(AF) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.(AG) As a shepherd picks(AH) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. 13 There in the temple of the sun[b](AI) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars(AJ) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

Disaster Because of Idolatry

44 This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt(AK)—in Migdol,(AL) Tahpanhes(AM) and Memphis(AN)—and in Upper Egypt:(AO) “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster(AP) I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.(AQ) Today they lie deserted and in ruins(AR) because of the evil(AS) they have done. They aroused my anger(AT) by burning incense(AU) to and worshiping other gods(AV) that neither they nor you nor your ancestors(AW) ever knew. Again and again(AX) I sent my servants the prophets,(AY) who said, ‘Do not do this detestable(AZ) thing that I hate!’ But they did not listen or pay attention;(BA) they did not turn from their wickedness(BB) or stop burning incense(BC) to other gods.(BD) Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out;(BE) it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins(BF) they are today.

“Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster(BG) on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women,(BH) the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant?(BI) Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made,(BJ) burning incense(BK) to other gods in Egypt,(BL) where you have come to live?(BM) You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse[c] and an object of reproach(BN) among all the nations on earth. Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors(BO) and by the kings(BP) and queens(BQ) of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives(BR) in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?(BS) 10 To this day they have not humbled(BT) themselves or shown reverence,(BU) nor have they followed my law(BV) and the decrees(BW) I set before you and your ancestors.(BX)

11 “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty,(BY) the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster(BZ) on you and to destroy all Judah. 12 I will take away the remnant(CA) of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest,(CB) they will die by sword or famine.(CC) They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach.(CD) 13 I will punish(CE) those who live in Egypt with the sword,(CF) famine and plague,(CG) as I punished Jerusalem. 14 None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.”(CH)

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives(CI) were burning incense(CJ) to other gods, along with all the women(CK) who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt,(CL) said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen(CM) to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!(CN) 17 We will certainly do everything we said we would:(CO) We will burn incense(CP) to the Queen of Heaven(CQ) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials(CR) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.(CS) At that time we had plenty of food(CT) and were well off and suffered no harm.(CU) 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings(CV) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.(CW)

19 The women added, “When we burned incense(CX) to the Queen of Heaven(CY) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands(CZ) know that we were making cakes(DA) impressed with her image(DB) 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(DC) and call to mind the incense(DD) burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem(DE) by you and your ancestors,(DF) your kings and your officials and the people of the land?(DG) 22 When the Lord could no longer endure(DH) your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse(DI) and a desolate waste(DJ) without inhabitants, as it is today.(DK) 23 Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed(DL) his law or his decrees(DM) or his stipulations, this disaster(DN) has come upon you, as you now see.”(DO)

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,(DP) “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.(DQ) 25 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives(DR) 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.’(DS)

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!(DT) 26 But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt:(DU) ‘I swear(DV) 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(DW) Lord lives.”(DX) 27 For I am watching(DY) over them for harm,(DZ) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish(EA) by sword and famine(EB) until they are all destroyed.(EC) 28 Those who escape the sword(ED) and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.(EE) Then the whole remnant(EF) of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand(EG)—mine or theirs.(EH)

29 “‘This will be the sign(EI) to you that I will punish(EJ) you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’(EK) 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh(EL) Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah(EM) king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.’”(EN)

A Message to Baruch

45 When Baruch(EO) son of Neriah(EP) wrote on a scroll(EQ) the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(ER) son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You said, ‘Woe(ES) to me! The Lord has added sorrow(ET) to my pain;(EU) I am worn out with groaning(EV) and find no rest.’(EW) But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot(EX) what I have planted,(EY) throughout the earth.(EZ) Should you then seek great(FA) things for yourself? Do not seek them.(FB) For I will bring disaster(FC) on all people,(FD) declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape(FE) with your life.’”(FF)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 43:3 Or Chaldeans
  2. Jeremiah 43:13 Or in Heliopolis
  3. Jeremiah 44:8 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed; also in verse 12; similarly in verse 22.

43 And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words,

Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:

But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah.

But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;

Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

10 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

11 And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.

12 And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.

13 He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.

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,

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,

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.

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.

But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

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.

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;

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?

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.

45 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch:

Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple(A) was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split(B) 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[a] went into the holy city(C) and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding(D) Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”(E)

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.(F) 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,[b] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.(G)

The Burial of Jesus(H)

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb(I) that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’(J) 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body(K) and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 “Take a guard,”(L) Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal(M) on the stone(N) and posting the guard.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:53 Or tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they
  2. Matthew 27:56 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.

57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:

58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

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