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15 Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols—a great crowd of all the Judeans living in northern Egypt and southern Egypt[a]—answered Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! 17 We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! 18 But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine.”

19 “Besides,” the women added, “do you suppose that we were burning incense and pouring out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!”

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Footnotes

  1. 44:15 Hebrew in Egypt, in Pathros.

15 Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols (it was a great crowd of all the Jews in southern Egypt) answered Jeremiah:

16 “We will not listen to your false ‘Messages from God’! 17 We will do whatever we want to. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven[a] and sacrifice to her just as much as we like—just as we and our fathers before us, and our kings and princes have always done in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and happy! 18 But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her, we have been in great trouble and have been destroyed by sword and famine.”

19 “And,” the women added, “do you suppose that we were worshiping the Queen of Heaven and pouring out our libations to her and making cakes for her with her image on them, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 44:17 Queen of Heaven, see note to 7:18.

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives(A) were burning incense(B) to other gods, along with all the women(C) who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt,(D) said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen(E) to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!(F) 17 We will certainly do everything we said we would:(G) We will burn incense(H) to the Queen of Heaven(I) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials(J) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.(K) At that time we had plenty of food(L) and were well off and suffered no harm.(M) 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings(N) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.(O)

19 The women added, “When we burned incense(P) to the Queen of Heaven(Q) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands(R) know that we were making cakes(S) impressed with her image(T) and pouring out drink offerings to her?”

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