Jeremiah 44
World English Bible
44 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who lived in the land of Egypt, who lived at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying, 2 “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen all the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah. Behold, today they are a desolation, and no man dwells in them, 3 because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, to serve other gods that they didn’t know, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. 4 However I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Oh, don’t do this abominable thing that I hate.” 5 But they didn’t listen and didn’t incline their ear. They didn’t turn from their wickedness, to stop burning incense to other gods. 6 Therefore my wrath and my anger was poured out, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is today.’
7 “Therefore now Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why do you commit great evil against your own souls, to cut off from yourselves man and woman, infant and nursing child out of the middle of Judah, to leave yourselves no one remaining; 8 in that you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to live; that you may be cut off, and that you may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have you 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 to 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 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah. 12 I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to live there, and they will all be consumed. They will fall in the land of Egypt. They will be consumed by the sword and by the famine. They will die, from the least even to the greatest, by the sword and by the famine. They will be an object of horror, an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. 13 For I will punish those who 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, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will escape or be left to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for no one will return except those who will escape.’”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, even all the people who lived in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, 16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in Yahweh’s name, we will not listen to you. 17 But we will certainly perform every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to 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 food, and were well, and saw no evil. 18 But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of the sky, and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.”
19 The women said, “When we burned incense to the queen of the sky, and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people who had given him an answer, saying, 21 “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, didn’t Yahweh remember them, and didn’t it come into his mind? 22 Thus Yahweh could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which you have committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is today. 23 Because you have burned incense, and because you have sinned against Yahweh, and have not obeyed Yahweh’s voice, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil has happened to you, as it is today.”
24 Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear Yahweh’s word, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt! 25 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘You 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 the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to her.”
“‘Establish then your vows, and perform your vows.’
26 “Therefore hear Yahweh’s word, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by my great name,’ says Yahweh, ‘that my name will no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord Yahweh lives.” 27 Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until they are all gone. 28 Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah few in number. All the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will know whose word will stand, mine or theirs.
29 “‘This will be the sign to you,’ says Yahweh, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil.’ 30 Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those who seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy, and sought his life.’”
Jeremiah 44
New American Standard Bible
Conquest of Egypt Predicted
44 The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in (A)Migdol, (B)Tahpanhes, (C)Memphis, and the land of (D)Pathros, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘You yourselves have seen all the disaster that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in (E)ruins and no one lives in them, 3 (F)because of their wickedness which they committed to (G)provoke Me to anger by continuing to (H)burn [a]sacrifices and to (I)serve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. 4 Yet I (J)sent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this (K)abominable thing which I hate.” 5 But (L)they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn [b]sacrifices to other gods. 6 Therefore My (M)wrath and My anger gushed out and burned in the (N)cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become ruins and a (O)desolation as it is this day. 7 Now then, this is what the Lord God of armies, the God of Israel says: “Why are you (P)doing great harm to yourselves, to (Q)eliminate from yourselves man and woman, child and infant from among Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant, 8 (R)provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, (S)burning [c]sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt where you are entering to reside, so that you may be eliminated and become a (T)curse and a disgrace among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have you forgotten the (U)wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 Yet they (V)have not become [d]contrite even to this day, nor have they feared, nor (W)walked in My Law or My statutes, which I placed before you and before your fathers.”’
11 “Therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am going to (X)set My face against you for a disaster, even to eliminate all Judah. 12 And I will (Y)take away the remnant of Judah who have set their [e]minds on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all [f](Z)meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword or meet their end by famine. From the small to the great, they will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a (AA)curse, an object of horror, [g]an imprecation, and a disgrace. 13 And I will (AB)punish those who live in the land of Egypt, just as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with plague. 14 So there will be (AC)no survivor or refugee for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are [h](AD)longing to return to live; for none will (AE)return except a few refugees.’”
15 Then (AF)all the men who were aware that their wives were burning [i]sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, [j]including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, 16 “As for the [k](AG)message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, (AH)we are not going to listen to you! 17 But we will certainly (AI)carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, [l]by burning [m]sacrifices to the (AJ)queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as (AK)we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings, and our leaders did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had (AL)plenty of [n]food and were well off and saw no [o]misfortune. 18 But since we stopped burning [p]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have (AM)lacked everything, and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” 19 “And,” said the women, “when we were (AN)burning [q]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and [r]pouring out drink offerings to her, was it (AO)without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes [s]in her image, and poured out drink offerings to her?”
Disaster for the Jews
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who were giving him such an answer—saying, 21 “As for the [t](AP)smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the (AQ)streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, did the Lord not (AR)remember them, and did all of this not come into His [u]mind? 22 So the Lord was (AS)no longer able to endure it, (AT)because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; so your land has become a (AU)place of ruins, an object of horror, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. 23 Since you have burned [v]sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and (AV)not obeyed the voice of the Lord nor (AW)walked in His Law, His statutes, or His testimonies, therefore this (AX)disaster has happened to you, as it has this day.”
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “(AY)Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are (AZ)in the land of Egypt! 25 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel [w]says: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will (BA)certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn [x]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” (BB)By all means fulfill your vows, and be sure to perform your vows!’ 26 [y]In return, hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have (BC)sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall (BD)never be invoked again by the mouth of anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “(BE)As the Lord [z]God lives.” 27 Behold, I am watching over them (BF)for harm and not for good, and (BG)all the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will [aa]meet their end by the sword or by famine until they [ab]are completely gone. 28 (BH)Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah [ac](BI)few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know (BJ)whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. 29 And this will be the (BK)sign to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that (BL)My words will assuredly stand against you for harm.’ 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to hand (BM)Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies, to those who seek his life, just as I handed (BN)Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 44:3 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:5 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:8 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:10 Lit crushed
- Jeremiah 44:12 Lit faces
- Jeremiah 44:12 Lit be finished
- Jeremiah 44:12 Lit a curse-formula
- Jeremiah 44:14 Lit lifting up their soul
- Jeremiah 44:15 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:15 Lit and
- Jeremiah 44:16 Lit word
- Jeremiah 44:17 Or so as to burn
- Jeremiah 44:17 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:17 Lit bread
- Jeremiah 44:17 Lit evil
- Jeremiah 44:18 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:19 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:19 Lit to pour
- Jeremiah 44:19 Lit to make an image of her
- Jeremiah 44:21 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:21 Lit heart
- Jeremiah 44:23 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:25 Lit says, saying
- Jeremiah 44:25 Or incense
- Jeremiah 44:26 Lit Therefore
- Jeremiah 44:26 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 44:27 Lit be finished
- Jeremiah 44:27 Lit come to an end
- Jeremiah 44:28 Lit men of number
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