Jeremiah 42:7-18

The Voice

Jeremiah: ⁹ 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.”