Jeremiah 44:17-25

New American Standard Bible

¹⁷ But we will certainly ^(A)carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, ^[a]by burning ^[b]sacrifices to the ^(B)queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as ^(C)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 ^(D)plenty of ^[c]food and were well off and saw no ^[d]misfortune. ¹⁸ But since we stopped burning ^[e]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have ^(E)lacked everything, and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” ¹⁹ “And,” said the women, “when we were ^(F)burning ^[f]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and ^[g]pouring out drink offerings to her, was it ^(G)without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes ^[h]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 ^[i](H)smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the ^(I)streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, did the Lord not ^(J)remember them, and did all of this not come into His ^[j]mind? ²² So the Lord was ^(K)no longer able to endure it, ^(L)because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; so your land has become a ^(M)place of ruins, an object of horror, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. ²³ Since you have burned ^[k]sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and ^(N)not obeyed the voice of the Lord nor ^(O)walked in His Law, His statutes, or His testimonies, therefore this ^(P)disaster has happened to you, as it has this day.”

²⁴ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “^(Q)Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are ^(R)in the land of Egypt! ²⁵ This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel ^[l]says: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will ^(S)certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn ^[m]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” ^(T)By all means fulfill your vows, and be sure to perform your vows!’