Jeremiah 44
Holman Christian Standard Bible
God’s Judgment against His People in Egypt
44 This is the word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt—at Migdol,(A) Tahpanhes,(B) Memphis,(C) and in the land of Pathros:(D) 2 “This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You have seen all the disaster I brought against Jerusalem and all Judah’s cities; look, they are a ruin today without an inhabitant in them 3 because of their evil ways that provoked Me to anger,(E) going and burning incense to serve other gods(F) that they, you, and your fathers did not know. 4 So I sent you all My servants the prophets time and time again,[a] saying: Don’t do this detestable thing that I hate. 5 But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their evil or stop burning incense to other gods. 6 So My fierce wrath poured out and burned in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets(G) so that they became the desolate ruin they are today.
7 “So now, this is what the Lord, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves? You are cutting off man and woman, child and infant(H) from Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant. 8 You are provoking Me to anger by the work of your hands. You are burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to live for a while. As a result, you will be cut off and become an object of cursing and insult among all the nations of earth.(I) 9 Have you forgotten the evils of your fathers, the evils of Judah’s kings, the evils of their wives, your own evils, and the evils of your wives that were committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 They have not become humble to this day, and they have not feared or followed My instruction or My statutes that I set before you and your ancestors.
11 “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you to bring disaster,(J) to cut off all Judah. 12 And I will take away the remnant of Judah,(K) those who have resolved to go to the land of Egypt to live there for a while; they will meet their end. All of them in the land of Egypt will fall by the sword; they will meet their end by famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by the sword and by famine. Then they will become an object of cursing, scorn,(L) execration, and disgrace. 13 I will punish those living in the land of Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem by sword, famine, and plague. 14 Then the remnant of Judah—those going to live for a while there in the land of Egypt—will have no fugitive or survivor to return to the land of Judah where they are longing[b] to return to live,(M) for they will not return except for a few fugitives.”
The People’s Stubborn Response
15 However, all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, all the women standing by—a great assembly—and all the people who were living in the land of Egypt at Pathros answered Jeremiah, 16 “As for the word you spoke to us in the name of Yahweh, we are not going to listen to you! 17 Instead, we will do everything we said we would: burn incense to the queen of heaven[c] and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities(N) and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food and good things and saw no disaster, 18 but from the time we ceased to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to offer her drink offerings, we have lacked everything, and through sword and famine we have met our end.”
19 And the women said,[d] “When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it apart from our husbands’ knowledge(O) that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”
20 But Jeremiah responded to all the people—the men, women, and all the people who were answering him: 21 “As for the incense you burned in Judah’s cities(P) and in Jerusalem’s streets—you, your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land—did the Lord not remember them? He brought this to mind. 22 The Lord can no longer bear your evil deeds and the detestable acts you have committed, so your land has become a waste, a desolation, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as you see today. 23 Because you burned incense and sinned against the Lord and didn’t obey the Lord’s voice(Q) and didn’t follow His instruction, His statutes, and His testimonies, this disaster has come to you, as you see today.”
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt.(R) 25 This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for you and your wives, you women have spoken with your mouths, and you men fulfilled it by your deeds, saying, “We will keep our vows that we have made to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings for her.” Go ahead, confirm your vows! Pay your vows!’
26 “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you Judeans who live in the land of Egypt: ‘I have sworn by My great name,(S) says Yahweh, that My name will never again be invoked by anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt,(T) saying, “As the Lord God lives.” 27 I am watching over them for disaster and not for good,(U) and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine until they are finished off. 28 Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah only few in number,(V) and the whole remnant of Judah, the ones going to the land of Egypt to live there for a while, will know whose word stands, Mine or theirs! 29 This will be a sign to you’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘that I am about to punish you in this place, so you may know that My words of disaster concerning you will certainly come to pass.(W) 30 This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand over Pharaoh Hophra,(X) Egypt’s king, to his enemies, to those who want to take his life, just as I handed over Judah’s King Zedekiah(Y) to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, who was his enemy, the one who wanted to take his life.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 44:4 Lit prophets, rising up early and sending
- Jeremiah 44:14 Lit lifting up their soul
- Jeremiah 44:17 = Ashtoreth, or Astarte
- Jeremiah 44:19 LXX, Syr; MT omits And the women said
Jeremiah 44
New Life Version
The People Will Be Punished in Egypt
44 This word came to Jeremiah for the Jews living in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen all the trouble I have brought to Jerusalem and to all the cities of Judah. See, today they are a waste. No one lives in them. 3 This is because of the sins they did that made Me angry. They kept burning special perfume and worshiping other gods whom they, you, and your fathers had not known. 4 Yet I sent you all My servants who spoke for Me again and again, saying, “O, do not do this very sinful thing which I hate!” 5 But they did not listen and would not turn from their sinful ways. They would not stop burning special perfume to other gods. 6 So My anger was poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. And they have been destroyed and laid waste, as they are today. 7 Now this is what the Lord God of All, the God of Israel, says: “Why are you hurting yourselves so much? Why are you cutting off from Judah man and woman, child and baby, and leaving yourselves without anyone? 8 You are making Me angry with the works of your hands. You burn special perfume to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to live. And so you will be cut off and become a curse and a shame among all the nations of the earth. 9 Have you forgotten the sins of your fathers, the sins of the kings of Judah, the sins of their wives, your own sins, and the sins of your wives? They sinned in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. 10 They have not been sorry for their sins even to this day. They have not feared Me or walked in My Laws which I have given you and your fathers.”’
11 “So the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, ‘I will turn against you and destroy all Judah. 12 I will take away those left of Judah who have set their mind on going into the land of Egypt to live. They will come to an end in the land of Egypt. They will fall by the sword or die from hunger. Both the small and the great will die by the sword or hunger. They will be a curse and a cause of fear. They will be spoken against and put to shame. 13 I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword and hunger and disease. 14 So none of those left of Judah who have come to live in the land of Egypt will be able to leave and go to the land of Judah, where they want to return and live. None will return except a few who run for their lives.’”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning special perfume to other gods, and all the many women who stood by, and all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen to what you have said to us in the name of the Lord! 17 But we will do everything that we have said we would do. We will burn special perfume to the queen of heaven and pour out drink gifts to her. We will do just as we ourselves, our fathers, our kings and our leaders did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had much food, and got along well, and had no trouble. 18 But since we stopped burning special perfume to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink gifts to her, we have been without everything. We have been destroyed by the sword and by hunger.” 19 And the women said, “When we baked cakes which looked like the queen of heaven, burned special perfume, and poured out our drink gifts, did not our husbands know about it?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both the men and women, who had given him this answer, 21 “As for the special perfume that you and your fathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, did not the Lord remember it? Did it not come into His mind? 22 The Lord could no longer stand by while you did such sinful things. You have done very sinful acts. So your land has been laid waste. It has become a hated and cursed land, a place without people, as it is today. 23 Because you have burned special perfume and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His Laws or done what He said to do, this trouble has come upon you, as it has this day.” 24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, “Hear the Word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25 This is what the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says: ‘You and your wives have said with your mouths and have done it with your hands, saying, “For sure we will keep our promises to burn special perfume to the queen of heaven and pour out drink gifts to her.” Then keep your promises! Do what you have promised!’ 26 But hear the Word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: ‘I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name will no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.” 27 For I am watching over them for trouble and not for good. All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be destroyed by the sword and hunger until there is an end of them. 28 And those who get away from the sword and return from Egypt to the land of Judah will be few. Then all those left of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to live will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. 29 This will be the special thing for you to see,’ says the Lord. ‘I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will be sure to stand against you for your hurt.’ 30 The Lord says, ‘I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to those who hate him and want to kill him. It will be just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who hated him and wanted to kill him.’”
Jeremiah 44
Lexham English Bible
A Message of Rebuke for the Rebellious Remnant
44 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans who were living in the land of Egypt, who were living at Migdol, and Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, saying,[a] 2 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen all the disaster that I have brought on Jerusalem, and on all the towns of Judah. And look, they are a site of ruins this day, and there is not in them an inhabitant, 3 because of[b] their wickedness that they committed to provoke me to anger by going to make smoke offerings, serving other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, or your ancestors.[c] 4 And I sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending over and over again,[d] saying,[e] “Please, you must not do this detestable thing that I hate.” 5 But they did not listen and they did not incline their ears[f] to turn back from their wickedness, to not make smoke offerings to other gods. 6 So my wrath and my anger were poured out[g] and burned[h] in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became as a site of ruins, as a desolation, as they are this day.’
7 So then, thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Why are you doing great harm to yourselves,[i] to cut off for yourselves man and woman, child and suckling, from the midst of Judah, to not leave over for yourselves a remnant, 8 provoking me to anger with the works of your hands, to make smoke offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to dwell as aliens, so as to cut off yourselves, and so that you are becoming as a curse, and as a disgrace among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have you forgotten the wicked things of your ancestors,[j] and the wicked things of the kings of Judah, and the wicked things of their wives, and your wicked things, and the wicked things of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 They have not shown contrition up to this day, and they have not shown reverence, and they have not walked in my law and in my statutes that I set before you[k] and before[l] your ancestors.’[m]
11 Therefore[n] thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Look, I am determined to bring disaster on you,[o] even to exterminate all Judah. 12 And I will take away the remnant of Judah who are determined[p] to come to the land of Egypt to dwell as aliens there, and everyone will perish. They will fall in the land of Egypt by the sword; they will perish by the famine, from the smallest to the greatest. By the sword and by the famine they will die and become as a curse, as a horror, and as a curse, and as a disgrace. 13 So I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt just as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with the famine, and with the plague. 14 And there will not be a survivor or an escapee of the remnant of Judah, those who have come to dwell as an alien there in the land of Egypt, to return to the land of Judah where they are longing[q] to return to dwell there, for they will not turn back, but only[r] some survivors.’”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were making smoke offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, and all the people who lived in the land of Egypt in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,[s] 16 “Concerning the word that you have spoken to us in the name of Yahweh, we are not going to listen to you! 17 But certainly we will do everything[t] that went out from our mouths,[u] to make smoke offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out to her libations just as we did, we, and our ancestors,[v] our kings, and our officials, in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, for then we had enough to eat,[w] and we were well-off, and we did not see disaster. 18 But since[x] we stopped making smoke offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her, we have lacked everything, and by the sword and by the famine we have perished. 19 And indeed, when we were making smoke offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out[y] to her libations, was it not with the consent of[z] our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes marked with her image,[aa] and we poured out to her libations?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and to the women, and to all the people who answered him a word, saying,[ab] 21 “The offering that you made, smoke offerings in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you, and your ancestors,[ac] your kings, and your officials, and the people of the land, did not Yahweh remember them, and did it not come to his mind?[ad] 22 And Yahweh was no longer able to bear[ae] it, because of[af] the evil of your deeds, because of[ag] the detestable things that you committed. Thus your land became as a site of ruins, and as a horror, and as a curse, without[ah] inhabitants, as it is this day. 23 Because of[ai] the fact that you made smoke offerings, and that you sinned against Yahweh, and you did not listen to the voice of Yahweh, and you have not walked in his law, and in his statute, and in his legal provisions, therefore[aj] this disaster has happened to you, as it is this day.”
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of Yahweh, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, saying,[ak] ‘You and your wives have promised with your mouths[al] and with your hands[am] you have fulfilled, saying,[an] “We certainly will carry out our vows that we vowed, to make smoke offerings to the queen of the heavens,[ao] and to pour out to her libations.” You must certainly keep your vows and you must certainly carry out your vows.’ 26 Therefore[ap] hear the word of Yahweh, all Judah, those who live in the land of Egypt: ‘Look, I hereby swear by my great name,’ says Yahweh, ‘surely my name will no longer be called in the mouth of any man of Judah, saying, “as the Lord Yahweh lives,”[aq] in all the land of Egypt. 27 Look, I am going to watch over them for harm and not for good, and all people[ar] of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will perish by the sword and by the famine until their perishing. 28 And the survivors of the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number.[as] And all the remnant of Judah who have come to the land of Egypt to dwell as aliens there will know whose word will endure, from me or from them. 29 And this will be to you the sign,’ declares[at] Yahweh, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that surely my words will endure against you for evil.’ 30 Thus says Yahweh: ‘Look, I am going to give Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave Zedekiah the king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, his enemy and the one who sought his life.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 44:1 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 44:3 Literally “from the face of”
- Jeremiah 44:3 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 44:4 Literally “doing early and sending”
- Jeremiah 44:4 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 44:5 Hebrew “ear”
- Jeremiah 44:6 The Hebrew verb is singular
- Jeremiah 44:6 The Hebrew verb is singular
- Jeremiah 44:7 Literally “your lives”
- Jeremiah 44:9 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 44:10 Literally “to the face of you”
- Jeremiah 44:10 Literally “to the face of”
- Jeremiah 44:10 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 44:11 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 44:11 Literally “I am setting my face against you for disaster”
- Jeremiah 44:12 Literally “who set their faces”
- Jeremiah 44:14 Literally “lifting up their soul”
- Jeremiah 44:14 Literally “but if”
- Jeremiah 44:15 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 44:17 Literally “all the word”
- Jeremiah 44:17 Hebrew “mouth”
- Jeremiah 44:17 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 44:17 Literally “we satisfied ourselves with food”
- Jeremiah 44:18 Literally “from”
- Jeremiah 44:19 Literally “to pour out”
- Jeremiah 44:19 Literally “from apart from”
- Jeremiah 44:19 Literally “to the copying of her”
- Jeremiah 44:20 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 44:21 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 44:21 Literally “heart”
- Jeremiah 44:22 Or “endure”
- Jeremiah 44:22 Literally “from the face of”
- Jeremiah 44:22 Literally “from the face of”
- Jeremiah 44:22 Literally “from there is not”
- Jeremiah 44:23 Literally “From the face of”
- Jeremiah 44:23 Literally “unto thus”
- Jeremiah 44:25 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 44:25 Hebrew “mouth”
- Jeremiah 44:25 Hebrew “hand”
- Jeremiah 44:25 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 44:25 Hebrew “heaven”
- Jeremiah 44:26 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 44:26 Literally “the life of Lord Yahweh”
- Jeremiah 44:27 Or “men”
- Jeremiah 44:28 Literally “males of number”
- Jeremiah 44:29 Literally “a declaration of”
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