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, “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, (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. 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.” 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. 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. 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, (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? 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.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 44:3 Or incense
  2. Jeremiah 44:5 Or incense
  3. Jeremiah 44:8 Or incense
  4. Jeremiah 44:10 Lit crushed
  5. Jeremiah 44:12 Lit faces
  6. Jeremiah 44:12 Lit be finished
  7. Jeremiah 44:12 Lit a curse-formula
  8. Jeremiah 44:14 Lit lifting up their soul

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] “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, 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] 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.” 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. 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.’

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, 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? 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.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 44:1 Literally “to say”
  2. Jeremiah 44:3 Literally “from the face of”
  3. Jeremiah 44:3 Or “fathers”
  4. Jeremiah 44:4 Literally “doing early and sending”
  5. Jeremiah 44:4 Literally “to say”
  6. Jeremiah 44:5 Hebrew “ear”
  7. Jeremiah 44:6 The Hebrew verb is singular
  8. Jeremiah 44:6 The Hebrew verb is singular
  9. Jeremiah 44:7 Literally “your lives”
  10. Jeremiah 44:9 Or “fathers”
  11. Jeremiah 44:10 Literally “to the face of you”
  12. Jeremiah 44:10 Literally “to the face of”
  13. Jeremiah 44:10 Or “fathers”
  14. Jeremiah 44:11 Literally “To thus”
  15. Jeremiah 44:11 Literally “I am setting my face against you for disaster”
  16. Jeremiah 44:12 Literally “who set their faces”
  17. Jeremiah 44:14 Literally “lifting up their soul”
  18. Jeremiah 44:14 Literally “but if”