Jeremiah Warns the Refugees in Egypt

44 This is the message that came to Jeremiah for all the Judeans who were living in the land of Egypt, who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and in the land of Pathros,^[a] saying, ² “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen the disaster that I brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah. Look, they’re in ruins today, with no one living in them, ³ because of the^[b] wickedness that they did, provoking me to anger by continuing to offer sacrifices and worship other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors had known. ⁴ Yet I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again,^[c] saying, “Don’t do this repulsive thing that I hate.” ⁵ ‘But they didn’t listen or pay attention^[d] by turning from their wickedness and not offering sacrifices to other gods. ⁶ My wrath and my anger were poured out, and they burned in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem so that they have become a ruin and a desolate place, as is the case today.’

⁷ “Now, this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why are you doing great harm to yourselves so as to cut off from Judah^[e] man and woman, child and infant from you, leaving yourselves without a remnant? ⁸ And why have you provoked me to anger by the works of your hands,^[f] by offering sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to settle so that you cut yourselves off and become an object of ridicule and scorn among all the nations of the earth? ⁹ Have you forgotten the evil deeds of your ancestors, the evil deeds of the kings of Judah, the evil deeds of their^[g] wives, your evil deeds, and the evil deeds of your wives, that they did in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁰ To this day they haven’t humbled themselves, they haven’t shown reverence for the Lord,^[h] and they haven’t lived according to my Law and my statutes that I set before them and before their ancestors.’

¹¹ “Therefore, this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Look, I’ve determined to bring disaster on you^[i] and to cut off all Judah. ¹² I’ll take the remnant of Judah that determined to go to the land of Egypt to settle there, and all of them^[j] will come to an end in the land of Egypt. They’ll fall by the sword, and they’ll come to an end by famine. They’ll become a curse, an object of horror, ridicule, and scorn. ¹³ I’ll punish those who live in the land of Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem—with the sword, with famine, and with plague. ¹⁴ Of the remnant of Judah that came into the land of Egypt to settle there, no one will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah where they long to return and live.^[k] Indeed, they won’t return, except for some^[l] refugees.’”