15 Then (A)all the men who were aware that their wives were burning [a]sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, [b]including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, 16 “As for the [c](B)message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, (C)we are not going to listen to you! 17 But we will certainly (D)carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, [d]by burning [e]sacrifices to the (E)queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as (F)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 (G)plenty of [f]food and were well off and saw no [g]misfortune. 18 But since we stopped burning [h]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have (H)lacked everything, and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” 19 “And,” said the women, “when we were (I)burning [i]sacrifices to the queen of heaven and [j]pouring out drink offerings to her, was it (J)without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes [k]in her image, and poured out drink offerings to her?”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 44:15 Or incense
  2. Jeremiah 44:15 Lit and
  3. Jeremiah 44:16 Lit word
  4. Jeremiah 44:17 Or so as to burn
  5. Jeremiah 44:17 Or incense
  6. Jeremiah 44:17 Lit bread
  7. Jeremiah 44:17 Lit evil
  8. Jeremiah 44:18 Or incense
  9. Jeremiah 44:19 Or incense
  10. Jeremiah 44:19 Lit to pour
  11. Jeremiah 44:19 Lit to make an image of her

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, along with the great crowd of women who were present, as well as the people living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, all answered Jeremiah: 16 “We’re not going to listen to a word you have said to us in the Lord’s name! 17 No, we’re going to do exactly what we want: We’re going to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials, have done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty to eat and we were thriving; we didn’t have any troubles. 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring drink offerings to her, we have been destroyed by the sword and by famine.”

19 And the women added,[a] “Do you think that we burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour drink offerings to her without our husbands’ support when we make cakes in her image and pour drink offerings to her?”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 44:19 Syr; MT lacks and the women added.