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?”

Read full chapter

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

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 the Lord, we are not going to listen to you! 17 Instead, we will do everything we promised:[a] we will burn incense to the queen of heaven[b] and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities(A) and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food, we were well off, and we 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.”(B)

19 And the women said,[c] “When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it apart from our husbands’ knowledge(C) that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 44:17 Lit do every word that came from our mouth
  2. 44:17 = Ashtoreth, or Astarte
  3. 44:19 LXX, Syr; MT omits And the women said