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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”

Jeremiah’s final words to Judeans in Egypt

44 Jeremiah received the Lord’s word for the Judeans living in the land of Egypt, those living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis and in the land of Pathros. The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: You have seen the disaster I brought on Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. They are now a wasteland with no one left because of their evil ways. They have angered me by making offerings and worshipping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors knew. Yet time and again I sent you all my servants the prophets, saying, “Don’t do these detestable things that I hate.” But they wouldn’t listen or pay attention or turn from their evil ways. They continued making offerings to other gods. So my fierce anger poured out and blazed against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. And they were reduced to an utter wasteland, as they are today.

Now the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Why are you committing this huge mistake that will cost you your lives? Every man, woman, child, and infant will be eliminated from the midst of Judah, and no one will be left. Why do you anger me by what you do: by burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live? You will be eliminated and become an object of cursing and disgrace among all the nations of the earth. Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors and the sins of the kings of Judah and their wives?[a] Have you forgotten the sins that you and your wives committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 To this day you[b] haven’t shown any sorrow for what you have done. And you haven’t revered me or followed my Instruction and my laws that I set before you and your ancestors.

11 Therefore, the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: I’m determined to bring disaster on you, to eliminate all of Judah. 12 I will take the few remaining Judeans who were determined to go to the land of Egypt to live. They will all perish there. They will fall by the sword and perish due to famine. The least to the greatest will die by the sword and by famine. They will become an object of cursing, scorn, contempt, and disgrace. 13 I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, just as I punished Jerusalem with war, famine, and disease. 14 From the few remaining in Judah, no fugitive or survivor who came to live here in the land of Egypt will be able to return to the land of Judah. Even though they want to return and live there, they won’t be able to return, except for some fugitives.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 44:9 Heb his wives
  2. Jeremiah 44:10 Or they