Jeremiah 44

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in the land of Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis—and in the land of Pathros:

2 “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You have seen all the disaster that I brought against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, they lie today in ruins and desolation

3 because of the evil they have done. They provoked Me to anger by continuing to burn incense and to serve other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew.

4 Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying: ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.’

5 But they did not listen or incline their ears; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods.

6 Therefore My wrath and anger poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so that they have become the desolate ruin they are today.

7 So now, this is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves by cutting off from Judah man and woman, child and infant, leaving yourselves without a remnant?

8 Why are you provoking Me to anger by the work of your hands by burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to reside? As a result, you will be cut off and will become an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations of the earth.

9 Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers and of the kings of Judah and their wives, as well as the wickedness that you and your wives committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10 To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed My instruction or the statutes that I set before you and your fathers.

11 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will set My face to bring disaster and to cut off all Judah.

12 And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have resolved to go to the land of Egypt to reside there; they will meet their end. They will all fall by the sword or be consumed by famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine; and they will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and reproach.

13 I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, just as I punished Jerusalem, by sword and famine and plague,

14 so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone to reside in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, where they long to return and live; for none will return except a few fugitives.”

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by—a great assembly—along with all the people living in the land of Egypt and in Pathros, said to Jeremiah,

16 “As for the word you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!

17 Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.

18 But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

19 “Moreover,” said the women, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ knowledge that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him,

21 “As for the incense you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem—you, your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land—did the LORD not remember and bring this to mind?

22 So the LORD could no longer endure the evil deeds and detestable acts you committed, and your land became a desolation, a horror, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as it is this day.

23 Because you burned incense and sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in His instruction, His statutes, and His testimonies, this disaster has befallen you, as you see today.”

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the LORD, all those of Judah who are in the land of Egypt.

25 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words: ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows!

26 Nevertheless, hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah living in Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the LORD, that never again will any man of Judah living in the land of Egypt invoke My name or say, ‘As surely as the Lord GOD lives.’

27 I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine, until they are finished off.

28 Those who escape the sword will return from Egypt to Judah, few in number, and the whole remnant of Judah who went to dwell in the land of Egypt will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs!

29 This will be a sign to you that I will punish you in this place, declares the LORD, so that you may know that My threats of harm against you will surely stand.

30 This is what the LORD says: Behold, I will deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who seek his life, just as I delivered Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who was seeking his life.”

1 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they [are] a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,

3 Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, [and] to serve other gods, whom they knew not, [neither] they, ye, nor your fathers.

4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them], saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted [and] desolate, as at this day.

7 Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye [this] great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;

8 In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

9 Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10 They are not humbled [even] unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.

11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.

12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, [and] fall in the land of Egypt; they shall [even] be consumed by the sword [and] by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, [and] an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:

14 So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.

15 ¶ Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

16 [As for] the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for [then] had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all [things], and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

20 ¶ Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him [that] answer, saying,

21 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it [not] into his mind?

22 So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, [and] because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.

23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.

24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt:

25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.

26 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.

27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.

29 And this [shall be] a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

30 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

1 This is the word that came unto Jeremiah unto all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, even to Migdal, and to Thachpanhes, and to Noph, and to them that dwelt in the land of Pathros, saying:

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, they are desolate this day, and none dwelleth therein;

3 And this because of their wickedness, which they did, to provoke me to anger, and to go and burn incense, and to serve other gods, which neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers, knew.

4 And I sent unto you always all my servants the prophets, saying, Do not such abominations as I hate.

5 But they hearkened not, neither inclined their ears from their wickedness, that they should repent, and not burn incense unto other gods.

6 Therefore also mine anger and my fury came on and burned upon the cities of Judah, and upon the streets of Jerusalem, and they became desolate and waste, as it is this day.

7 Now therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Why do ye this great evil against your own lives, that both man and woman, both child and suckling, should be cut off from among you out of Judah, and that nothing should remain of you?

8 That ye should provoke me to anger with your hands, and burn incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye went to lodge, that ye might be cut off, and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

9 Have ye forgotten the calamities of your fathers, the calamities of the kings of Judah, the calamities of their wives, and your own calamities, and the calamities of your wives, which ye have met with in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10 Nor are they humbled unto this day, neither do they fear, nor walk in my law and my statutes, which I set before you and before your fathers.

11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you to destruction, and all Judah shall be cut off.

12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, which have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt, and they shall lodge there: and there shall be an end of them all in the land of Egypt. By the sword shall they fall, and by the famine shall they perish, both small and great: they shall die by the sword and by the famine; and they shall be sworn, and wrought a miracle, and cursed, and put to death. Disgrace.

13 I will also afflict the inhabitants of the land of Egypt with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, as I did Jerusalem,

14 That none of the remnant of Judah should escape, nor remain, who came hither to the land of Egypt to lodge, that they might return into the land of Judah, whither they would return and dwell: but there should no man return thither, except they flee hence.

15 And all the men that knew that their wives burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that were with a great multitude, and all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, and in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, and said:

16 According to the word which thou sayest unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not obey thee,

17 But we will do according to all the word that proceedeth out of our mouth, and we will burn incense unto Melecheth of heaven, and offer drink offerings unto her, as we have done, and as our fathers, and our kings, and our princes, have done in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem. And we had bread enough, and we prospered, and saw no evil.

18 But since that time we have ceased to burn incense to Melecheth of heaven, and to offer drink offerings, we have suffered all want, and have perished by the sword and by the famine.

19 Even when we burn incense unto Melecheth of heaven, and offer drink offerings, we do not do it without our husbands' will, that we should burn their cakes, and offer drink offerings, to afflict them.

20 Then said Jeremiah unto all the people, both men and women, and to all the people that answered him so:

21 For I think that the LORD remembered the incense which ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, with your fathers, kings, and princes, and all the people of the land, and took it to heart,

22 That he could no more endure your wickedness and your abominations which ye did: therefore also your land is become a desolation, and a wonder, and a curse, that no man dwelleth therein, as it is this day.

23 Because ye have burned incense, and sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have not walked in his law, and in his statutes, and in his judgments, and in his testimonies, therefore this evil hath befallen you, as it is this day.

24 And Jeremiah spake unto all the people, and unto all the women: Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah that are in the land of Egypt.

25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye and your wives have spoken with your mouth, and wrought with your hands, saying, We will keep our vows, which we have vowed to Melecheth of heaven, to burn incense unto her, and to offer drink offerings unto her. Well then, you have fulfilled your vows and kept your vows.

26 Hear therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt. Behold, I swear by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be called by the mouth of any man out of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, As the LORD LORD liveth.

27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and for no good: and whosoever is of Judah in the land of Egypt shall perish by the sword, and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

28 But they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah with a small company. And all the remnant of Judah that went into the land of Egypt to lodge there shall know whose word is true, mine or theirs.

29 And for a sign, saith the LORD, that I will visit you in this place, that ye may know that my word shall come to pass upon you to mischief,

30 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will deliver Pharaoh Haphra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and of them that are after his life; as I delivered Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that was after his life.