Jeremiah 44

Conquest of Egypt Predicted

1The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in 1Migdol, 2Tahpanhes, 3Memphis, and the land of 4Pathros, saying, 2“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in 5ruins and no one lives in them, 36because of their wickedness which they committed so as to 7provoke Me to anger by continuing to 8burn 9sacrifices and to 10serve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. 4Yet I 11sent you all My servants the prophets, 12again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this 13abominable thing which I hate.” 5But 14they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn 15sacrifices to other gods. 6Therefore My 16wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the 17cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become a ruin and a 18desolation as it is this day. 7Now then thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Why are you 19doing great harm to yourselves, so as to 20cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant, 821provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, 22burning 23sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you are entering to reside, so that you might be cut off and become a 24curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9Have you forgotten the 25wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10But they 26have not become 27contrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor 28walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers.”’

11“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to 29set My face against you for 30woe, even to cut off all Judah. 12And I will 31take away the remnant of Judah who have set their 32mind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all 3334meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword and meet their end by famine. Both small and great will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a 35curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach. 13And I will 36punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with pestilence. 14So there will be 37no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are 3839longing to return and live; for none will 40return except a few refugees.’”

15Then 41all the men who were aware that their wives were burning 42sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, 43including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, 16“As for the 4445message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, 46we are not going to listen to you! 17But rather we will certainly 47carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, 48by burning 49sacrifices to the 50queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as 51we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had 52plenty of 53food and were well off and saw no 54misfortune. 18But since we stopped burning 55sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have 56lacked everything and have 57met our end by the sword and by famine.” 19“And,” said the women, “when we were 58burning 59sacrifices to the queen of heaven and 60were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it 61without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes 62in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Calamity for the Jews

20Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women--even to all the people who were giving him such an answer--saying, 21“As for the 6364smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the 65streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord 66remember them and did not all this come into His 67mind? 22So the Lord was 68no longer able to endure it, 69because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a 70ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. 23Because you have burned 71sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and 72not obeyed the voice of the Lord or 73walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this 74calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.”

24Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “75Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are 76in the land of Egypt, 25thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will 77certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn 78sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” 7980Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’ 2681Nevertheless hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, ‘Behold, I have 82sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘83never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “84As the Lord 85God lives.” 27Behold, I am watching over them 86for harm and not for good, and 87all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will 88meet their end by the sword and by famine until they 89are completely gone. 2890Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah 9192few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know 93whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. 29This will be the 94sign to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that 95My words will surely stand against you for harm.’ 30Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am going to give over 96Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over 97Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’”