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“This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘You yourselves have seen all the disaster 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 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 again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this 12abominable thing which I hate.” 5But 13they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn 14sacrifices to other gods. 6Therefore My 15wrath and My anger gushed out and burned in the 16cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become ruins and a 17desolation as it is this day. 7Now then, this is what the Lord God of armies, the God of Israel says: “Why are you 18doing great harm to yourselves, to 19eliminate from yourselves man and woman, child and infant from among Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant, 820provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, 21burning 22sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt where you are entering to reside, so that you may be eliminated and become a 23curse and a disgrace among all the nations of the earth? 9Have you forgotten the 24wickedness 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? 10Yet they 25have not become 26contrite even to this day, nor have they feared, nor 27walked in My Law or My statutes, which I placed before you and before your fathers.”’

11“Therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am going to 28set My face against you for a disaster, even to eliminate all Judah. 12And I will 29take away the remnant of Judah who have set their 30minds on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all 3132meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword or meet their end by famine. From the small to the great, they will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a 33curse, an object of horror, 34an imprecation, and a disgrace. 13And I will 35punish those who live in the land of Egypt, just as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with plague. 14So there will be 36no survivor or refugee 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 3738longing to return to live; for none will 39return except a few refugees.’”

15Then 40all the men who were aware that their wives were burning 41sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, 42including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, 16“As for the 4344message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, 45we are not going to listen to you! 17But we will certainly 46carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, 47by burning 48sacrifices to the 49queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as 50we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings, and our leaders did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had 51plenty of 52food and were well off and saw no 53misfortune. 18But since we stopped burning 54sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have 55lacked everything, and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” 19“And,” said the women, “when we were 56burning 57sacrifices to the queen of heaven and 58pouring out drink offerings to her, was it 59without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes 60in her image, and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Disaster 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 6162smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the 63streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, did the Lord not 64remember them, and did all of this not come into His 65mind? 22So the Lord was 66no longer able to endure it, 67because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; so your land has become a 68place of ruins, an object of horror, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. 23Since you have burned 69sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and 70not obeyed the voice of the Lord nor 71walked in His Law, His statutes, or His testimonies, therefore this 72disaster has happened to you, as it has this day.”

24Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “73Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are 74in the land of Egypt! 25This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel 75says: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will 76certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn 77sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” 78By all means fulfill your vows, and be sure to perform your vows!’ 2679In return, hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have 80sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall 81never be invoked again by the mouth of anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “82As the Lord 83God lives.” 27Behold, I am watching over them 84for harm and not for good, and 85all the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will 86meet their end by the sword or by famine until they 87are completely gone. 2888Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah 8990few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know 91whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. 29And this will be the 92sign to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that 93My words will assuredly stand against you for harm.’ 30This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to hand 94Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies, to those who seek his life, just as I handed 95Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’”