< Jeremiah 44 >

1 The word that has been to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who are dwelling in the land of Egypt—who are dwelling in Migdol, and in Tahpanhes, and in Noph, and in the land of Pathros—saying,
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
2 “Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: You have seen all the calamity that I have brought in on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah, and behold, they [are] a desolation to this day, and there is none dwelling in them,
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 in them,
3 because of their wickedness that they have done, by provoking Me to anger, by going to make incense, by serving other gods, that they did not know, they, you, and your fathers.
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 And I send to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, saying, Please do not do this abomination that I have hated—
Yet I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, O, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
5 and they have not listened nor inclined their ear to turn back from their wickedness, not to make incense to other gods,
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods.
6 and My fury is poured out, and My anger, and it burns in cities of Judah, and in streets of Jerusalem, and they are for a ruin, for a desolation, as [at] this day.
Therefore my fury and my 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 And now, thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: Why are you doing great evil to your own souls, to cut off man and woman, infant and suckling, from you, from the midst of Judah, so as not to leave a remnant to you:
Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Why do ye commit 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 by provoking Me to anger by the works of your hands, by making incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, to where you are going to sojourn, so as to cut yourselves off, and so as to your being for a reviling and for a reproach among all nations of the earth?
In that ye provoke me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where ye are gone to dwell, that ye may cut yourselves off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9 Have you 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, that they have done in the land of Judah, and in streets of Jerusalem?
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 have not been humbled to this day, nor have they been afraid, nor have they walked in My law, and in My statutes, that I have set before you and before your fathers.
They are not humbled even to 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 said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: Behold, I am setting My face against you for calamity, even to cut off all Judah,
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 have taken the remnant of Judah, who have set their faces to enter the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they have all been consumed in the land of Egypt; they fall by sword [and] are consumed by famine, from the least even to the greatest, they die by sword and by famine, and they have been for an execration, for an astonishment, and for a reviling, and for a reproach.
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 to the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an horror, and a curse, and a reproach.
13 And I have seen after those dwelling in the land of Egypt, as I saw after Jerusalem, with sword, with famine, and with pestilence,
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 and there is not an escaped and remaining one of the remnant of Judah, who are entering into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, even to turn back to the land of Judah, to where they are lifting up their soul to return to dwell, for they do not turn back, except those escaping.”
So that none of the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, where they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
15 And they answer Jeremiah—all the men who are knowing that their wives are making incense to other gods, and all the women who are remaining, a great assembly, even all the people who are dwelling in the land of Egypt, in Pathros—saying:
Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to 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 “The word that you have spoken to us in the Name of YHWH—we are not listening to you;
As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken to thee.
17 for we certainly do everything that has gone out of our mouth, to make incense to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our heads, in cities of Judah, and in streets of Jerusalem, and—we are satisfied with bread, and we are well, and we have not seen calamity.
But we will certainly do whatever thing proceedeth from our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to 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 we had plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.
18 And from the time we have ceased to make incense to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, we have lacked all, and we have been consumed by sword and by famine,
But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
19 and when we are making incense to the queen of the heavens, and pouring out drink-offerings to her—have we made cakes for her to idolize her, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, without our husbands?”
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make for her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?
20 And Jeremiah says to all the people, concerning the men and concerning the women, and concerning all the people who are answering him, saying,
Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people who had given him that answer, saying,
21 “The incense that you made in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you, and your fathers, your kings, and your heads, and the people of the land, has YHWH not remembered it? Indeed, it comes up on His heart.
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 And YHWH is not able to accept [you] anymore, because of the evil of your doings, because of the abominations that you have done, and your land is for a ruin, and for an astonishment, and for a reviling, without inhabitant, as [at] this day.
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 horror, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
23 Because that you have made incense, and because you have sinned against YHWH, and have not listened to the voice of YHWH, and have not walked in His law, and in His statutes, and in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has met you as [at] this day.”
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 hath happened to you, as at this day.
24 And Jeremiah says to all the people, and to all the women, “Hear a word of YHWH, all Judah who [are] in the land of Egypt:
Moreover Jeremiah said to 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 spoke YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, You and your wives both speak with your mouth, and with your hands have fulfilled, saying, We certainly execute our vows that we have vowed, to make incense to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out drink-offerings to her. You certainly establish your vows, and certainly execute your vows.
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 to her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Therefore, hear a word of YHWH, all Judah who are dwelling in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great Name, said YHWH, My Name is no longer proclaimed by the mouth of any man of Judah, saying, Lord YHWH lives—in all the land of Egypt.
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 am watching over them for calamity, and not for good, and all the men of Judah who [are] in the land of Egypt have been consumed by sword and by famine, until their consumption.
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 shall be an end of them.
28 And the escaped of the sword turn back out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number, and all the remnant of Judah, who are coming into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, have known whose word is established, Mine or theirs.
Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that have gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
29 And this [is] the sign to you—a declaration of YHWH—that I am seeing after you in this place, so that you know that My words are certainly established against you for calamity—
And this shall be a sign to 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 said YHWH: Behold, I am giving Pharaoh-Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those seeking his life, as I have given Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and who is seeking his life.”
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 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

< Jeremiah 44 >