1 The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in AEx 14:2; Jer 46:14Migdol, BJer 43:7; Ezek 30:18Tahpanhes, CIs 19:13; Jer 2:16; 46:14; Ezek 30:13, 16; Hos 9:6Memphis, and the land of DIs 11:11; Ezek 29:14; 30:14Pathros, saying, 2 “Thus says the Loʀᴅ 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 AIs 6:11; Jer 4:7; 9:11; 34:22; Mic 3:12ruins and no one lives in them, 3 ANeh 9:33; Jer 2:17-19; 44:23; Ezek 8:17, 18; Dan 9:5because of their wickedness which they committed so as to BIs 3:8; Jer 7:19; 32:30-32; 44:8provoke Me to anger by continuing to CJer 19:4burn 1Or incensesacrifices and to DDeut 13:6; 29:26; 32:17serve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. 4  ‘Yet I AJer 7:13, 25; 25:4; 26:5; 29:19; 35:15; Zech 7:7sent you all My servants the prophets, 1Lit rising early and sendingagain and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this BJer 16:18; 32:34, 35; Ezek 8:10abominable thing which I hate.” 5  ‘But AJer 11:8, 10; 13:10they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn 1Or incensesacrifices to other gods. 6  ‘Therefore My AIs 51:17-20; Jer 42:18; Ezek 8:18wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the BJer 7:17, 34cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become a ruin and a CJer 4:27; 34:22desolation as it is this day. 7  ‘Now then thus says the Loʀᴅ God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Why are you ANum 16:38; Jer 26:19; Ezek 33:11; Hab 2:10doing great harm to yourselves, so as to BJer 3:24; 9:21; 51:22cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant, 8 A2 Kin 17:15-17; Jer 25:6, 7; 44:3; 1 Cor 10:21, 22provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, BJer 7:9; 11:12, 17; 44:3; Hos 4:13; Hab 1:16burning 1Or incensesacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you are entering to reside, so that you might be cut off and become a C1 Kin 9:7, 8; 2 Chr 7:20; Jer 42:18curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9  “Have you forgotten the AJer 7:9, 10, 17, 18; 44:17, 21wickedness 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? 10  “But they AJer 6:15; 8:12have not become 1Lit crushedcontrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor BJer 26:4; 32:23; 44:23walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers.” ’

11 “Therefore thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to ALev 17:10; 20:5, 6; 26:17; Jer 21:10; Amos 9:4set My face against you for 1Lit evilwoe, even to cut off all Judah. 12  ‘And I will AJer 42:15-18, 22take away the remnant of Judah who have set their 1Lit facemind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all 2Lit be finishedBIs 1:28; Jer 16:4; 44:7meet 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 CIs 65:15; Jer 18:16; 24:9; 26:6; 29:18; 42:18; Zech 8:13curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach. 13  ‘And I will AJer 11:22; 44:27, 28punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with pestilence. 14  ‘So there will be AJer 22:10; 44:27no 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 1Lit lifting up their soulBJer 22:26, 27longing to return and live; for none will CIs 4:2; 10:20; Jer 44:28; Rom 9:27return except a few refugees.’ ”

15 Then AProv 11:21; Is 1:5; Jer 5:1-5all the men who were aware that their wives were burning 1Or incensesacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, 2Lit andincluding all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, 16 “As for the 1Lit wordAJer 43:2message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Loʀᴅ, BProv 1:24-27; Jer 11:8, 10; 13:10we are not going to listen to you! 17  “But rather we will certainly ANum 30:12; Deut 23:23carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, 1Or so as to burnby burning 2Or incensesacrifices to the B2 Kin 17:16; Jer 7:18queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as CNeh 9:34; Jer 32:32; 44:21we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had DEx 16:3; Hos 2:5-9; Phil 3:19plenty of 3Lit breadfood and were well off and saw no 4Lit evilmisfortune. 18  “But since we stopped burning 1Or incensesacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have ANum 11:5, 6; Jer 40:12; Mal 3:13-15lacked everything and have 2Lit been finishedmet our end by the sword and by famine.” 19 “And,” said the women, “when we were AJer 7:18burning 1Or incensesacrifices to the queen of heaven and 2Lit to pourwere pouring out drink offerings to her, was it BNum 30:6, 7; Jer 44:15without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes 3Lit to make an image of herin her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

20 Then 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 1Or incenseAEzek 8:10, 11smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the BJer 11:13; 44:9, 17streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Loʀᴅ CPs 79:8; Is 64:9; Jer 14:10; Hos 7:2; Amos 8:7remember them and did not all this come into His 2Lit heartmind? 22  “So the Loʀᴅ was AIs 7:13; 43:24; Mal 2:17no longer able to endure it, BJer 4:4; 21:12; 30:14because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a CGen 19:13; Ps 107:33, 34; Jer 25:11, 18, 38; 29:18; 42:18; 44:12ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. 23  “Because you have burned 1Or incensesacrifices and have sinned against the Loʀᴅ and AJer 7:13-15; 40:3not obeyed the voice of the Loʀᴅ or BJer 44:10; Ps 119:136, 150walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this C1 Kin 9:9; Neh 13:18; Jer 44:2; Dan 9:11, 12calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.”

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “AJer 42:15; 44:16Hear the word of the Loʀᴅ, all Judah who are BJer 43:7; 44:15, 26in the land of Egypt, 25 thus says the Loʀᴅ 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 AJer 44:17; Matt 14:9; Acts 23:12certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn 1Or incensesacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” 2Lit Surely cause to standBEzek 20:39Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’ 26  “1Lit ThereforeNevertheless hear the word of the Loʀᴅ, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, ‘Behold, I have AGen 22:16; Deut 32:40, 41; Jer 22:5; Amos 6:8; Heb 6:13sworn by My great name,’ says the Loʀᴅ, ‘BPs 50:16; Ezek 20:39never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “CIs 48:1, 2; Jer 5:2As the Lord 2Heb YHWH, usually rendered LoʀᴅGoᴅ lives.” 27  ‘Behold, I am watching over them AJer 1:10; 31:28; 39:16for harm and not for good, and B2 Kin 21:14; Jer 44:14all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will 1Lit be finishedmeet their end by the sword and by famine until they 2Lit come to an endare completely gone. 28  ‘AJer 44:14Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah 1Lit men of numberBIs 10:19; 27:12, 13few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know CPs 33:11; Is 14:27; 46:10, 11; Zech 1:6whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. 29  ‘This will be the AIs 7:11, 14; 8:18; Jer 44:30; Matt 24:15, 16, 32sign to you,’ declares the Loʀᴅ, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that BProv 19:21; Is 40:8My words will surely stand against you for harm.’ 30  “Thus says the Loʀᴅ, ‘Behold, I am going to give over AJer 43:9-13; 46:25; Ezek 29:3; 30:21Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over B2 Kin 25:4-7; Jer 34:21; 39:5-7Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’ ”