Jer 44 | NASB2020 | STEP | The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt , those who were living in Migdol , Tahpanhes , Memphis , and the land of Pathros , saying ,

Jeremiah 44

Conquest of Egypt Predicted

1 The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in ^aMigdol, ^bTahpanhes, ^cMemphis, and the land of ^dPathros, 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 ^eruins and no one lives in them, 3 ^fbecause of their wickedness which they committed to ^gprovoke Me to anger by continuing to ^hburn ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices and to ^jserve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. 4 Yet I ^ksent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this ^labominable thing which I hate.” 5 But ^mthey did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices to other gods. 6 Therefore My ^owrath and My anger gushed out and burned in the ^pcities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become ruins and a ^qdesolation as it is this day. 7 Now then, this is what the Lord God of armies, the God of Israel says: “Why are you ^rdoing great harm to yourselves, to ^seliminate from yourselves man and woman, child and infant from among Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant, 8 ^tprovoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, ^uburning ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt where you are entering to reside, so that you may be eliminated and become a ^wcurse and a disgrace among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have you forgotten the ^xwickedness 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 Yet they ^yhave not become ^{▼▼Lit crushed}contrite even to this day, nor have they feared, nor ^aawalked 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 ^abset My face against you for a disaster, even to eliminate all Judah. 12 And I will ^actake away the remnant of Judah who have set their ^{▼▼Lit faces}minds on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all ^{▼▼Lit be finished
,} ^afmeet 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 ^agcurse, an object of horror, ^{▼▼Lit a curse-formula}an imprecation, and a disgrace. 13 And I will ^aipunish those who live in the land of Egypt, just as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with plague. 14 So there will be ^ajno 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 ^{▼▼Lit lifting up their soul
,} ^allonging to return to live; for none will ^amreturn except a few refugees.’”

15 Then ^anall the men who were aware that their wives were burning ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, ^{▼▼Lit and}including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, 16 “As for the ^{▼▼Lit word
,} ^armessage that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, ^aswe are not going to listen to you! 17 But we will certainly ^atcarry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, ^{▼▼Or so as to burn}by burning ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices to the ^awqueen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as ^axwe ourselves, our forefathers, our kings, and our leaders did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had ^ayplenty of ^{▼▼Lit bread}food and were well off and saw no ^{▼▼Lit evil}misfortune. 18 But since we stopped burning ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have ^bclacked everything, and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” 19 “And,” said the women, “when we were ^bdburning ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices to the queen of heaven and ^{▼▼Lit to pour}pouring out drink offerings to her, was it ^bgwithout our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes ^{▼▼Lit to make an image of her}in her image, and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Disaster for the Jews

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 ^{▼▼Or incense
,} ^bjsmoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the ^bkstreets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, did the Lord not ^blremember them, and did all of this not come into His ^{▼▼Lit heart}mind? 22 So the Lord was ^bnno longer able to endure it, ^bobecause of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; so your land has become a ^bpplace of ruins, an object of horror, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. 23 Since you have burned ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and ^brnot obeyed the voice of the Lord nor ^bswalked in His Law, His statutes, or His testimonies, therefore this ^btdisaster has happened to you, as it has this day.”

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “ ^buHear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are ^bvin the land of Egypt! 25 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel ^{▼▼Lit says, saying}says: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will ^bxcertainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn ^{▼▼Or incense}sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” ^bzBy all means fulfill your vows, and be sure to perform your vows!’ 26 ^{▼▼Lit Therefore}In return, hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have ^cbsworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall ^ccnever be invoked again by the mouth of anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “ ^cdAs the Lord ^{▼▼Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord}God lives.” 27 Behold, I am watching over them ^cffor harm and not for good, and ^cgall the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will ^{▼▼Lit be finished}meet their end by the sword or by famine until they ^{▼▼Lit come to an end}are completely gone. 28 ^cjThose who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah ^{▼▼Lit men of number
,} ^clfew in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know ^cmwhose word will stand, Mine or theirs. 29 And this will be the ^cnsign to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that ^coMy words will assuredly stand against you for harm.’ 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to hand ^cpPharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies, to those who seek his life, just as I handed ^cqZedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’”