Chapter 44

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell⁶ in the land of Egypt, which dwell⁶ at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen¹ all the evil that I have brought⁵² upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they [are] a desolation, and no man dwelleth⁶ therein,

Because of their wickedness which they have committed¹ to provoke me to anger,⁵³ in that they went² to burn incense,¹⁵ [and] to serve² other gods, whom they knew¹ not, [neither] they, ye, nor your fathers.

Howbeit I sent⁴ unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early⁵³ and sending² [them], saying,² Oh, do⁴ not this abominable thing that I hate.¹

But they hearkened¹ not, nor inclined⁵² their ear to turn² from their wickedness, to burn no incense¹⁵ unto other gods.

Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth,⁴ and was kindled⁴ in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted [and] desolate, as at this day.

Therefore now thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit⁶ ye [this] great evil against your souls, to cut off⁵³ from you man and woman, child and suckling,⁶ out of Judah, to leave⁵³ you none to remain;

In that ye provoke me unto wrath⁵³ with the works of your hands, burning incense¹⁵ unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone⁶ to dwell,² that ye might cut yourselves off,⁵³ and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

Have ye forgotten¹ 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 committed¹ in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

They are not humbled²⁷ [even] unto this day, neither have they feared,¹ nor walked¹ in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set¹ before you and before your fathers.

Therefore thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set⁶ my face against you for evil, and to cut off⁵³ all Judah.

And I will take¹ the remnant of Judah, that have set¹ their faces to go into² the land of Egypt to sojourn² there, and they shall all be consumed,¹ [and] fall⁴ in the land of Egypt; they shall [even] be consumed¹¹ by the sword [and] by the famine: they shall die,⁴ from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, [and] an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

For I will punish¹ them that dwell⁶ in the land of Egypt, as I have punished¹ Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:

So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone⁶ into the land of Egypt to sojourn² there, shall escape or remain, that they should return² into the land of Judah, to the which they have¹⁸ a desire to return² to dwell² there: for none shall return⁴ but such as shall escape.

Then all the men which knew⁶ that their wives had burned incense¹⁸ unto other gods, and all the women that stood by,⁶ a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt⁶ in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered⁴ Jeremiah, saying,²

[As for] the word that thou hast spoken¹⁴ unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken⁶ unto thee.

But we will certainly² do⁴ whatsoever thing goeth forth¹ out of our own mouth, to burn incense¹⁵ unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out⁵³ drink offerings unto her, as we have done,¹ we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for [then] had we plenty⁴ of victuals, and were well, and saw¹ no evil.

But since we left off¹ to burn incense¹⁵ to the queen of heaven, and to pour out⁵³ drink offerings unto her, we have wanted¹ all [things], and have been consumed¹ by the sword and by the famine.

And when we burned incense¹⁸ to the queen of heaven, and poured out⁵³ drink offerings unto her, did we make¹ her cakes to worship⁵³ her, and pour out⁵³ drink offerings unto her, without our men?

Then Jeremiah said⁴ unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him [that] answer, ^{6030 6} saying,²

The incense that ye burned¹⁴ 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 remember¹ them, and came⁴ it [not] into his mind?

So that the LORD could⁴ no longer bear,² because of the evil of your doings, [and] because of the abominations which ye have committed;¹ therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant,⁶ as at this day.

Because ⁸³⁴ ye have burned incense,¹⁴ and because ye have sinned¹ against the LORD, and have not obeyed¹ the voice of the LORD, nor walked¹ in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened¹ unto you, as at this day.

Moreover Jeremiah said⁴ unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear³ the word of the LORD, all Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt:

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying;² Ye and your wives have both spoken¹⁷ with your mouths, and fulfilled¹⁴ with your hand, saying,² We will surely² perform⁴ our vows that we have vowed,¹ to burn incense¹⁵ to the queen of heaven, and to pour out⁵³ drink offerings unto her: ye will surely⁵³ accomplish⁵⁵ your vows, and surely² perform⁴ your vows.

Therefore hear³ ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell⁶ in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn⁸ by my great name, saith¹ the LORD, that my name shall no more be named¹² in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying,⁶ The Lord GOD liveth.

Behold, I will watch⁶ over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt shall be consumed¹ by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end² of them.

Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return⁴ out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone⁶ into the land of Egypt to sojourn² there, shall know¹ whose words shall stand,⁴ mine, or theirs.

And this [shall be] a sign unto you, saith⁷ the LORD, that I will punish⁶ you in this place, that ye may know⁴ that my words shall surely² stand⁴ against you for evil:

Thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, I will give⁶ Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies,⁶ and into the hand of them that seek¹⁸ his life; as I gave¹ Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy,⁶ and that sought¹⁸ his life.