إرْمِيا 44

١ 1 هَذِهِ هِيَ النُّبُوءَةُ الَّتِي أُوْحِيَ بِها إِلَى إِرْمِيَا عَنِ الْيَهُودِ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي مِصْرَ، النَّازِلِينَ فِي مَجْدَلَ وَفِي تَحَفَنْحِيسَ وَمَمْفِيسَ وَفِي مِنْطَقَةِ جَنُوبِ مِصْرَ.

This is the message that came to Jeremiah regarding all the people of Judah living in Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis—and in Upper Egypt.

٢ 2 «هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: قَدْ شَهِدْتُمْ كُلَّ مَا أَوْقَعْتُهُ مِنْ شَرٍّ بِأُورُشَلِيمَ وَبِكَافَّةِ مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا. هَا هِيَ الْيَوْمَ خَرِبَةٌ مَهْجُورَةٌ

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the complete disaster that I brought down on Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. You can see how today they're ruined and abandoned

٣ 3 لِشَرِّ أَهْلِهَا الَّذِي ارْتَكَبُوهُ لِيُثِيرُوا سُخْطِي، إِذْ ذَهَبُوا لِيُحْرِقُوا بَخُوراً وَيَعْبُدُوا آلِهَةً أُخْرَى مِنَ الأَصْنَامِ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوهَا هُمْ وَلا أَنْتُمْ وَلا آبَاؤُكُمْ.

because of the evil they did. They made me angry by burning incense and serving other gods that they hadn't ever known, and you and your forefathers hadn't known either.

٤ 4 وَقَدْ أَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ مُنْذِراً مُنْذُ الْبَدْءِ جَمِيعَ عَبِيدِي الأَنْبِيَاءِ قَائِلاً: لَا تَقْتَرِفُوا رِجْساً مِثْلَ هَذَا لأَنِّي أَمْقُتُهُ،

I sent you all my servants the prophets time and again to warn you: “Don't do these offensive things that I hate.”

٥ 5 فَلَمْ يَرْتَدِعُوا وَلا سَمِعُوا لِيَتُوبُوا وَيَكُفُّوا عَنْ إِحْرَاقِ الْبَخُورِ لِتِلْكَ الأَصْنَامِ،

But you refused to listen or to pay attention. You didn't stop their wickedness or burning incense in worship of other gods.

٦ 6 فَانْصَبَّ غَيْظِي وَحَنَقِي، وَأَشْعَلا مُدُنَ يَهُوذَا وَشَوَارِعَ أُورُشَلِيمَ حَتَّى أَصْبَحَتْ جَمِيعاً أَطْلالاً وَخَرَاباً كَمَا هِيَ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ.

That's why my furious anger poured out and set fire to the towns of Judah and burned in the streets of Jerusalem, making them the abandoned ruins they still are today.

٧ 7 وَالآنَ هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: لِمَاذَا تَرْتَكِبُونَ هَذَا الشَّرَّ الْعَظِيمَ فِي حَقِّ أَنْفُسِكُمْ، لِيَنْقَرِضَ مِنْكُمُ الرَّجُلُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ وَالطِّفْلُ وَالرَّضِيعُ مِنْ بَيْنِ شَعْبِ يَهُوذَا وَلا تَبْقَى مِنْكُمْ بَقِيَّةٌ؟

So this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why are you hurting yourselves so badly by removing from Judah every man, woman, child, infant, so you don't have anyone left?

٨ 8 لِمَاذَا تُغِيظُونَنِي بِاقْتِرَافِ الإِثْمِ إِذْ تُحْرِقُونَ بَخُوراً لِآلِهَةِ أَصْنَامِ مِصْرَ الَّتِي هَاجَرْتُمْ إِلَيْهَا لِتَتَغَرَّبُوا فِيهَا، فَتَنْقَرِضُونَ وَتُصْبِحُونَ لَعْنَةً وَعَاراً بَيْنَ كُلِّ أُمَمِ الأَرْضِ؟

Why are you making me angry by what you do, burning incense to other gods in Egypt where you have come to live? Because if this you will be destroyed, and will you will become a curse word, an expression of condemnation among all the nations on earth.

٩ 9 هَلْ نَسِيتُمْ شُرُورَ آبَائِكُمْ وَشُرُورَ مُلُوكِ يَهُوذَا وَشُرُورَ نِسَائِهِمْ، وَشُرُورَكُمْ وَشُرُورَ نِسَائِكُمْ الَّتِي ارْتُكِبَتْ فِي أَرْضِ يَهُوذَا وَفِي شَوَارِعِ أُورُشَلِيمَ؟

Have you forgotten the evil of your forefathers and the evil of the kings of Judah and the evil of their wives, as well as your own evil and the evil your wives, all practiced in the country of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

١٠ 10 إِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَتَذَلَّلُوا إِلَى هَذَا الْيَوْمِ وَلا اتَّقُوا وَلا سَلَكُوا فِي شَرِيعَتِي وَفَرَائِضِي الَّتِي سَنَنْتُهَا لَكُمْ وَلِآبَائِكُمْ.

Even up to now you haven't shown any remorse or reverence. You haven't followed my rules and regulations I gave you and your forefathers.

١١ 11 لِذَلِكَ هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: هَا أَنَا أَتَرَصَّدُكُمْ لأُجَازِيَكُمْ شَرّاً لَا خَيْراً، لأَسْتَأْصِلَكُمْ مِنْ يَهُوذَا.

So this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster and to wipe out everyone from Judah.

١٢ 12 وَآخُذُ بَقِيَّةَ يَهُوذَا الَّذِينَ وَطَّدُوا الْعَزْمَ عَلَى الرَّحِيلِ إِلَى مِصْرَ لِيَتَغَرَّبُوا فِيهَا، وَأُفْنِيهِمْ كُلَّهُمْ هُنَاكَ، فَيَهْلِكُونَ بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْجُوعِ مِنْ صَغِيرِهِمْ إِلَى كَبِيرِهِمْ، فَيَمُوتُونَ وَيُصْبِحُونَ سُبَّةً وَدَهْشَةً وَلَعْنَةً وَعَاراً.

I'm going to destroy you who are left who decided to go to Egypt to live there. You will die there, killed by the sword or by famine. Whoever you are, from the least to the most important, you're going to die by sword or by famine; and you will become a curse word, something horrible, an insult, an expression of condemnation.

١٣ 13 وَأُعَاقِبُ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي مِصْرَ كَمَا عَاقَبْتُ أَهْلَ أُورُشَلِيمَ بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَالْوَبَاءِ،

I'm going to punish you who live in Egypt like I punished Jerusalem, by war and famine and disease.

١٤ 14 فَلا يُفْلِتُ مِنْهُمْ نَاجٍ، وَلا يَسْلَمُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ بَقِيَّةِ يَهُوذَا الْمُرْتَحِلِينَ لِيَتَغَرَّبُوا هُنَاكَ فِي مِصْرَ، لِيَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَرْضِ يَهُوذَا الَّتِي يَتُوقُ لِلْعَوْدَةِ إِلَيْهَا وَالإِقَامَةِ فِيهَا، لأَنَّهُ لَنْ يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهَا إِلا قِلَّةٌ مِنَ الطَّرِيدِينَ».

Nobody who is left from Judah who has gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the country of Judah. You long to go back and live there, but nobody will return except a few stragglers.

١٥ 15 غَيْرَ أَنَّ جَمِيعَ الرِّجَالِ الَّذِينَ يَعْرِفُونَ أَنَّ نِسَاءَهُمْ يُحْرِقْنَ بَخُوراً لآلِهَةِ الأَصْنَامِ، وَكَذَلِكَ النِّسَاءَ الْحَاضِرَاتِ، وَسَائِرَ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي الْمِنْطَقَةِ الْجَنُوبِيَّةِ فِي مِصْرَ، وَهُمْ عَدَدٌ كَبِيرٌ قَالُوا لإِرْمِيَا:

All the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women who were there, a great crowd of people, those living in Egypt and Upper Egypt all told Jeremiah,

١٦ 16 «لَنْ نُطِيعَكَ فِي مَا خَاطَبْتَنَا بِهِ مِنْ كَلامٍ بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّ،

“Even though you say this message is from the Lord, we're not going to listen to you”

١٧ 17 بَلْ نَعْمَلَ بِمُقْتَضَى مَا تَعَهَّدْنَا بِهِ، فَنُحْرِقُ بَخُوراً لِمَلِكَةِ السَّمَاءِ وَنُقَرِّبُ لَهَا السَّكَائِبَ كَمَا سَبَقَ أَنْ فَعَلْنَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا وَمُلُوكُنَا وَرُؤَسَاؤُنَا فِي مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا وَفِي شَوَارِعِ أُورُشَلِيمَ، فَكَانَتْ لَنَا وَفْرَةٌ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ وَتَمَتَّعْنَا بِالْخَيْرِ وَلَمْ يُصِبْنَا شَرٌّ.

In fact we're going to do everything we said we would. We'll burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to worship her as we did before, just like our fathers, our kings, and our officials who did the same things in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Back then we had plenty of food and we were well off and nothing bad happened to us.

١٨ 18 وَلَكِنْ مُنْذُ أَنْ أَهْمَلْنَا إِحْرَاقَ الْبَخُورِ لِمَلِكَةِ السَّمَاءِ وَتَقْرِيبَ السَّكَائِبِ لَهَا، افْتَقَرْنَا إِلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَفَنِينَا بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْجُوعِ».

But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to worship her, we've lost everything and have been dying as a result of war and famine.

١٩ 19 وَقَالَتِ النِّسَاءُ: «عِنْدَمَا أَحْرَقْنَا الْبَخُورَ لِمَلِكَةِ السَّمَاءِ وَقَرَّبْنَا لَهَا السَّكَائِبَ وَعَمِلْنَا أَقْرَاصاً مُمَاثِلَةً لِصُورَتِهَا، وَقَرَّبْنَا السَّكَائِبَ لَهَا، هَلْ فَعَلْنَا ذَلِكَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمِ أَزْوَاجِنَا؟».

“On top of that,” the women added, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to worship her, did we do this without our husbands knowing about it, that we baked cakes stamped with her image and poured out drink offerings to worship her?”

٢٠ 20 فَقَالَ إِرْمِيَا لِلْقَوْمِ مِنْ رِجَالٍ وَنِسَاءٍ وَسَائِرِ الشَّعْبِ الَّذِينَ أَجَابُوهُ بِهَذَا الْكَلامِ:

Jeremiah replied to all the people, both men and women, who were responding to him,

٢١ 21 «أَلَيْسَ مَا أَحْرَقْتُمُوهُ مِنْ بَخُورٍ فِي مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا وَفِي شَوَارِعِ أُورُشَلِيمَ أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ وَمُلُوكُكُمْ وَرُؤَسَاؤُكُمْ وَسُكَّانُ الأَرْضِ، هُوَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ الرَّبُّ وَخَطَرَ عَلَى بَالِهِ؟

“About that incense you burned to other gods in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, as well as your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the ordinary people—don't you think the Lord wouldn't remember and think about it?

٢٢ 22 فَلَمْ يُطِقِ الرَّبُّ بَعْدُ تَحَمُّلَ مَا ارْتَكَبْتُمْ مِنْ شَرٍّ وَمَا اقْتَرَفْتُمْ مِنْ أَرْجَاسٍ، فَصَارَتْ أَرْضُكُمْ أَطْلالاً وَمَثَارَ دَهْشَةٍ وَلَعْنَةٍ وَمَهْجُورَةً كَالْعَهْدِ بِها فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ.

The Lord couldn't take it anymore—the evil things you did and your disgusting acts—so your country was turned into an uninhabited wasteland, a place of horror and a curse word to others, as it still is today.

٢٣ 23 إِنَّ الْبَلاءَ الَّذِي حَلَّ بِكُمْ كَمَا فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ هُوَ عِقَابٌ لَكُمْ عَلَى إحْرَاقِكُمُ الْبَخُورَ وَتَعَدِّيكُمْ عَلَى الرَّبِّ وَعِصْيَانِكُمْ لِصَوْتِهِ، وَعَدَمِ سُلُوكِكُمْ فِي شَرِيعَتِهِ وَفَرَائِضِهِ وَشَهَادَاتِهِ.»

As you can see today, the disaster you've experienced happened because you burned incense to other gods and sinned against the Lord, refusing to listen to the Lord or to follow his instructions, his rules, and his regulations.”

٢٤ 24 وَالآنَ اسْمَعُوا قَضَاءَ الرَّبِّ يَا جَمِيعَ أَهْلِ يَهُوذَا الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي مِصْرَ:

Then Jeremiah told everyone, including all the women, “Listen to the Lord's message, all you people from Judah living here in Egypt.

٢٥ 25 هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: «قَدْ نَطَقْتُمْ بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ أَنْتُمْ وَنِسَاؤُكُمْ، وَنَفَّذْتُمْ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ مَا نَطَقْتُمْ بِهِ قَائِلِينَ:’إِنَّنَا نَفِي بِنُذُورِنَا الَّتِي نَذَرْنَاهَا بِأَنْ نُحْرِقَ الْبَخُورَ لِمَلِكَةِ السَّمَاءِ، وَنُقَرِّبَ لَهَا السَّكَائِبَ‘، فَهَيَّا إِذاً أَوْفُوا نُذُورَكُمْ وَأَنْجِزُوهَا.»

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives, you've said what you're going to do, and you've done what you said! You said, ‘We're going to keep our promise to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to worship her.’ So go ahead! Do what you've said! Keep your promises!

٢٦ 26 لِذَلِكَ اسْمَعُوا كَلِمَةَ الرَّبِّ يَا جَمِيعَ شَعْبِ يَهُوذَا الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي مِصْرَ: «هَا أَنَا قَدْ أَقْسَمْتُ بِاسْمِي الْعَظِيمِ يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ، أَنْ لَا يَتَرَدَّدَ اسْمِي مِنْ بَعْدُ عَلَى فَمِ أَحَدٍ مِنْ شَعْبِ يَهُوذَا فِي كَافَّةِ دِيَارِ مِصْرَ قَائِلاً:’حَيٌّ هُوَ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ‘.

But even so, listen to what the Lord says, all you people from Judah living here in Egypt: I guarantee by all that I am, says the Lord, that none of you living in the Egypt will ever use my name or swear, ‘As the Lord God lives.’

٢٧ 27 هَا أَنَا أَتَرَصَّدُهُمْ لأُوْقِعَ بِهِمْ شَرّاً لَا خَيْراً، فَيَهْلِكُ كُلُّ رِجَالِ يَهُوذَا الَّذِينَ فِي أَرْضِ مِصْرَ بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْجُوعِ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ اسْتِئْصَالُهُمْ.

I will take care of them in the bad sense, and not in the good sense. All the people from Judah who are in Egypt will die by sword or famine, until they are wiped out.

٢٨ 28 وَتَرْجِعُ الْقِلَّةُ النَّاجِيَةُ مِنَ السَّيْفِ مِنْ مِصْرَ إِلَى أَرْضِ يَهُوذَا، فَتَعْلَمُ كُلُّ بَقِيَّةِ يَهُوذَا الَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا إِلَى مِصْرَ لِيَتَغَرَّبُوا فِيهَا أَيَّ كَلامٍ يَتَحَقَّقُ: كَلامِي أَمْ كَلامُهُمْ؟»

Those who manage to avoid being killed by the sword will go back to Judah from Egypt. But there will only be a few of them, and then all who were left from Judah and went to live in Egypt will know who's telling the truth—me or them!

٢٩ 29 وَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: «وَهَذِهِ لَكُمْ عَلامَةٌ أَنَّنِي أُعَاقِبُكُمْ فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ بِالذَّاتِ، لِتُدْرِكُوا أَنَّ قَضَائِي عَلَيْكُمْ بِالشَّرِّ حَتْماً يَتِمُّ.

This is your sign to prove that I'm going to punish you here, declares the Lord, so that you'll know for certain that my threats against you will really happen.

٣٠ 30 هَا أَنَا أُسَلِّمُ فِرْعَوْنَ حَفْرَعَ مَلِكَ مِصْرَ إِلَى يَدِ أَعْدَائِهِ وَطَالِبِي نَفْسِهِ كَمَا أَسْلَمْتُ صِدْقِيَّا مَلِكَ يَهُوذَا إِلَى يَدِ نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرَ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ عَدُوِّهِ وَطَالِبِ نَفْسِهِ».

This is what the Lord says: Look! I'm going to hand over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to his enemies who are trying to kill him, in the same way that I handed over Zedekiah king of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who was trying to kill him.”