Jeremiah 44

1 The word which came to Jeremiah, against all the Jews who were dwelling in the land of Egypt, —who were dwelling in Migdol and in Tahpanhes, and in Noph, and in the land of Pathros saying:

And Sedekias the son of Josias reigned instead of Joakim, whom Nabuchodonosor appointed to reign over Juda.

2 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, Ye yourselves, saw all the calamity which I brought in upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah, —and there they are, a desolation this day, and there is not in them an inhabitant:

And he and his servants and the people of the land listened not to the words of the Lord, which he spoke by Jeremias.

3 because of their wickedness which they committed, provoking me to anger, by going to burn incense, to serve other gods, whom they had not known, they, ye nor your fathers;

And king Sedekias sent Joachal son of Selemias and Sophonias the priest son of Maasaeas to Jeremias, saying, Pray now for us to the Lord.

4 yet I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, betimes sending them, saying, Do not, I pray you, commit this abominable thing, which I hate!

Now Jeremias came and went through the midst of the city: for they [had] not put him into the house of the prison.

5 but they hearkened not neither inclined their ear, by turning from their wickedness, —so as not to burn incense to other gods.

And the host of Pharao was come forth out of Egypt; and the Chaldeans heard the report of them, and they went up from Jerusalem.

6 Therefore were mine indignation and mine anger poured out, and a fire was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, —and they became waste and desolate, as at this day.

And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying,

7 Now, therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh God of hosts God of Israel—Wherefore, are ye committing a great wickedness against your own lives, that ye should cut off from you man and woman child and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, —so that there should not be left you a remnant:

Thus said the Lord; Thus shall you say to the king of Juda who sent to you, to seek me; Behold, the army of Pharao which is come forth to help you: they shall return to the land of Egypt:

8 in that ye provoke me to anger by the works of your own hands, burning incense to other gods, in the land of Egypt, which ye have been entering to sojourn, —that ye should cut them off from you, and that ye should become a contempt and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

and the Chaldeans themselves shall turn again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

9 Have ye forgotten the wicked ways of your fathers and the wicked ways of the kings of Judah, and the wicked ways of his wives, and your own wicked ways, and the wicked ways of your own wives, —which they committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

For thus says the Lord; Suppose not in your hearts, saying, The Chaldeans will certainly depart from us: for they shall not depart.

10 They have not been crushed, unto this day; neither have they been afraid, neither have they walked in my law, and in my statutes, which I set before you and before your fathers,

And though you should strike the whole host of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there should be left a few wounded [men], these should rise up each in his place, and burn this city with fire.

11 Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, Behold me! setting my face against you for calamity, —even to cut off all Judah;

And it came to pass, when the host of the Chaldeans had gone up from Jerusalem for fear of the host of Pharao,

12 and I will take the remnant of Judah who did set their faces to enter the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, in the land of Egypt, shall they fall by the sword, by famine, shall they be consumed, from the least even unto the greatest, by sword and by famine, shall they die, —so shall they become a curse, and an astonishment, and a contempt and a reproach;

that Jeremias went forth from Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to buy thence [a property] in the midst of the people.

13 and I will bring punishment upon them who are dwelling in the land of Egypt, just as I brought punishment upon Jerusalem, —by sword, by famine and by pestilence;

And he was in the gate of Benjamin, and [there was] there a man with whom he lodged, Saruia the son of Selemias, the son of Ananias; and he caught Jeremias, saying, You are fleeing to the Chaldeans.

14 and there shall be neither escape nor survival, unto the remnant of Judah who have been entering, to sojourn there into the land of Egypt, —that they should return to the land of Judah even when they are lifting up their soul to return to dwell there, for none shall return, saving fugitives.

And he said, [It is] false; I do not flee to the Chaldeans. But he listened not to him; and Saruia caught Jeremias, and brought him to the princes.

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by, a great convocation, —with all the people who were dwelling in the land of Egypt in Pathros, made answer unto Jeremiah, saying:

And the princes were very angry with Jeremias, and struck him, and sent him into the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made this a prison.

16 As touching the word which thou hast spoken unto us, in the name of Yahweh we are not going to hearken unto thee;

So Jeremias came into the dungeon, and into the cells, and he remained there many days.

17 but, we will certainly do, the whole thing that hath gone forth out of our own mouth, by burning incense to the queen of the heavens, and pouring out to her drink-offerings, just as we and our fathers, and our kings and our princes, did, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, then were we filled with bread and became prosperous, and calamity, saw we none;

Then Sedekias sent, and called him; and the king asked him secretly, saying, Is there a word from the Lord? and he said, There is: you shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.

18 whereas, from the very time we ceased burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, we have lacked everything, —and by sword and by famine, have we been consumed.

And Jeremias said to the king, Wherein have I wronged you, or your servants, or this people, that you put me in prison?

19 And, though we are burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, is it, without our men that we have made to her sacrificial cakes as images of her and poured out to her, drink-offerings?

And where are your prophets who prophesied to you saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against this land?

20 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the people, —against the men and against the women, and against all the people who had been making any answer unto him, saying:

Now therefore, my lord the king, let my supplication come before your face: and why do you send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe? and let me not on any account die there.

21 Was it not, the very incense which 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, was it not those very things, that Yahweh did remember, and that came up on his heart;

Then the king commanded, and they cast him into the prison, and gave him a loaf a day out of the place where they bake, until the bread failed out of the city. So Jeremias continued in the court of the prison.

22 so that Yahweh could no longer forbear because of the wickedness of your doings, because of the abominations which ye committed, —and your land became a desolation, and an astonishment, and a contempt without inhabitant—as at this day?

23 Because that ye burned incense, and that ye sinned against Yahweh and hearkened not unto the voice of Yahweh, and, in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies, did not walk, for this cause, did this calamity befall you—as at this day.

24 And Jeremiah said unto all the people, and unto all the women, —Hear ye the word of Yahweh, all Judah, who are in the land of Egypt, —

25 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives, have both spoken with your mouth and with your hands, have ye fulfilled saying, We will, certainly perform, our vows which we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her drink-offerings: the women will certainly confirm, your vows, and, certainly perform, your vows.

26 Therefore, hear ye the word of Yahweh, all Judah, who are dwelling in the land of Egypt, —Behold me! I have sworn by my great Name, Saith Yahweh, That my Name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah saying—By the life of My Lord, Yahweh in all the land of Egypt.

27 Behold me! watching over them for calamity, and not for blessing, —so shall all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt, be consumed, by sword and by famine until there be an end of them.

28 Yet, the fugitives of the sword, shall certainly return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah men easily counted, —that all the remnant of Judah who are entering Egypt to sojourn there, may know, whose word, shall stand, mine or theirs!

29 And, this, to you, shall be the sign, Declareth Yahweh, that I am about to bring punishment upon you in this place, —that ye may know that my words shall, certainly stand against you, for calamity:

30 Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! delivering up Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, yea into the hand of them who are seeking his life, —just as I delivered Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon his enemy, and one seeking his life.