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:

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who lived in the land of Egypt, who lived at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

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:

“The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen all the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah. Behold, today they are a desolation, and no man dwells in them,

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;

because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, to serve other gods that they didn’t know, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers.

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!

However I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Oh, don’t do this abominable thing that I hate.”

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

But they didn’t listen and didn’t incline their ear. They didn’t turn from their wickedness, to stop burning incense to other gods.

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.

Therefore my wrath and my anger was poured out, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is today.’

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:

“Therefore now the LORD, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why do you commit great evil against your own souls, to cut off from yourselves man and woman, infant and nursing child out of the middle of Judah, to leave yourselves no one remaining,

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?

in that you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to live, that you may be cut off, and that you may be a curse and a reproach amongst all the nations of the earth?

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?

Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, 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 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,

They are not humbled even to this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.’

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;

“Therefore the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah.

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;

I will take the remnant of Judah that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to live there, and they will all be consumed. They will fall in the land of Egypt. They will be consumed by the sword and by the famine. They will die, from the least even to the greatest, by the sword and by the famine. They will be an object of horror, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach.

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;

For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence;

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.

so that none of the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will escape or be left to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for no one will return except those who will escape.’”

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:

Then all the men who knew that their wives burnt incense to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, even all the people who lived in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

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

“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the LORD’s name, we will not listen to you.

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;

But we will certainly perform every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of the sky and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.

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.

But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of the sky, and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.”

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?

The women said, “When we burnt incense to the queen of the sky and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?”

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:

Then Jeremiah said to all the people—to the men and to the women, even to all the people who had given him an answer, saying,

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;

“The incense that you burnt in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, didn’t the LORD remember them, and didn’t it come into his mind?

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?

Thus the LORD could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you have committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation, an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is today.

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.

Because you have burnt incense and because you have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the LORD’s voice, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil has happened to you, as it is today.”

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, —

Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the LORD’s word, 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.

The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says, ‘You and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying, “We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to her.” “‘Establish then your vows, and 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.

“Therefore hear the LORD’s word, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by my great name,’ says the LORD, ‘that my name will no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord GOD lives.”

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.

Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until they are all gone.

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!

Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah few in number. All the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will know whose word will 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:

“‘This will be the sign to you,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil.’

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.

The LORD says, ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life.’”