Jeremiah 44

1 The word which it came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who were dwelling in [the] land of Egypt who were dwelling in Migdol and in Tahpanhes and in Memphis and in [the] land of Pathros saying.

[This is] the message that Yahweh gave me concerning the Jews who were living in [northern] Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpenes, and Memphis [cities], and in the Pathros [region in southern Egypt]:

2 Thus he says Yahweh of hosts [the] God of Israel you you have seen all the calamity which I brought on Jerusalem and on all [the] cities of Judah and there! they [are] a ruin the day this and there not in them [is] an inhabitant.

“This is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say: ‘You saw the disaster that I caused [the people in] Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah to experience. Those towns are now ruined and deserted.

3 Because of wickedness their which they did to provoke to anger me by going to make smoke to serve gods other which not they had known them they you and ancestors your.

[That happened] because I was extremely angry with them on account of their being very wicked. They burned incense to other gods and worshiped them. They were gods that you [previously] did not know about, and your ancestors also [did not know about them].

4 And I sent to you all servants my the prophets rising early and sending saying may not please you do [the] thing of abomination this which I hate.

Many times I sent my prophets who served me, to say to them, “Do not do those abominable things that I hate!”

5 And not they listened and not they inclined ear their to turn away from wickedness their to not to make smoke to gods other.

But my people would not pay any attention [DOU] [to what I said to them]. They would not turn away from their wicked behavior, or stop burning incense to [worship/honor] other gods.

6 And it poured forth rage my and anger my and it burned in [the] cities of Judah and in [the] streets of Jerusalem and they became a ruin a desolation as the day this.

So I poured out my anger [MTY] on them. I punished people on the streets of Jerusalem and on the [other] towns in Judah. It caused those towns to be ruined and deserted, and they are still like that.’

7 And therefore thus he says Yahweh [the] God of hosts [the] God of Israel why? [are] you doing harm great to selves your to cut off to yourselves man and woman child and suckling-child from [the] midst of Judah to not to leave for yourselves a remnant.

So now [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], ask you: ‘Why are you causing yourselves to experience these disasters? [Do you not realize that because of what you are doing], soon there will be no more men or women or children or infants left among you [who have come here to Egypt] from Judah?

8 By provoking to anger me by [the] deeds of hands your by making smoke to gods other in [the] land of Egypt where you [have] come to sojourn there so as to cut off to yourselves and so as to become you a curse and a reproach among all [the] nations of the earth.

Why are you [RHQ] provoking me and causing me to be very angry by burning incense to the idols that you have made here in Egypt? [If you continue doing this, ] you will destroy yourselves, and you will cause yourselves to be people whom all the nations on the earth will curse and despise.

9 ¿ Have you forgotten [the] wicked deeds of ancestors your and [the] wicked deeds of - [the] kings of Judah and [the] wicked deeds of wives his and wicked deeds your and [the] wicked deeds of wives your which they did in [the] land of Judah and in [the] streets of Jerusalem.

Have you forgotten [how I punished] your ancestors for the wicked things that they did, and [how I punished] the kings and queens of Judah for what they did, and you and your wives for the sins that you committed in the streets of Jerusalem and [the other towns] in Judah?

10 Not they have been made contrite until the day this and not they have feared and not they have walked in law my and in decrees my which I set before you and before ancestors your.

Up until this day you have not humbled yourselves or revered me. You have not obeyed the laws and decrees [DOU] that I gave to you and your ancestors.’

11 Therefore thus he says Yahweh of hosts [the] God of Israel here I [am] about to set face my on you for harm and to cut off all Judah.

Therefore, this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say: ‘I am determined to cause all of you to experience disasters and to get rid of every one of you.

12 And I will take away [the] remnant of Judah who they set faces their to go [the] land of Egypt to sojourn there and they will meet their end everyone in [the] land of Egypt they will fall by the sword by famine they will meet their end from [the] small and unto [the] great by the sword and by famine they will die and they will become an curse a horror and a curse and a reproach.

[You] people from Judah who have survived were determined to come and live here in Egypt. So I will get rid of all of you here in Egypt. Every one of you will die, including those who are important and those who are not important. [Some of] you will be killed by [your enemies’] swords, [some will die] from famines. You will become [people whom others] curse, be horrified about, and make fun of.

13 And I will visit [judgment] on those [who] dwell in [the] land of Egypt just as I visited [judgment] on Jerusalem by the sword by famine and by pestilence.

I will punish you here in Egypt like I punished [others in] Jerusalem, [some of whom were killed] by [their enemies’] swords and [some of whom] died from famines or diseases.

14 And not he will belong an escapee and a survivor to [the] remnant of Judah who went to sojourn there in [the] land of Egypt and to return - [the] land of Judah where they [are] lifting up desire their to return to dwell there for not they will return that except fugitives.

You people who did not die in Judah fled here to Egypt, hoping that [some day] you would return to Judah. But very few [HYP] of you will survive and escape. You are longing/wanting to remain alive and return to Judah, but only a very few of you will escape and be able to do that.’”

15 And they answered Jeremiah all the men who knew that [were] making smoke wives their to gods other and all the women who were standing by a company great and all the people who were dwelling in [the] land of Egypt in Pathros saying.

Then a large group of the people who had started to live in northern Egypt and southern Egypt, including all the men who knew that their wives had been burning incense to other gods, and all the women who were standing there, said this to me:

16 The word which you have spoken to us in [the] name of Yahweh not we [are] about to listen to you.

“You are saying that [MTY] Yahweh gave messages to you, but we will not pay any attention to your messages!

17 For certainly we will do every thing - which it has gone out from mouth our to make smoke to [the] queen of the heavens and to pour out to her drink offerings just as we have done we and ancestors our kings our and officials our in [the] cities of Judah and in [the] streets of Jerusalem and we were satisfied food and we were good and distress not we saw.

We will certainly do everything that we said that we would do. We will burn incense to [worship our goddess Astarte, ] the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out offerings [of wine] to her, just like we and our ancestors and our kings and [their] officials have [always] done in the streets of Jerusalem and in the [other] towns in Judah. At that time, we had plenty of food, and we were prosperous and we did not have any troubles.

18 And from then we ceased to make smoke to [the] queen of the heavens and to pour out to her drink offerings we have lacked everything and by the sword and by the famine we have met our end.

But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and giving her offerings [of wine], we have had many troubles, and [some of our people] have been killed by [our enemies’] swords and [some have died] from hunger.”

19 And if we [were] making smoke to [the] queen of the heavens and to pour out to her drink offerings ¿ without husbands our did we make for her cakes to form image her and to pour out to her drink offerings.

And [the women said], “[Furthermore], we burned incense and poured out [wine] offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and we also made small cakes that resembled her idol, to offer to her. But our husbands certainly knew about [and approved of] [RHQ] what we were doing!”

20 And he said Jeremiah to all the people to the men and to the women and to all the people who had answered him a word saying.

Then I said to all the men and women who had answered me,

21 ¿ Not the incense which you made smoke in [the] cities of Judah and in [the] streets of Jerusalem you and ancestors your kings your and officials your and [the] people of the land them did he remember Yahweh and did it come up on heart his.

“Do not think [RHQ] that Yahweh did not know that you and your ancestors and your kings and their officials and all the other people in Judah were burning incense to [worship/honor] idols in the streets of Jerusalem and in the [other] towns in Judah!

22 And not he was able Yahweh still to endure because of [the] wickedness of deeds your because of the abominations which you did and it has become land your a desolation and a waste and a curse from not inhabitant as the day this.

It was because Yahweh could no longer endure/tolerate your wicked actions and the detestable things that you were doing that he caused your land to be [a place whose name people say when they] curse someone, a land that is ruined and which has no one living in it. And your land is still like that.

23 Because that you made smoke and that you had sinned to Yahweh and not you listened to [the] voice of Yahweh and in law his and in decrees his and in testimonies his not you walked there-fore it has happened to you the calamity this as the day this.

It is because you burned incense to [worship/honor] idols and committed [other] sins against Yahweh that you experienced [all] those disasters. It is because you have not obeyed him or his laws and decrees and commandments.”

24 And he said Jeremiah to all the people and to all the women hear [the] word of Yahweh O all Judah which [is] in [the] land of Egypt.

[Then] I said to all of them, including the women, “All you [people of] Judah who are [here] in Egypt, listen to this message from Yahweh.

25 Thus he says Yahweh of hosts [the] God of Israel saying you and wives your and you have spoken with mouth your and with hands your you have fulfilled - saying certainly we will perform vows our which we have vowed to make smoke to [the] queen of the heavens and to pour out to her drink offerings certainly you will carry out vows your and certainly you will perform vows your.

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says [to you Israeli men]: ‘You and your wives have said that you would continue to do what you promised, to burn incense and pour out wine to the [goddess whom you call] the Queen of Heaven. [And you have proved by your actions that you intend to continue to do that]. So go ahead and continue doing what you have promised to do [for her].’

26 Therefore hear [the] word of Yahweh O all Judah who are dwelling in [the] land of Egypt here I I swear by own name my great he says Yahweh if it will be again name my named - by [the] mouth of - any person of Judah [who] says [by] [the] life of [the] Lord Yahweh in all [the] land of Egypt.

But now, all you people from Judah who are [now] living [here] in Egypt, listen to this message from Yahweh. He says, ‘I have solemnly declared, using my great name, that [soon] none of [you] people from Judah who are here in Egypt will ever again use my name. [There will be none of you who, when you solemnly promise to do something, ] will ever again say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives.”

27 Here I [am] watching over them for harm and not for good and they will meet their end every person of Judah who [is] in [the] land of Egypt by the sword and by famine until come to an end they.

Because I will be watching over you, not to cause good things to happen to you but to cause things to happen that will harm you. [Almost] everyone [HYP] from Judah who is [now here] in Egypt will experience being [killed by their enemies’] swords, or dying from famine.

28 And escapees of [the] sword they will return! from [the] land of Egypt [the] land of Judah men of number and they will know all [the] remnant of Judah who went to [the] land of Egypt to sojourn there [the] word of whom? will it be established from me and from them.

[Only a very] few [of you] will not die, and will return to Judah. [When that happens], all those who came to Egypt will find out whose words (were true/were fulfilled), theirs or mine.’

29 And this for you [will be] the sign [the] utterance of Yahweh that [am] about to visit [judgment] I on you in the place this so that you may know that certainly they will be established words my on you for harm.

And Yahweh [also] says, ‘I will do something that will prove to you that everything that I have said will happen, and that I will punish you [here] in this place.

30 Thus - he says Yahweh here I [am] about to give Pharaoh Hophra [the] king of Egypt in [the] hand of enemies his and in [the] hand of [those who] seek life his just as I gave Zedekiah [the] king of Judah in [the] hand of Nebuchadnezzar [the] king of Babylon enemy his and [one who] sought life his.

I will cause Hophra, the king of Egypt, to be captured by his enemies who want to kill him, just like I caused King Zedekiah of Judah to be captured by [the soldiers of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” [And that is what happened several years later].