Jeremiah 44
1 [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]:
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:
2 “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.
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:
3 [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].
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;
4 Many times I sent my prophets who served me, to say to them, “Do not do those abominable things that I hate!”
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!
5 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.
but they hearkened not neither inclined their ear, by turning from their wickedness, —so as not to burn incense to other gods.
6 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.’
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.
7 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?
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:
8 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.
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?
9 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?
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?
10 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.’
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,
11 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.
Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, Behold me! setting my face against you for calamity, —even to cut off all Judah;
12 [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.
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;
13 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.
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;
14 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.’”
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.
15 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:
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:
16 “You are saying that [MTY] Yahweh gave messages to you, but we will not pay any attention to your messages!
As touching the word which thou hast spoken unto us, in the name of Yahweh we are not going to hearken unto thee;
17 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.
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;
18 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.”
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.
19 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!”
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?
20 Then I said to all the men and women who had answered me,
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:
21 “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!
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;
22 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.
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 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.”
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 [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.
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 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].’
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 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.”
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 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.
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 [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.’
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 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.
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 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].
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.
