THE
BOOK OF JEREMIAH
Jeremiah Chapter 44
1 ¶ The word that
came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, who live
at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at
Noph, and in the country of Pathros,
saying,
2 The LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel says this; You have seen the
disaster that I have brought upon
3 Because of the
wickedness that they committed provoking me to anger, by burning incense to, and
serving other gods, that neither you or your
fathers knew.
4 However I sent to
you all my servants the prophets, sending them time and again, saying, Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.
5 But they did not
listen, or pay attention to turn from their wickedness, and cease burning
incense to other gods.
6 Therefore my fury
and my anger was poured out, and flared up in the cities of
7 Therefore the LORD,
the God of hosts, the God of Israel now says; Why do you bring this great doom
upon yourselves, to destroy men and women, children and babes, from Judah,
until none are left;
8 This is what
happens when you provoke me to wrath with the works of your hands, by
burning incense to other gods in the
9 Have you forgotten
the wickedness of your ancestors, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the
wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your
wives, that were committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of
Jerusalem?
10 They are not
humbled or sorry to this day, nor are they afraid, nor do they
walk according to my law, or my statutes, which I set before you and before
your fathers.
11 Therefore the
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel says; Behold, I am determined to bring
disaster upon you, and to destroy all
12 And I will take
those who remain of Judah, who were determined to go to the land of Egypt to
stay there, and they will all be consumed, and will fall in the land of
Egypt; they will be consumed by the sword and by the famine: yes the
sword and famine will consume them, from the greatest to the least: and they
will be a detestable thing, a horror, a curse, and a reproach.
13 For I will punish
those who live in the
14 So that none of
those remaining of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to stay there,
will escape or be left, that they might return to the land of Judah, where they
long to go and to live: for only a few who escape will return.
15 ¶ Then all the
men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, and all the
women who stood there, a large crowd, even all the people who lived in the land
of Egypt, at Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
16 As for the
word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to
you.
17 But we will
certainly do everything we have vowed to do, burning incense to the queen of
heaven, and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we, and our fathers,
our kings, and our princes, have done in the cities of Judah, and in the
streets of Jerusalem: for then we had plenty to eat, and were well off,
and did not have any trouble.
18 But since we
ceased to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and pour out drink offerings to
her, we have nothing, and are consumed by the sword and by the famine.
19 And the women
said when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink
offerings to her, did we make cakes with her image to honor her, and pour out
drink offerings to her, without the approval of our husbands?
20 ¶ Then Jeremiah
spoke to all the people, to the men, to the women, and to all the people who
had given him that answer, saying,
21 Doesn’t the LORD
remember the incense that you burned in the cities of
22 It is because the
LORD could no longer bear the evil of your doings, and the abominations
which you committed; that your land is an uninhabited wasteland, a horror, and
a curse, as it now is.
23 This evil has
happened to you because you have burned incense, because you have sinned
against the LORD, because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, or
walked in his law, or in his statutes, or in his testimonies.
24 Then Jeremiah
said to all the people, and especially to the women, Hear
the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the
25 The LORD of
hosts, the God of Israel, says; You and your wives have both made promises with
your mouths, and fulfilled them with your hands, saying, We will surely keep
the vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour
out drink offerings to her: so you will surely keep your vows, and carry out
what you have vowed.
26 But hear the word
of the LORD, all you of Judah who live in the land of Egypt; Behold, I
have sworn by my great name, says the LORD, that no man of Judah who is
anywhere in Egypt will ever again call on my name, saying, The Lord GOD lives.
27 Behold, I will
watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of
28 Yet a small
number who escape the sword will return from the
29 And this will
be a sign to you, says the LORD, that I will
punish you in this place, so that you will know that when I warn you of judgement it will surely come to pass:
30 The LORD says; Know that I will deliver Pharaoh Hophra
king of