Jeremiah 44:20-30

20 And Jeremy said to all the people, against the men, and against the women, and against all the people, that answered to him the word, and he said, (And Jeremiah replied to all the people, yea, to the men, and the women, and all the people, who had answered this to him, and he said,)
21 Whether not the sacrifices which ye sacrificed 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, stirred God to vengeance? The Lord had mind on these things, and it ascended on his heart; (Did the sacrifices which ye sacrificed in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, and your kings, and your princes, or your leaders, and the people of the land, stir God to vengeance? Yea, the Lord remembered these things, and it ascended upon his heart;)
22 and the Lord might no more bear (it), for the malice of your studies, and for the abominations which ye did. And your land is made into desolation, and into wondering, and into curse, for no dweller is, as this day is. (and the Lord could no longer bear it, for the malice of your deeds, and for the abominations which ye did. And so your land was made into desolation, and into wondering, and into cursing, where no one liveth, as it is this day.)
23 Therefore for ye made sacrifice to idols, and sinned to the Lord, and heard not the voice of the Lord, and went not in the law, and in the commandments, and in the witnesses of him, therefore these evils befell to you, as this day is. (And so for ye made sacrifice to idols, and sinned against the Lord, and did not listen to, or obey, the voice of the Lord, and went not in the Law, and in the commandments, and in his testimonies, so these evils befell to you, as it is this day.)
24 Forsooth Jeremy said to all the people, and to all the women, All Judah, that be in the land of Egypt, hear ye the word of the Lord. (And Jeremiah said to all the people, and especially to all the women, All Judah, who be in the land of Egypt, hear ye the word of the Lord.)
25 The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, and speaketh, Ye and your wives spake with your mouth(s), and [ful]filled with your hands, and said, Make we our vows which we vowed, that we make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and offer to it moist sacrifices; ye [ful]filled your vows, and did those in work. (The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, speaketh these things, and saith, Ye and your wives spoke with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hands, and said, Let us keep our vows which we vowed, that we make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and offer wine offerings to her; and so ye have fulfilled your vows, and have accomplished them.)
26 Therefore, all Judah, that dwell in the land of Egypt, hear ye the word of the Lord; Lo! I swore in my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be called (on) by the mouth of each man Jew, saying, The Lord God liveth, in all the land of Egypt. (And so, all Judah, who live in the land of Egypt, hear ye the word of the Lord; Lo! I swore by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no longer be called on by the mouth of any Jew, saying, As the Lord God liveth, in all the land of Egypt.)
27 Lo! I shall wake on them into evil, and not into good; and all the men of Judah, that be in the land of Egypt, shall be wasted, by sword and hunger, till they be wasted utterly. (Lo! I shall keep watch, to bring in evil upon thee, and not good; and all those of Judah, who be in the land of Egypt, shall be wasted, by the sword and by hunger, until they be utterly destroyed.)
28 And a few men that fled the sword, shall turn again from the land of Egypt into the land of Judah; and all the remnants of Judah, of them that enter(ed) into the land of Egypt, to dwell there, shall know, whose word shall be [ful]filled, mine either theirs. (And a few who fled the sword, shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, of those who went to the land of Egypt, to live there, shall know, whose word shall be fulfilled, mine or theirs.)
29 And this shall be a sign to you, saith the Lord, that I shall visit on you in this place, that ye know, that verily my words shall be [ful]filled against you into evil. (And this shall be a sign to you, saith the Lord, that I shall punish you in this place, so that ye know, that my words shall truly be fulfilled against you for evil.)
30 The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall betake Pharaoh(hophra), the king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life, as I betook Zedekiah, king of Judah, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, his enemy, and seeking his life. (The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall deliver Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemies, and into the hands of those who seek his life, as I delivered Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, his enemy, who sought to take his life.)

Jeremiah 44:20-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 44

This chapter contains a sermon of Jeremiah's to the Jews in Egypt, reproving them for their idolatry there; their answer to it, expressing their resolution to continue in their idolatrous practices; and a denunciation of judgments upon them, of which a sign is given. The sermon begins with observing to them the destruction of Jerusalem, and the causes of it, idolatry and contempt of the prophets, Jer 44:1-6; then follows an expostulation with the present Jews for doing the same things, and exposing themselves and their posterity to the same punishment, Jer 44:7-10; upon which they are threatened with the sore judgments of God that should come upon them, and cut them off in general, Jer 44:11-14; yet such were the impudence and obstinacy of this people, that they declared they would not hearken to the prophet, but persist in their idolatry; it having been better with them when they practised it than when they left it, Jer 44:15-19; to which the prophet replies by observing, that for the idolatry of their fathers their land was become a desolation and a curse, as at this day, Jer 44:20-23; and assures them that destruction would come from the Lord upon them, which he had swore to, Jer 44:24-28; and a sign of it is given; the delivery of the king of Egypt into the hand of the king of Babylon, Jer 44:29,30.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.