1
The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jewsliving in the land of Egypt, those who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the land of Pathros, saying,
2
"Thussays the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'You yourselves have seenall the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, thisday they are in ruins and noonelives in them,
3
because* of their wickednesswhich they committed so as to provoke Me to anger by continuing to burnsacrifices and to serveothergodswhom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers.
6
'Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they havebecome a ruin and a desolation as it is thisday.
7
'Now then thussays the LORDGod of hosts, the God of Israel, "Why are you doinggreatharm to yourselves, so as to cutoff from you man and woman, child and infant, from amongJudah, leaving yourselves withoutremnant,
8
provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, burningsacrifices to othergods in the land of Egypt, where* you are entering to reside, so that you might be cutoff and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9
"Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and 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
"But they have not becomecontrite even to thisday, nor have they fearednorwalked in My law or My statutes, which I have setbefore you and before your fathers."'
12
'And I will take away the remnant of Judahwho have set their mind on entering the land of Egypt to residethere, and they will allmeet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword and meet their end by famine. Bothsmall and great will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach.
14
'So there will be norefugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to residethere and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are longing* to return and live; for none will returnexcept* a few refugees.' "
15
Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burningsacrifices to othergods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a largeassembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying,
17
"But rather* we will certainlycarry out everyword that has proceeded from our mouths, by burningsacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drinkofferings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princesdid in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were welloff and sawnomisfortune.
18
"But since* we stoppedburningsacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drinkofferings to her, we have lackedeverything and have met our end by the sword and by famine."
19
"And," said the women, "when we were burningsacrifices to the queen of heaven and were pouring out drinkofferings to her, was it without* our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drinkofferings to her?"
21
"As for the smokingsacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORDremember them and did not all this come into His mind?
22
"So the LORD was nolongerable to endure it, because* of the evil of your deeds, because* of the abominationswhich you have committed; thus your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is thisday.
23
"Because* you have burnedsacrifices and have sinned against the LORD and not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore*thiscalamity has befallen you, as it has thisday."
25
thussays the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: 'As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, "We will certainlyperform our vows that we have vowed, to burnsacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drinkofferings to her." Goahead and confirm your vows, and certainlyperform your vows!'
26
"Neverthelesshear the word of the LORD, allJudah who are living in the land of Egypt, 'Behold, I have sworn by My greatname,' says the LORD, 'never shall My name be invokedagain by the mouth of anyman of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "As the LordGODlives."
27
'Behold, I am watchingover them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judahwho are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword and by famineuntil they are completelygone.
28
'Those whoescape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judahfew in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to residethere will knowwhoseword will stand, Mine or theirs.
29
'This will be the sign to you,' declares the LORD, 'that I am going to punish you in thisplace, so that you may know that My words will surelystandagainst you for harm.'
30
"Thussays the LORD, 'Behold, I am going to give over PharaohHophraking of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over Zedekiahking of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.' "