Jeremiah 44:20

20 Then Jeremiah spoke up, confronting the men and the women, all the people who had answered so insolently. He said,

Jeremiah 44:20 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 44:20

Then Jeremiah said unto all the people
Immediately, being influenced, directed, and assisted by the Spirit of God; though what he says, in ( Jeremiah 44:21-23 ) ; he does not declare as coming from the Lord; but what was upon his mind, and was a full refutation of all that had been said: and which he delivered to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him
[that] answer;
in which they all agreed, though delivered by one; and to which he made a reply: saying;
as follows:

Jeremiah 44:20 In-Context

18 But the moment we quit sacrificing to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out offerings to her, everything fell apart. We've had nothing but massacres and starvation ever since.
19 " And then the women chimed in: "Yes! Absolutely! We're going to keep at it, offering sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out offerings to her. Aren't our husbands behind us? They like it that we make goddess cookies and pour out our offerings to her."
20 Then Jeremiah spoke up, confronting the men and the women, all the people who had answered so insolently. He said,
21 "The sacrifices that you and your parents, your kings, your government officials, and the common people of the land offered up in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem - don't you think God noticed? He noticed, all right.
22 And he got fed up. Finally, he couldn't take your evil behavior and your disgusting acts any longer. Your land became a wasteland, a death valley, a horror story, a ghost town. And it continues to be just that.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.