Jeremiah 42

1Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

1Then all the military commanders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, along with all the people from the least important to the most important, approached Jeremiah.

2and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we pray thee, our supplication be presented before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, even for all this remnant (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us),

2They said to Jeremiah the prophet, 'Please listen to our request. Pray to the LORD your God for us, this small group of survivors. As you can see, there are only a few of us left out of the many who used to be here.'

3that Jehovah thy God may show us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do.

3'Ask the LORD your God to show us the path we should take and tell us exactly what we should do.'

4Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass that whatsoever thing Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

4Jeremiah the prophet replied, 'I have heard you. I will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have asked. I will tell you everything the LORD says in response; I won't hide a single thing from you.'

5Then they said to Jeremiah, Jehovah be a true and faithful witness amongst us, if we do not according to all the word wherewith Jehovah thy God shall send thee to us.

5Then they said to Jeremiah, 'May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we don't do everything the LORD your God tells us through you.'

6Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of Jehovah our God.

6'Whether we like the answer or not, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you. We know that everything will go well for us if we obey the LORD our God.'

7And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah.

7Ten days later, the LORD spoke to Jeremiah.

8Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

8So Jeremiah called together Johanan son of Kareah, all the military commanders who were with him, and all the people from the least important to the most important.

9and said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him:

9He said to them, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says—the one you sent me to with your request:'

10If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

10'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not pull you up. I am deeply grieved by the disaster I had to bring upon you.'

11Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith Jehovah: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

11'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon anymore,' says the LORD. 'Do not fear him, because I am with you to save you and rescue you from his power.'

12And I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

12'I will show you mercy so that he will have mercy on you and allow you to stay in your own land.'

13But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land; so that ye obey not the voice of Jehovah your God,

13'But you might say, "We will not stay in this land," and refuse to obey the LORD your God.'

14saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:

14'You might say, "No, we will go and live in Egypt. There we won't see any more war, or hear the trumpet calls for battle, or go hungry for lack of food."'

15now therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, O remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

15'If you do that, then listen to the LORD’s message, you survivors of Judah. This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: If you are determined to go to Egypt and make your home there,'

16then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

16'then the war you fear will catch up with you in Egypt. The hunger you dread will follow you there, and you will die in Egypt.'

17So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there: they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

17'That is what will happen to everyone who is determined to go and live in Egypt. They will die by war, hunger, and disease. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.'

18For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt; and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

18'For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Just as my burning anger was poured out on the people of Jerusalem, it will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will become an object of horror, a shocking sight, a curse, and a disgrace. You will never see this land again.'

19Jehovah hath spoken concerning you, O remnant of Judah, Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have testified unto you this day.

19'The LORD has told you survivors of Judah: Do not go to Egypt! Mark my words—I have warned you today!'

20For ye have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for ye sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us unto Jehovah our God; and according unto all that Jehovah our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

20'You are being dishonest with yourselves. You sent me to the LORD your God and said, "Pray to the LORD our God for us. Tell us everything he says, and we will do it."'

21And I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah your God in anything for which he hath sent me unto you.

21'Today I have told you exactly what he said, but you have not obeyed the LORD your God in anything he sent me to tell you.'

22Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go to sojourn there.

22'Because of this, you can be sure that you will die by war, hunger, and disease in the very place where you want to go and live.'