Jeremiah 44

1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, that dwelt at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

1Jeremiah received a message for all the Judeans living in Egypt—those living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the region of Pathros.

2Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,

2The LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You saw all the disaster I brought on Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. Today they lie in ruins, and no one lives in them.

3because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, that they knew not, neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers.

3This happened because of the wicked things they did. They made me angry by offering sacrifices to other gods—gods that neither they, nor you, nor your ancestors ever knew.

4Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

4Again and again, I sent my servants the prophets to you. They warned you, 'Please, do not do this horrible thing that I hate!'

5But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

5But the people would not listen or pay attention. They refused to turn from their wickedness and kept on offering sacrifices to other gods.

6Wherefore my wrath and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.

6So my fierce anger was poured out and burned like a fire in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. That is why they are a wasted ruin today.

7Therefore now thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you none remaining;

7Now the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, asks: Why are you destroying yourselves with such great evil? You are cutting off every man, woman, child, and baby from Judah, leaving yourselves with no one left at all.

8in that ye provoke me unto anger with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye are gone to sojourn; that ye may be cut off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

8Why do you make me angry with the things you do? You are offering sacrifices to other gods here in Egypt, where you have come to live. You will destroy yourselves and become a curse and an object of mockery among all the nations of the earth.

9Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

9Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins of the kings of Judah and their wives, and your own sins and the sins of your wives? These were all committed in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem.

10They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.

10Even to this day, you have not humbled yourselves or shown any fear. You have not followed my law or the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors.

11Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah.

11Therefore, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have decided to bring disaster upon you and to destroy everyone from Judah.

12And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt shall they fall; they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine; they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine; and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

12I will take the remaining people of Judah who were determined to come and live in Egypt. They will all die here in Egypt. They will fall by the sword or die of starvation. From the least to the most important, they will die by war or hunger. They will become an object of horror, a source of shock, a curse, and a disgrace.

13For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence;

13I will punish those living in Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem—with war, starvation, and disease.

14so that none of the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or be left, to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return save such as shall escape.

14Of the Judeans who came to live in Egypt, no one will survive or escape to return to the land of Judah. Even though they long to go back and live there, none will return except a few refugees.

15Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great assembly, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

15Then all the men who knew their wives were burning incense to other gods—along with all the women standing there in a large group, and all the people living in Pathros, Egypt—answered Jeremiah:

16As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of Jehovah, we will not hearken unto thee.

16'We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD!'

17But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

17'Instead, we will do everything we said we would do. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and pour out liquid offerings to her, just as we and our ancestors, our kings, and our officials used to do in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. Back then we had plenty of food, we were successful, and we didn't have any trouble.'

18But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

18'But since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out liquid offerings to her, we have lacked everything. We have been destroyed by war and starvation.'

19And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink-offerings unto her, without our husbands?

19'And,' the women added, 'when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out liquid offerings to her, did our husbands not know that we were making cakes in her image and pouring out offerings to her?'

20Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people that had given him that answer, saying,

20Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—the men and the women who had given him that answer. He said:

21The incense that ye burned 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, did not Jehovah remember them, and came it not into his mind?

21'Do you think the LORD didn't notice the incense you and your ancestors, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? He remembered it!'

22so that Jehovah could not longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.

22'The LORD could no longer tolerate your wicked deeds and the horrible things you did. That is why your land became a ruin, an object of shock, and a curse with no one living in it, as it is today.'

23Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against Jehovah, and have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as it is this day.

23'This disaster has happened to you because you burned incense and sinned against the LORD. You did not obey him or follow his law, his decrees, or his testimonies.'

24Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of Jehovah, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:

24Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women: 'Listen to the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who are in Egypt!'

25Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her: establish then your vows, and perform your vows.

25'This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have done exactly what you promised. You said, "We will certainly keep our vows to burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven." Go ahead then! Carry out your promises and keep your vows!'

26Therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith Jehovah, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, As the Lord Jehovah liveth.

26'But listen to the word of the LORD, all you Judeans living in Egypt: I swear by my great name, says the LORD, that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again call on my name, saying, "As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives."'

27Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

27'I am watching over them to bring disaster, not good. All the Judeans in Egypt will die by war or starvation until they are all gone.'

28And they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose word shall stand, mine, or theirs.

28'Only a very few will escape the sword and return to Judah from Egypt. Then all who are left of Judah, who came to live in Egypt, will find out whose word comes true—mine or theirs!'

29And this shall be the sign unto you, saith Jehovah, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

29'And this will be the sign to you, says the LORD, that I will punish you in this place. Then you will know that my threats of disaster against you will certainly happen.'

30Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy, and sought his life.

30'This is what the LORD says: I am going to hand over Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, to his enemies who want to kill him. I will do this just as I handed over King Zedekiah of Judah to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, his enemy who wanted to kill him.'