[1] The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in
the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tah'panhes, at Memphis, and in the land of
Pathros, [2] "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen
all the evil that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of
Judah. Behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them,
[3] because of the wickedness which they committed, provoking me to anger,
in that they went to burn incense and serve other gods that they knew not,
neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. [4] Yet I persistently sent to you
all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Oh, do not do this abominable thing
that I hate!' [5] But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn
from their wickedness and burn no incense to other gods. [6] Therefore my
wrath and my anger were poured forth and kindled in the cities of Judah and
in the streets of Jerusalem; and they became a waste and a desolation, as
at this day. [7] And now thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of
Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off
from you man and woman, infant and child, from the midst of Judah, leaving
you no remnant? [8] Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your
hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have
come to live, that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among
all the nations of the earth? [9] Have you forgotten the wickedness of your
fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, 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] They
have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor
walked in my law and my statutes which I set before you and before your
fathers. [11] "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, to cut off all Judah. [12]
I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the
land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt
they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall be consumed; from
the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine; and
they shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. [13] I
will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished
Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, [14] so that
none of the remnant of Judah who have come to live in the land of Egypt
shall escape or survive or return to the land of Judah, to which they
desire to return to dwell there; for they shall not return, except some
fugitives." [15] Then all the men who knew that their wives had offered
incense to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly,
all the people who dwelt in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered
Jeremiah: [16] "As for the word which you have spoken to us in the name of
the LORD, we will not listen to you. [17] But we will do everything that we
have vowed, burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to
her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the
cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of
food, and prospered, and saw no evil. [18] But since we left off burning
incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her, we have
lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine." [19]
And the women said, "When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and
poured out libations to her, was it without our husbands' approval that we
made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out libations to her?" [20]
Then Jeremiah said to all the people, men and women, all the people who had
given him this answer: [21] "As for the incense that you burned in the
cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your
kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD
remember it? Did it not come into his mind? [22] The LORD could no longer
bear your evil doings and the abominations which you committed; therefore
your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without
inhabitant, as it is this day. [23] It is because you burned incense, and
because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD
or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies, that this
evil has befallen you, as at this day." [24] Jeremiah said to all the
people and all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who
are in the land of Egypt, [25] Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have
fulfilled it with your hands, saying, `We will surely perform our vows that
we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out
libations to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! [26]
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who dwell in the land
of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the LORD, that my
name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the
land of Egypt, saying, `As the Lord GOD lives.' [27] Behold, I am watching
over them for evil and not for good; all the men of Judah who are in the
land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is
an end of them. [28] And those who escape the sword shall return from the
land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of
Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will
stand, mine or theirs. [29] This shall be the sign to you, says the LORD,
that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my
words will surely stand against you for evil: [30] Thus says the LORD,
Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his
enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedeki'ah
king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon, who was his
enemy and sought his life."