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JER EM IAH 46
page 707
and make yourselves an object of cursing and
mockery for all the nations of the earth. 9 Have
you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins
of the kings and queens of Judah, and the sins
you and your wives committed in Judah and Jerusalem? 10 To this very hour you have shown no
remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my word and the decrees I gave to you and
your ancestors before you.
11 “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to destroy every one of you! 12 I will
take this remnant of Judah—those who were
determined to come here and live in Egypt—
and I will consume them. They will fall here in
Egypt, killed by war and famine. All will die,
from the least to the greatest. They will be an
object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. 13 I will punish them in Egypt just as I punished them in Jerusalem, by war, famine, and
disease. 14 Of that remnant who fled to Egypt,
hoping someday to return to Judah, there will
be no survivors. Even though they long to return
home, only a handful will do so.”
15 Then all the women present and all the
men who knew that their wives had burned
incense to idols—a great crowd of all the Judeans living in northern Egypt and southern
Egypt*—answered Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! 17 We will
do whatever we want. We will burn incense
and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of
Heaven just as much as we like—just as we,
and our ancestors, and our kings and officials
have always done in the towns of Judah and in
the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we
had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had
no troubles! 18 But ever since we quit burning
incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped
worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have
been in great trouble and have been dying from
war and famine.”
19 “Besides,” the women added, “do you suppose that we were burning incense and pouring
out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and
making cakes marked with her image, without
our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of
course not!”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all of them, men and
women alike, who had given him that answer,
21 “Do you think the Lord did not know that you
and your ancestors, your kings and officials,
and all the people were burning incense to
idols in the towns of Judah and in the streets of
Jerusalem? 22 It was because the Lord could no
longer bear all the disgusting things you were
doing that he made your land an object of cursing—a desolate ruin without inhabitants—as it
44:15 Hebrew in Egypt, in Pathros. 44:30 Hebrew
Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar.
45:1 The fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign was 605 b.c.
is today. 23 All these terrible things happened to
you because you have burned incense to idols
and sinned against the Lord. You have refused
to obey him and have not followed his instructions, his decrees, and his laws.”
24 Then Jeremiah said to them all, including the women, “Listen to this message from
the Lord, all you citizens of Judah who live
in Egypt. 25 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s
Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You and your
wives have said, “We will keep our promises to
burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to
the Queen of Heaven,” and you have proved by
your actions that you meant it. So go ahead and
carry out your promises and vows to her!’
26 “But listen to this message from the Lord,
all you Judeans now living in Egypt: ‘I have
sworn by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that
my name will no longer be spoken by any of the
Judeans in the land of Egypt. None of you may
invoke my name or use this oath: “As surely as
the Sovereign Lord lives.” 27 For I will watch
over you to bring you disaster and not good.
Everyone from Judah who is now living in Egypt
will suffer war and famine until all of you are
dead. 28 Only a small number will escape death
and return to Judah from Egypt. Then all those
who came to Egypt will find out whose words
are true—mine or theirs!
29 “‘And this is the proof I give you,’ says the
Lord, ‘that all I have threatened will happen
to you and that I will punish you here.’ 30 This
is what the Lord says: ‘I will turn Pharaoh
Hophra, king of Egypt, over to his enemies who
want to kill him, just as I turned King Zedekiah of Judah over to King Nebuchadnezzar* of
Babylon.’”
A Message for Baruch
The prophet Jeremiah gave a message to
Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year
of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah,* after
Baruch had written down everything Jeremiah
had dictated to him. He said, 2 “This is what
the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 You have said, ‘I am overwhelmed with
trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already?
And now the Lord has added more! I am worn
out from sighing and can find no rest.’
4 “Baruch, this is what the Lord says: ‘I will
destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot
what I planted. 5 Are you seeking great things for
yourself? Don’t do it! I will bring great disaster
upon all these people; but I will give you your
life as a reward wherever you go. I, the Lord,
have spoken!’”
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Messages for the Nations
The following messages were given to
Jeremiah the prophet from the Lord
concerning foreign nations.
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