Moff JER Chapter 42

◄ JER 42 ► ║ ©

42 Then all the leaders of the Jewish forces, with Johanan the son of Kareah, Azariah the son of Maaseiah, and all the people high and low, said to the prophet Jeremiah, 2 “Let us entreat you to favour us by praying for us to the Eternal your God, a mere remnant as we are. We are but a few left out of many, as you can see for yourself; 3 let the Eternal your God direct us where to go and what to do.” 4 “I hear you,” said Jeremiah; “I will indeed pray to the Eternal your God, as you desire, and I will tell you whatever the Eternal’s answer may be, keeping nothing back.” 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “The Eternal be our true and faithful witness that we will follow any instructions which the Eternal sends to us through you. 6 Whether it be welcome or unwelcome, we will obey the word of the Eternal our God to whom we send you, and so obeying prosper.”

7 Ten days later, the Eternal’s word came to Jeremiah. 8 He summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the other leaders of the Jewish forces, along with all the people high and low, 9 and said to them, “Here is the word of the Eternal, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me with your humble petition: 10 If only you remain in this country, I will build you up, instead of pulling you down; I will plant you, instead of uprooting you; for I am sorry about the misery I have inflicted on you. 11 You are terrified of the king of Babylon? Never fear him, never fear him, the Eternal says, for I will be with you to rescue you from his hands. 12 I will have pity on you, and move him to have pity on you and allow you to remain in your own country. 13 But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this country,’ if you disobey the Eternal your God 14 and say, ‘No, we will go to Egypt and make our home in a land where we shall see no more war and hear no blare of trumpets and never starve,’ 15 then listen to what the Eternal says, O survivors of Judah; the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, declares, ‘If you are bent on going to Egypt and if you really settle there, 16 then the sword you dread shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, the hunger that you fear shall pursue you into Egypt, and you shall die there; 17 all who are bent on going to settle in Egypt shall die by the sword, by famine, or by plague, not one of them shall survive or escape the fate that I inflict upon them. 18 Here is what the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, declares: As my fury and anger have been poured out on the citizens of Jerusalem, so shall my fury be poured out upon you, when you enter Egypt; you shall become an object of execration and horror, accursed and derided, and you shall never see this place again!’ 19 O survivors of Judah, this is the Eternal’s word to you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ You will go? Then be sure of this, you have ruined yourselves. 20 I testify against you for sending me to the Eternal our God, asking me to pray for you to the Eternal our God, promising to do whatever I told you was the will of the Eternal our God, 21 and then, after I told you to-day, refusing to listen to any orders which the Eternal sends you by me. 22 For that, be sure, you are doomed to die by the sword, or by famine, or by the plague in the land where you choose to go and settle.”

◄ JER 42 ► ║ ©

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