Moff by section JER 44:1

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Jeremiah 44

44 Here is the message that a A came to Jeremiah about all the Jews who were living in Egypt, at Migdol, Daphne, Memphis, and in Upper Egypt: 2 “The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, declares: ‘You have seen all the misery I have inflicted on Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. There they lie to-day, empty and desolate, 3 for their wicked practices that angered me! They took to offering sacrifices in the service of foreign gods, unknown to them or to yourselves or to your fathers. 4 I sent you all my servants the prophets, earnestly and urgently, to forbid this abomination which I hated; 5 but they would not listen or obey, they would not give up their wicked practice of sacrificing to foreign gods. 6 So my fury and my anger broke out blazing through the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, laying them waste and desolate, as they lie to-day. 7 Now then, says the Eternal, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, why will you ruin yourselves and put an end to Judah, man, woman, child, and babe? 8 Why anger me with your practices, sacrificing to foreign gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to settle? It will mean the end of you; all nations upon earth will curse and taunt you. 9 Have you forgotten the crimes of your fathers, and of the kings and leaders of Judah, ay and the crimes of your own wives in the country of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 It has not made them humble or afraid, not to this day; they have not followed my directions nor have they lived by the rules I gave to you and to your fathers. 11 Therefore, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have determined on evil against you, to make an end of Judah; 12 as for the survivors of Judah who made up their minds to go and settle in the land of Egypt, in the land of Egypt shall they all perish, all of them, falling by the sword and famine, dying young and old by sword and famine, and becoming an object of horror and execration, accursed and derided. 13 For, as I punished Jerusalem, so will I punish all who have settled in the land of Egypt, by sword, by famine, and by plague, 14 till not a single Jewish settler in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive to make his way back to the longed-for land of Judah; only a fugitive or two shall ever get back.’ ”

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives sacrificed to foreign gods, and all the women who were standing by, shouted loudly to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen to this word of yours that you have uttered as from the Eternal. 17 No, we mean to keep without fail this oath of ours to offer sacrifices to the Queen of heaven, and pour libations in her honour, as we used to do, we and our fathers, our kings and leaders, in the towns of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty of food, we prospered and came to no harm. 18 But ever since we gave up sacrificing to the Queen of heaven and pouring out libations in her honour, we have beCn in utter need and at the mercy of the sword and famine.” 19 “Yes,” cried the women, “and had we not the consent of our husbands when we sacrificed to the Queen of heaven and poured libations in her honour and made cakes in the shape of her?” 20 [[Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women who had given this answer: 21 “You offered these sacrifices in the towns of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and leaders and the commons? Yes, and did the Eternal forget it? 22 Did it not rankle in his mind, till he could bear your wicked practices and abominable crimes no longer? That is why your land lies desolate and empty, horrible and accursed, to-day. 23 This doom is yours to-day, because you offered these sacrifices, because you sinned against the Eternal and would not obey him, because you would not follow his directions and orders and injunctions.”]]

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women: “Listen to the word of the Eternal. 25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, declares: You women have done all you swore to do, saying, ‘We will perform our vows without fail, sacrificing to the Queen of heaven and pouring libations in her honour.’ Well, keep your word, carry out your vows! 26 But listen to the Eternal’s word, you Jews in Egypt: ‘I swear by my great name that my name shall never be heard on the lips of any Jew who has gone to settle in Egypt. 28 Then the survivors of the Jews in Egypt will find out whose word stands, mine or theirs. 29 And here is the sign that I will punish you in this country, the Eternal says, to teach you that my threat of doom will stand against you: 30 I will deliver the Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemies and murderers, as I put Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy and murderer.’ ” * * *