Open English Translation JER Chapter 42

42 Then all the army commanders, as well as Kareah’s son Yohanan, Hoshayah’s son Yezanyah, and all the people from the less prominent to the most important officials approached the prophet Yirmeyah 2 and asked him, “Please listen to our request. Please ask your god Yahweh our on behalf of all of us who are left here, because there’s not very many of us left as you can see. 3 Ask your god Yahweh to tell us what we should do and where we should go.”

4 “Sure, I’ve heard your concerns,” the prophet Yirmeyah responded. “Listen, Ill pray to your god Yahweh as you’ve all requested. Whatever Yahweh answers, I’ll tell you. I’ll keep nothing back from you all.”

5 “We promise to do everything that your god Yahweh tells us to do,” they told Yirmeyah. “If we don’t, then Yahweh can be a true and faithful witness against us. 6 Whether it’s good or bad, we’ll obey the instructions from our god Yahweh who we’re asking you to speak to, so that it may be well with us when we obey his response.”

7 After ten days, Yahweh’s response came to Yirmeyah, 8 so he called Kareah’s son Yohanan and all the army commanders, as well as all the people from the less prominent to the most important officials, 9 then he told them, “You all sent me to Yisrael’s god Yahweh to pass on your requests and here’s his reply: 10 If you all stay in this region, then I’ll build you up and not tear you down. I’ll plant you and not pull you all out, because I’m upset about the harm that I’ve done to you all. 11 Don’t be afraid of the Babylonian king any more. This is Yahweh’s declaration: Don’t be afraid of him because I’m with you all to save you and to rescue you from his clutches, 12 because I’ll give you all mercy. I’ll have compassion on you, and I’ll restore you all back to your country.

13 However, suppose that you all decide not to listen to the words of your god Yahweh, and decide not to stay in this region, 14 and if you all say that you’ll go to Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim) to live there where there’s no war, and no trumpets signalling, and no shortage of food, 15 Now you remaining people listen to Yahweh’s message: Yisrael’s god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says that if you all do decide to go and stay down in Egypt, 16 then the war that you all fear will overtake you in Egypt. The famine that you’re anxious about will follow you all to Egypt, and then you’ll die there, 17 i.e., anyone who decides to go to live as foreigners in Egypt, will die from war, famine, or deadly diseases. There won’t be any survivors from the calamities that I’d send onto them.

18 Yes, Yisrael’s god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says this: Just as my anger and rage was poured out on Yerushalem’s inhabitants, in the same way my anger would be poured out on all of you if you go to Egypt. You’d become an object of cursing and a horror, something to be used as a curse word, and something dishonourable, and you’d never see this place again.

19 Then Yirmeyah continued: Yahweh has spoken to you all, the remaining people of Yehudah. Don’t go down to Egypt as you know that I’ve definitely warned you all against that today. 20 Yes, you made a life and death mistake when you sent me to your god Yahweh, and asked me to ask him for instructions for you and when you all said that you’d do everything that he says, 21 because I’ve reported all that to you today. However, you haven’t listened to your god Yahweh’s message, or to anything that he sent me to tell you all about. 22 So now, you should definitely be aware that you’ll die from war, famine, and deadly diseases where you all wanted to go and live as foreigners.