Jeremiah 44
44
Yahweh’s Message to the Israelites in Egypt
1Here is the word Yahweh gave Jeremiah concerning all the Israelites who were living in Egypt. They were in the cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis, # 44:1 Or “Noph.” and in the Pathros region.
2“Yahweh, God of Israel, Commander of Angel Armies, says this: You have seen with your own eyes all the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. Look at them; now they are in ruins and left uninhabited. 3This disaster came to your people because of their evil deeds; they have worshiped foreign gods, which they have previously known nothing about nor have their ancestors. They have brought them offerings and provoked my anger. 4Yet I kept sending you my servants the prophets to plead with you to stop doing such detestable things, which I hate with a passion! 5But you would not listen or pay attention, in order to turn from your wickedness and stop offering incense to other gods. 6So I let loose a firestorm of my anger, burning down the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem until nothing remained but a desolate wasteland, as it still is today.
7“And now I, Yahweh, God of Israel, Commander God of Angel Armies, ask you: Why do you insist on heading for another disaster, one that will destroy every man, woman, and child in Judah? Why should you leave yourselves without a remnant? 8Why do you keep provoking my wrath by offering incense to Egyptian gods where you have settled? Are you bent on your own destruction? Don’t you realize you will become a curse and a laughingstock for all the nations of the earth? 9Have you forgotten all you have done in Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your ancestors, your wives, your kings, and their wives? 10Even now, you refuse to humble yourselves or be in awe of me. You have not followed my law or my teachings, which I set before you and your ancestors.
11“So, I, Yahweh, God of Israel, Commander of Angel Armies, say to you that I am determined to bring disasters upon the people of Judah living in Egypt to eliminate you completely. 12I will make sure that the remnant of Judah who were determined to live in Egypt will die in Egypt. You will all be killed by the sword or die of starvation, from least to greatest. You will die such horrible deaths in war or from starvation that people of other nations will use you as an object of horror, a curse word, and mockery. 13I will punish those who settled in Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem: by sword, starvation, and plague. 14None of the remnant of Judah who have settled in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the country of Judah. Even though they want to go and live there again, only a few will escape and return.”
The People Vow to Worship the Queen of Heaven
15Then all the women there, along with all the men who were aware that their wives were sacrificing to other gods, answered me. There was a great crowd of people there listening to me, a large group of the people of Judah who lived in southern Egypt and were meeting together. They all answered me, saying: 16“You claim to speak to us on behalf of Yahweh, but we refuse to listen to you whatsoever! 17We will keep our vows to continue offering incense to our goddess, the Queen of Heaven, and pouring out drink offerings in her honor as we used to do. We will worship her in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem just as we, our ancestors, kings, and officers did in the past. We had plenty of food then, we prospered, and we suffered no disasters. 18But since we ceased offering incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have been destitute, and our people have died either by sword or by starvation. # 44:18 This is likely a reference to the reforms instituted by King Josiah, who attempted to eliminate idolatry in Judah and Jerusalem. However, following his death in the battle of Megiddo (609 BC), things turned for the worse and people became disillusioned. 19And besides,” the women added, # 44:19 As translated from the Syriac and at least one Septuagint manuscript. Although missing in the Hebrew, the context shows that it was the women who were speaking in this verse. “when we offer incense to the Queen of Heaven, pour out drink offerings to her, and make cakes bearing her image, do you really think we do this without our husbands’ knowledge?”
20Then I replied to all the men and women who had made their statement, 21“You and your ancestors, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land offered sacrifices in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. But Yahweh knew about this and did not forget. 22He could not endure your wicked and disgusting practices any longer. He placed a curse on your land and turned it into a desert without inhabitants as it is today. 23This disaster has plainly overtaken you because you sinned and offered incense to other gods, refusing to listen to the voice of Yahweh or follow his law, his teachings, and his commandments.”
24Then I said to the men and their wives, “Listen to the word of Yahweh, all you people of Judah living in Egypt. 25Yahweh, God of Israel, Commander of Angel Armies, says to you, ‘Both you and your wives have said that you will fulfill the vows you made to give offerings to the Queen of Heaven and pour out drink offerings to her. You have said it, and you have done it. Very well, by all means, keep your promise and fulfill the vows you made!’ 26But listen to the word of Yahweh, all you people of Judah living in Egypt: ‘I swear by my mighty name, never again will I let any of you profane my name to make a vow by saying, “I swear by the living Lord Yahweh!” 27Behold, instead of watching over you for good, I will watch for chances to harm you. Some of you will die in war, and others will die by famine until you are wiped out. 28Only a very few will escape the sword and will return to the land of Judah from Egypt. Then all the remnant of Judah who came to settle in Egypt will know whose word comes true, mine or theirs.
29“ ‘And here is the sign for you,’ Yahweh declares, ‘that I will keep my threats and I will punish you here: 30Behold, I will hand over Egypt’s Pharaoh Hophra # 44:30 King (Pharaoh) Hophra of Egypt (589–570 BC) supported Zedekiah in his revolt against Nebuchadnezzar in 589 BC (see footnote on 37:5). According to Herodotus, one of Pharaoh Hophra’s officials, Amasis, took control of the government and later had Hophra strangled to death. to his enemies who seek his life just as I handed over Zedekiah king of Judah to his enemy Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was determined to kill him.’ ”
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Jeremiah 44: TPT
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