Jeremiah Chapter 44

¹ A Message to Jeremiah for the Jews Living in Egypt

in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the Territory of Pathros

Disaster Because of Idolatry

² “Yahveh of Hosts, the God of Israel, says, ‘You’ve seen the catastrophe I brought on Jerusalem and the towns in Judah; they’re in ruins. Nobody’s living in them ³ because their sinfulness made me angry.  They kept serving and burning sacrifices to gods they and their ancestors hadn’t known. ⁴ Yet I sent them my prophets time and again, saying not to do that detestable thing. ⁵ ‘But they didn’t listen, turn from their sin, or quit burning sacrifices to other gods. ⁶ So my anger boiled over and burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem.’ ⁷ Now Yahveh says, ‘Why harm yourselves and slay man and woman, child and infant, from Judah and leave yourselves without even a remnant? ⁸ You’ve made me angry with the things you’ve made with your hands and the sacrifices you’ve burned to other gods in Egypt. You’ll be destroyed and become a curse and disgrace among the nations. ⁹ Have you forgotten your ancestors’ sinfulness, the sinfulness of Judah’s kings and their wives, the sinfulness you and your wives committed in Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁰ You haven’t humbled yourselves or respected me to this day or followed the Law and statutes I set before you and your ancestors.’                                             

Jer 44:1-10

¹¹ “So Yahveh of Hosts says, ‘I’ll destroy everybody that’s from Judah ¹² and remove the remnant that’s determined to go live in Egypt. From least to greatest will meet their end here by sword or famine. They’ll become a curse, something abhorred, a disgrace. ¹³ Like I’ve punished Jerusalem, I’ll punish Egypt with sword, famine, and disease. ¹⁴ Only a few refugees will ever make it back to the land they long to see.’”

Jer 44:11-14

¹⁵ The men that knew their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods and the women that were standing by—including a large number from Pathros—answered Jeremiah,

¹⁶ “We don’t have to listen to you! ¹⁷ We’ll keep burning sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out liquid offerings to her like we and our ancestors, our kings and officials did in Judah and Jerusalem. We were well off then with plenty of food and no misfortune. ¹⁸ Since we stopped doing that, we’ve lacked everything and met our end by sword and famine.” ¹⁹ The women said, “When we were burning sacrifices to her, pouring out liquid offerings to her, and making sacrificial cakes in her image, didn’t our husbands know it?”

Jer 44:15-19

²⁰ Jeremiah responded, ²¹ “Didn’t Yahveh know about the smoking sacrifices you and your ancestors, kings and officials, and common people burned? ²² He wouldn’t put up with your sinful deeds and detestable acts anymore. So your land has become a ruin, abhorred, a curse, and uninhabited. ²³ This catastrophe has fallen on you because you’ve burned sacrifices and sinned against him, and didn’t obey him or follow his Law, statutes, or testimonies. [ ²⁴ ] ²⁵ You and your wives have said, ‘We’ll keep our vows to burn sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pour out liquid offerings to her.’ Go ahead and keep your vows! ²⁶ But listen to what Yahveh says, ‘I’ve sworn by my great name that nobody from Judah that’s in Egypt will ever invoke my name again, “As the Lord Yahveh lives . . .” ²⁷ I’ll see to it that they’re harmed. They’ll meet their end by sword and famine. ²⁸ Only a few will ever make it back to Judah. Then the remnant in Egypt will know whose message will stand, theirs or mine. ^29-30 This is how you’ll know: I’ll punish you here too and deliver Pharaoh Hophra [Apries] to his enemies like I turned Zedekiah over to Nebuchadnezzar.’”

Jer 44:20-30