1Jeremiah had hardly finished giving the message of Yahweh to the people – all that Yahweh had sent him to say – 2when Azariah son of Hoshiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! Yahweh our God did not send you to tell us not to go and settle in Egypt. 3No, Baruch son of Neriah is prompting you to hand us over to the Chaldeans either to be killed or deported to Babylon!”
4So neither Johanan son of Kareah nor the army officers nor the people heeded Yahweh’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5Instead Johanan and the army officers led away the remnant of the Jews who had returned to the land of Judah from the nations where they had been driven. 6They also led away the men, women, children and the royal princesses – all those that Nebuzaradan, commander of the bodyguard, had left in the care of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with Jeremiah, the prophet and Baruch, son of Neriah. 7So in defiance of Yahweh’s order they entered Egypt and arrived at Tahpanhes.
Jeremiah foretells the invasion of Egypt
8There at Tahpanhes the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah: “While the Jews are watching you, 9take some large stones and bury them in clay in the brick terrace at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house at Tahpanhes 10and then say to them: This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says: I am sending for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and he will set his throne over these stones that I have hidden here and spread a royal canopy. 11He shall come and strike the land of Egypt bringing death to those destined to die, captivity for those destined to be taken captive, sword for those destined for the sword. 12He will set fire to the temples of the Egyptian gods; these gods will be burned or carried away. As a shepherd wraps himself in a cloak, so will the king of Babylon wrap the land of Egypt about himself and depart in safety. 13He will break the sacred pillars at Heliopolis and burn the temples of the gods in Egypt.”
