Jeremiah’s last warnings
1A word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Egypt especially in the cities of Migdal, Tahpanhes and Memphis, as well as in the territory of Patros: 2“You have seen all the disaster that I brought on Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. 3These are no more than ruins without inhabitants because of the evil they have done. They have provoked my anger by offering incense to foreign gods that neither they nor their fathers knew.
4I sent them my servants the prophets time and time again to tell them: ‘Do not do this abominable thing that I detest!’ 5But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn away from their evil ways or give up worshiping strange gods. 6Then the fury of my anger was loosed and blazed in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem making them the desolate ruins they are today.
7And now Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel asks you: Why do you bring such great harm on yourselves? Because of your deeds every man, woman, child and infant will be taken from Judah and you will be left without a remnant. 8Why do you provoke my anger with the work of your hands? Why do you worship foreign gods in Egypt where you came to live? Surely you will decrease in number and be a curse and an object of reproach among all the nations? 9Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers and the misdeeds of the kings of Judah and its princes, and the evil behavior of your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?
10So far they have had no contrition and have not followed my law and my decrees that I set before you and your ancestors.”
11Because of this Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel warns you, “I am turning my face away from you to bring disaster on you and to completely de stroy Judah. 12The remnant of Judah that chose to enter Egypt and live there will all perish. They will be destroyed by the sword and famine and become an object of horror and cursing, of condemnation and reproach. 13I will punish those in Egypt as I punished Jerusalem with the sword, famine and pestilence. 14None of the remnant of Judah that came to Egypt will escape or flee, and return to Judah where you long to go and live.”
15Then all the men who knew their wives were offering incense to foreign gods and all the women, a great assembly, replied to Jeremiah in a louder voice. 16“As for what you say in the name of Yahweh we will not listen; 17we want to do all that we said we wanted to do: burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out wine to her as we did, we and our fathers, our kings and princes in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had our fill of bread and were prosperous and free from misfortune. 18But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven we have been in need of everything and have perished by the sword and famine.” 19And the women added, “When we offered incense and poured libations to the queen of heaven, didn’t our husbands know that we made sacrificial cakes decorated with her image?”
20Jeremiah then answered all the people, men and women, who had told him this: 21“Is it not better that Yahweh remembered the incense you burned in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you, your fathers, your kings, princes, and all the people?
Do you think it slipped his memory? 22Yahweh could no longer bear the sight of your evil and abominable deeds. That is why your land has become the desolate waste that it is today!
23All the misfortune that you are suffering today has happened because you burned incense and sinned against Yahweh, by not obeying him or following his law, his instructions and his commands.”
24Jeremiah then addressed all the people especially the women, “Listen to Yahweh’s message: 25This is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says: You and your wives think that what you say with your lips becomes an obligation you must fulfill. You say: ‘We are bound to keep the vows we have made to burn incense and pour out wine to the queen of heaven.’ Go ahead! Fulfill your vows and do what you promised! 26Nevertheless listen, all you Jews living in Egypt, listen to what Yahweh says to you: By my own great Name I swear – word of Yahweh – that throughout Egypt no one from Judah will invoke my Name; no one will be left to say: ‘As the Lord Yahweh lives.’ 27I am watching over them but not for their good. All the people of Judah in Egypt will perish by the sword and famine until they are wiped out. 28Only a few will escape the sword and return from Egypt to Judah; and the remnant who came to settle in Egypt will understand whose word comes true, theirs or mine! 29And this is the sign that I will punish you in this place, says Yahweh, that you may know that my threatening words to you will be fulfilled: 30I will hand over the Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt to his enemies who want to slay him, just as I let Zedekiah, king of Judah, be taken by his adversary, Nebu chadnezzar king of Babylon, who was determined to kill him.
