Jeremiah:44

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* The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt , who dwell at Migdol , and at Thachpanches , and at Noph , and in the country of Pathros , saying , * Thus hath said the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , You yourselves have seen all the evil that I have brought over Jerusalem , and over all the cities of Judah ; and , behold , they are ruins this day , and no man is dwelling in them ; * Because of their wickedness which they had committed to provoke me to anger , by going to burn incense , to serve other gods , whom they did not know , either they , you , or your fathers . * And I sent unto you all my servants the prophets , making them rise early and sending them , saying , Oh , do not commit this abominable thing which I hate . * But they hearkened not , and inclined not their ear to turn away from their wickedness , so as not to burn incense unto other gods . * Whereupon my fury and my anger were poured forth , and were enkindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem : and they are become ruins , a desert , as at this day . * And now thus hath said the Lord , the God of hosts , the God of Israel , Wherefore do ye commit so great an evil against your souls , so as to cut off unto you man and woman , child and suckling , out of the midst of Judah , so as not to leave you any remainder , * By provoking me unto wrath with the works of your hands , in burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt , whither ye are come to sojourn there , in order to cut yourselves off , and in order that ye might become a curse and a disgrace among all the nations of the earth ? * Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers , and the wickedness of the kings of Judah , and the wickedness of their wives , and your own wickedness , and the wickedness of your wives , which they had committed in the land of Judah , and in the streets of Jerusalem ? * They are not humbled even up to this day , and they are not afraid , and they walk not in my law , nor in my statutes , that I have set before you and before your fathers . * Therefore thus hath said the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , Behold , I will set my face against you for evil , and to cut off all Judah . * And I will take the remnant of Judah , that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there , and they shall all come to their end , and in the land of Egypt shall they fall : by the sword by the famine shall they come to their end ; from the least even unto the greatest , by the sword and by the famine shall they die ; and they shall become an oath , an astonishment , and a curse , and a disgrace . * And I will inflict punishment on those that dwell in the land of Egypt , as I have inflicted punishment on Jerusalem , through the sword , through the famine , and through the pestilence : * So that there shall be no one that escapeth or remaineth of the remnant of Judah , who are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there , that they should return into the land of Judah , to which they direct their soul to return thither to dwell there ; for they shall not return , but such as shall escape . * Then did all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense unto other gods , and all the women that stood by , a great multitude , and all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt , in Pathros , answer Jeremiah , saying , * Respecting the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord , we will not hearken unto thee . * For to a surety we will do all the word that is gone forth out of our own mouth , to burn incense unto the queen of heaven , and to pour out drink –offerings unto her , as we have done , we , and our fathers , our kings , and our princes , in the cities of Judah , and in the streets of Jerusalem : when we had plenty of food , and fared well , and saw no evil . * But since the time we have left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven , and to pour out drink –offerings unto her , have we had a lack of every thing ; and we have come to our end through the sword and through the famine . * And when we burnt incense to the queen of heaven , and poured out drink –offerings unto her ,––was this without our husbands , that we did make cakes for her to make her image , and pour out drink –offerings unto her ? * Then said Jeremiah unto all the people , to the men , and to the women , and to all the people who had answered him word , saying , * Behold , it was the incense that ye burnt in the cities of Judah , and in the streets of Jerusalem , ye , and your fathers , your kings , and your princes , and the people of the land , which the Lord remembered , and which came into his mind ; * So that the Lord could no longer endure it , because of the evil of your doings , because of the abominations which ye had committed : therefore is your land become a ruin , and an astonishment , and a curse , without an inhabitant , as at this day . * Because that ye had burnt incense , and because ye had sinned against the Lord , and had not hearkened to the voice of the Lord , and had not walked in his law , in his statutes , and in his testimonies : therefore did this evil befall you , as it is this day . * And Jeremiah said to all the people , and to all the women , Hear the word of the Lord , all Judah that are in the land of Egypt , * Thus hath said the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , saying , Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouth , and fulfilled with your hands , saying , We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed , to burn incense to the queen of heaven , and to pour out drink –offerings unto her : ye will fully accomplish your vows , and fully perform your vows . * Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord , all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt , Behold , I have sworn by my great name , saith the Lord , that my name shall no more be called by the mouth of any man of Judah , saying , "As the Lord Eternal liveth ," in all the land of Egypt . * Behold , I will watch over them for evil , and not for good : and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall come to their end through the sword and through the famine , until they be destroyed . * Yet some that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah , but few in number ; and all the remnant of Judah , that are come into the land of Egypt to sojourn there , shall know whose words shall stand firm , mine , or theirs . * And this shall be unto you the sign , saith the Lord , that I will inflict punishment on you in this place , in order that ye may know that my words shall surely stand firm against you for evil : * Thus hath said the Lord , Behold , I will give Pharaoh –chophra ’ the king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies , and into the hand of those that seek his life , as I gave Zedekiah the king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon , his enemy , and who had sought his life .

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