Jeremiah 44

Judgment for Idolatry

1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans who lived in the land of Egypt, at i Migdol, at j Tahpanhes, at Memphis, and in the land of k Pathros, 2 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the disaster that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah. Behold, this day l they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, 3 because of the evil that they committed, m provoking me to anger, n in that they went to make offerings o and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. 4 p Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!' 5 q But they did not listen q or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods. 6 r Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, s and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day. 7 And now thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil t against yourselves, to cut off from you u man and woman, u infant and child, from the midst of Judah, leaving you no remnant? 8 m Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, n making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become v a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have you forgotten the evil of your fathers, w the evil of the kings of Judah, x the evil of their 1 wives, your own evil, y and the evil of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 They have not humbled themselves even to this day, z nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers.

11 "Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: a Behold, I will set my face against you for harm, to cut off all Judah. 12 I will take the remnant of Judah who have b set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed. c In the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine c they shall be consumed. d From the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine, e and they shall become an oath, a horror, v a curse, and a taunt. 13 f I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, 14 g so that none of the remnant of Judah who have come to live in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive h or return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return to dwell there. For they shall not return, i except some fugitives."

15 Then all the men who knew that j their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in k Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: 16 "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, l we will not listen to you. 17 m But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to n the queen of heaven o and pour out drink offerings to her, p as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. 18 But since we left off making offerings to n the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything q and have been consumed by the sword and by famine." 19 And the women said, 2 "When we made offerings to the queen of heaven r and poured out drink offerings to her, was it s without our husbands' approval that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her?"

20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, t men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: 21 u "As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, v did not the Lord remember them? Did it not come into his mind? 22 w The Lord could no longer bear your evil deeds and x the abominations that you committed. y Therefore your land has become z a desolation and a waste and a curse, a without inhabitant, as it is this day. 23 It is because you made offerings b and because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey the voice of the Lord or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies c that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day."

24 Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, "Hear the word of the Lord, d all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: e You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have made, f to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! 26 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, d all you of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: g Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, h that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, i saying, 'As the Lord God lives.' 27 j Behold, I am watching over them for disaster and not for good. k All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them. 28 l And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, m few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, n shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. 29 This shall be the sign to you, declares the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that o my words will surely stand against you for harm: 30 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will give p Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies q and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave r Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life."

  1. Cross References
    Jeremiah 46:14
    "Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes; say, 'Stand ready and be prepared, for the sword shall devour around you.'
    Exodus 14:2
    Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea.
  2. Cross References
    Jeremiah 43:7 - 9
    And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.
  3. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:15
    Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah:
    Isaiah 11:11
    In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
  4. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:6
    Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day.
  5. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:8
    Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth?
    Jeremiah 7:18 - 19
    The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.
  6. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:16
    And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.
  7. Cross References
    Jeremiah 19:4
    Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents.
    Deuteronomy 6:14
    You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you -
  8. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 36:15
    The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.
  9. Cross References
    Jeremiah 34:14
    At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.' But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.
  10. Cross References
    Jeremiah 34:14
    At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.' But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.
  11. Cross References
    Jeremiah 7:20
    Therefore thus says the Lord God : behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.
  12. Cross References
    Jeremiah 7:34
    And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste.
    Jeremiah 9:11
    I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.
  13. Cross References
    Habakkuk 2:10
    You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life.
    Numbers 16:38
    As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the Lord, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.
    Proverbs 20:2
    The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
  14. Cross References
    Jeremiah 38:23
    All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.
    Lamentations 2:11
    My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.
  15. Cross References
    Jeremiah 38:23
    All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.
    Lamentations 2:11
    My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.
  16. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:3
    Because of the evil that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers.
  17. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:3
    Because of the evil that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers.
  18. Cross References
    Jeremiah 42:18
    For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more.
    Jeremiah 18:16
    Making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head.
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 15:4
    And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:1
    Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women.
    1 Kings 11:8
    And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
    1 Kings 15:13
    He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.
    2 Kings 11:1
    Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family.
  21. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:15
    Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah:
    Jeremiah 44:25
    Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows!
  22. Cross References
    Proverbs 28:14
    Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
  23. Cross References
    Jeremiah 21:10
    For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the Lord : it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
  24. Cross References
    Jeremiah 42:15
    Then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there.
  25. Cross References
    Jeremiah 42:16
    Then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.
  26. Cross References
    Jeremiah 42:16
    Then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.
  27. Cross References
    Jeremiah 6:13
    For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
  28. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:16
    Making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head.
  29. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:8
    Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth?
  30. Cross References
    Jeremiah 43:11
    He shall come and strike the land of Egypt, giving over to the pestilence those who are doomed to the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword.
  31. Cross References
    Jeremiah 42:17
    All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them.
  32. Cross References
    Jeremiah 22:27
    But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.
  33. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:28
    And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs.
  34. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:9
    Have you forgotten the evil of your fathers, the evil of the kings of Judah, the evil of their wives, your own evil, and the evil of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
    Jeremiah 44:25
    Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows!
  35. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:1
    The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans who lived in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros.
  36. Cross References
    Jeremiah 6:16
    Thus says the Lord : "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.
    Jeremiah 42:13
    But if you say, 'We will not remain in this land,' disobeying the voice of the Lord your God
  37. Cross References
    Judges 11:36
    And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord ; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.
  38. Cross References
    Jeremiah 7:18
    The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.
  39. Cross References
    Jeremiah 19:13
    The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah - all the houses on whose roofs offerings have been offered to all the host of heaven, and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods - shall be defiled like the place of Topheth.'
  40. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:33
    Because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did.
    2 Kings 21:3
    For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
  41. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:17
    But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.
  42. Cross References
    Lamentations 3:22
    The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.
  43. Cross References
    Jeremiah 7:18
    The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.
  44. Cross References
    Numbers 30:6 - 7
    If she marries a husband, while under her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself.
  45. Cross References
    Jeremiah 43:6
    The men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah.
  46. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:17
    But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.
    Ezekiel 8:10 - 11
    So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel.
  47. Cross References
    Ezekiel 21:24
    Therefore thus says the Lord God : Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear - because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
  48. Cross References
    Jeremiah 5:9
    Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord ; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?
    Jeremiah 5:29
    Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?
  49. Cross References
    Ezekiel 8:6
    And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations.
  50. Cross References
    Jeremiah 7:34
    And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste.
  51. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:16
    Making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head.
  52. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:7
    A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his place to make your land a waste; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.
  53. Cross References
    Jeremiah 40:3
    The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you.
  54. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:29
    For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.
  55. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:15
    Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah:
    Jeremiah 43:5 - 7
    But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven -
  56. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:16
    As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you.
  57. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:17
    But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.
  58. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:24
    Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, "Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt.
  59. Cross References
    Jeremiah 22:5
    But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.
  60. Cross References
    Ezekiel 20:39
    As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God : Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
  61. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:2
    And if you swear, 'As the Lord lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
  62. Cross References
    Jeremiah 31:28
    And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord.
  63. Cross References
    Jeremiah 42:16
    Then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.
  64. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:14
    So that none of the remnant of Judah who have come to live in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive or return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return to dwell there. For they shall not return, except some fugitives.
    Isaiah 27:13
    And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
  65. Cross References
    Ezekiel 6:8
    Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries.
  66. Cross References
    Jeremiah 44:17
    But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.
    Jeremiah 44:25 - 26
    Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows!
  67. Cross References
    Proverbs 19:21
    Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
  68. Cross References
    Jeremiah 46:17
    Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 'Noisy one who lets the hour go by.
    Ezekiel 29:2 - 5
    Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
    Ezekiel 30:21 - 24
    Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword.
  69. Cross References
    Jeremiah 46:26
    I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the Lord.
  70. Cross References
    Jeremiah 39:5
    But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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