Yaram'Yahu (Jeremiah) — 44

Judgment for Idolatry

1 This is the message Yaramyahu received concerning the Yahudym living in northern Mitzraym in the cities of Migdul, Tahpanhas, and Mamphis, and in southern Mitzraym as well: 

2 “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Tsaba'ut the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL Dabar: You saw the calamity I brought on Yahushalam and all the towns of Yahudah. They now lie deserted and in ruins. 

3 They provoked my anger with all their wickedness. They burned incense and worshiped other idols, the idols that neither they nor you nor any of your ancestors had ever even known.

4 “Again and again I sent my servants, the Nabym, to plead with them, ‘Do not do these horrible things that I hate so much.’ 

5 But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept on burning incense to these idols. 

6 And so My fury boiled over and fell like fire on the towns of Yahudah and into the streets of Yahushalam, and they are still a desolate ruin today.

7 “And now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Tsaba'ut the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL asks you: Why are you destroying yourselves? For not one of you will survive, not a man, woman, or child among you who has come here from Yahudah, not even the babies in your arms. 

8 Why provoke my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made here in Mitzraym? You will only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and mockery for all the nations of the Arath. 

9 Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins of the kings and queens of Yahudah, and the sins you and your wives committed in Yahudah and Yahushalam? 

10 To this very hour you have shown no remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my Dabar and the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors before you.

11 “Therefore, this is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Tsaba'ut the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL Dabar: I am determined to destroy every one of you! 

12 I will take this remnant of Yahudah, those who were determined to come here and live in Mitzraym, and I will consume them. They will fall here in Mitzraym, killed by war and famine, all will die from the least to the greatest, they will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. 

13 I will punish them in Mitzraym just as I punished them in Yahushalam, by war, famine, and disease. 

14 Of that remnant who fled to Mitzraym, hoping someday to return to Yahudah, there will be no survivors, even though they long to return home, only a handful will do so.”

15 Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols, a great crowd of all the Yahudym living in northern Mitzraym and southern Mitzraym answered Yaramyahu, 

16 “We will not listen to your messages from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH! 

17 We will do whatever we want, we will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of sky just as much as we like, just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Yahudah and in the streets of Yahushalam, for in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! 

18 But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of sky and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine.”

19 “Besides,” the women added, “do you suppose that we were burning incense and pouring out liquid offerings to the Queen of sky, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!”

20 Then Yaramyahu said to all of them, men and women alike, who had given him that answer, 

21 “Do you think 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH did not know that you and your ancestors, your kings and officials, and all the people were burning incense to idols in the towns of Yahudah and in the streets of Yahushalam? 

22 It was because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH could no longer bear all the disgusting things you were doing that he made your land an object of cursing, a desolate ruin without inhabitants as it is today. 

23 All these terrible things happened to you because you have burned incense to idols and sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. You have refused to obey 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and have not followed 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH's instructions, His decrees, and laws.”

24 Then Yaramyahu said to them all, including the women, “Listen to this message from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, all you citizens of Yahudah who live in Mitzraym. 

25 This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Tsaba'ut the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL Dabar: ‘You and your wives have said, “We will keep our promises to burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of sky,” and you have proved by your actions that you meant it. So go ahead and carry out your promises and vows to her!’

26 “But listen to this message from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH all you Yahudym now living in Mitzraym: ‘I have sworn by my great Name,’ says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, ‘that my Name will no longer be spoken by any of the Yahudym in the land of Mitzraym. None of you may invoke my Name or use this oath: “As surely as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH lives.” 

27 For I will watch over you to bring you disaster and not good, everyone from Yahudah who is now living in Mitzraym will suffer war and famine until all of you are dead. 

28 Only a small number will escape death and return to Yahudah from Mitzraym. Then all those who came to Mitzraym will find out whose words are true, mine or theirs!

29 ‘And this is the proof I give you,’ says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, ‘that all I have pronounced will happen to you and that I will punish you here.’ 

30 This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar: ‘I will turn Phar'uh Huphra, king of Mitzraym, over to his enemies who want to kill him, just as I turned King Zadakyahu of Yahudah over to King Nabuchadnazzar of Babylun.’”