²⁵ In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated^(A) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.^{(B) 26} At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt^(C) for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released^(D)

²⁷ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin^(E) king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. ²⁸ He spoke kindly^(F) to him and gave him a seat of honor^(G) higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.^{(H) 30} Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.^(I)

Flight to Egypt

¹⁶ Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(A) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,^(B) whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. ¹⁷ And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham^(C) near Bethlehem^(D) on their way to Egypt^{(E) 18} to escape the Babylonians.^[a] They were afraid^(F) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah^(G) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

42 Then all the army officers, including Johanan^(H) son of Kareah and Jezaniah^[b] son of Hoshaiah,^(I) and all the people from the least to the greatest^(J) approached ² Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray^(K) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.^(L) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few^(M) are left. ³ Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”^(N)

⁴ “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray^(O) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell^(P) you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”^(Q)

⁵ Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true^(R) and faithful^(S) witness^(T) against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. ⁶ Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well^(U) with us, for we will obey^(V) the Lord our God.”

⁷ Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. ⁸ So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(W) who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest.^{(X) 9} He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition,^(Y) says:^{(Z) 10} ‘If you stay in this land,^(AA) I will build^(AB) you up and not tear you down; I will plant^(AC) you and not uproot you,^(AD) for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.^{(AE) 11} Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,^(AF) whom you now fear.^(AG) Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save^(AH) you and deliver you from his hands.^{(AI) 12} I will show you compassion^(AJ) so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’^(AK)

¹³ “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey^(AL) the Lord your God, ¹⁴ and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt,^(AM) where we will not see war or hear the trumpet^(AN) or be hungry for bread,’^{(AO) 15} then hear the word of the Lord,^(AP) you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, ¹⁶ then the sword^(AQ) you fear^(AR) will overtake you there, and the famine^(AS) you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.^{(AT) 17} Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague;^(AU) not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ ¹⁸ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath^(AV) have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,^(AW) so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse^[c](AX) and an object of horror,^(AY) a curse^[d] and an object of reproach;^(AZ) you will never see this place again.’^(BA)

¹⁹ “Remnant^(BB) of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’^(BC) Be sure of this: I warn you today ²⁰ that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’^{(BD) 21} I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you.^{(BE) 22} So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine^(BF) and plague^(BG) in the place where you want to go to settle.”^(BH)

43 When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them^(BI)— ² Azariah son of Hoshaiah^(BJ) and Johanan^(BK) son of Kareah and all the arrogant^(BL) men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying!^(BM) The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’^{(BN) 3} But Baruch^(BO) son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,^[e] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”^(BP)

⁴ So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people^(BQ) disobeyed the Lord’s command^(BR) to stay in the land of Judah.^{(BS) 5} Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.^{(BT) 6} They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women,^(BU) the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch^(BV) son of Neriah along with them. ⁷ So they entered Egypt^(BW) in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.^(BX)

⁸ In Tahpanhes^(BY) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ⁹ “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones^(BZ) with you and bury them in clay in the brick^(CA) pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace^(CB) in Tahpanhes. ¹⁰ Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant^(CC) Nebuchadnezzar^(CD) king of Babylon, and I will set his throne^(CE) over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy^(CF) above them. ¹¹ He will come and attack Egypt,^(CG) bringing death^(CH) to those destined^(CI) for death, captivity to those destined for captivity,^(CJ) and the sword to those destined for the sword.^{(CK) 12} He will set fire^(CL) to the temples^(CM) of the gods^(CN) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.^(CO) As a shepherd picks^(CP) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. ¹³ There in the temple of the sun^[f](CQ) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars^(CR) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

Disaster Because of Idolatry

44 This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt^(CS)—in Migdol,^(CT) Tahpanhes^(CU) and Memphis^(CV)—and in Upper Egypt:^{(CW) 2} “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster^(CX) I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.^(CY) Today they lie deserted and in ruins^{(CZ) 3} because of the evil^(DA) they have done. They aroused my anger^(DB) by burning incense^(DC) to and worshiping other gods^(DD) that neither they nor you nor your ancestors^(DE) ever knew. ⁴ Again and again^(DF) I sent my servants the prophets,^(DG) who said, ‘Do not do this detestable^(DH) thing that I hate!’ ⁵ But they did not listen or pay attention;^(DI) they did not turn from their wickedness^(DJ) or stop burning incense^(DK) to other gods.^{(DL) 6} Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out;^(DM) it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins^(DN) they are today.

⁷ “Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster^(DO) on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women,^(DP) the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant?^{(DQ) 8} Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made,^(DR) burning incense^(DS) to other gods in Egypt,^(DT) where you have come to live?^(DU) You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse^[g] and an object of reproach^(DV) among all the nations on earth. ⁹ Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors^(DW) and by the kings^(DX) and queens^(DY) of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives^(DZ) in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?^{(EA) 10} To this day they have not humbled^(EB) themselves or shown reverence,^(EC) nor have they followed my law^(ED) and the decrees^(EE) I set before you and your ancestors.^(EF)

¹¹ “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty,^(EG) the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster^(EH) on you and to destroy all Judah. ¹² I will take away the remnant^(EI) of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest,^(EJ) they will die by sword or famine.^(EK) They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach.^{(EL) 13} I will punish^(EM) those who live in Egypt with the sword,^(EN) famine and plague,^(EO) as I punished Jerusalem. ¹⁴ None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.”^(EP)

¹⁵ Then all the men who knew that their wives^(EQ) were burning incense^(ER) to other gods, along with all the women^(ES) who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt,^(ET) said to Jeremiah, ¹⁶ “We will not listen^(EU) to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!^{(EV) 17} We will certainly do everything we said we would:^(EW) We will burn incense^(EX) to the Queen of Heaven^(EY) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials^(EZ) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.^(FA) At that time we had plenty of food^(FB) and were well off and suffered no harm.^{(FC) 18} But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings^(FD) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.^(FE)”

¹⁹ The women added, “When we burned incense^(FF) to the Queen of Heaven^(FG) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands^(FH) know that we were making cakes^(FI) impressed with her image^(FJ) and pouring out drink offerings to her?”

²⁰ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, ²¹ “Did not the Lord remember^(FK) and call to mind the incense^(FL) burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem^(FM) by you and your ancestors,^(FN) your kings and your officials and the people of the land?^{(FO) 22} When the Lord could no longer endure^(FP) your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse^(FQ) and a desolate waste^(FR) without inhabitants, as it is today.^{(FS) 23} Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed^(FT) his law or his decrees^(FU) or his stipulations, this disaster^(FV) has come upon you, as you now see.”^(FW)

²⁴ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,^(FX) “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.^{(FY) 25} This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives^(FZ) have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’^(GA)

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!^{(GB) 26} But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt:^(GC) ‘I swear^(GD) by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Sovereign^(GE) Lord lives.”^{(GF) 27} For I am watching^(GG) over them for harm,^(GH) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish^(GI) by sword and famine^(GJ) until they are all destroyed.^{(GK) 28} Those who escape the sword^(GL) and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.^(GM) Then the whole remnant^(GN) of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand^(GO)—mine or theirs.^(GP)

²⁹ “‘This will be the sign^(GQ) to you that I will punish^(GR) you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’^{(GS) 30} This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh^(GT) Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah^(GU) king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.’”^(GV)

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

²⁰ In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(A) 21} “Son of man, I have broken the arm^(B) of Pharaoh^(C) king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed^(D) or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. ²² Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.^(E) I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.^{(F) 23} I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^{(G) 24} I will strengthen^(H) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword^(I) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan^(J) before him like a mortally wounded man. ²⁵ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword^(K) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.^{(L) 26} I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(M)”

Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon

31 In the eleventh year,^(N) in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(O) 2} “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

¹⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud^(AE) of its height, ¹¹ I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,^{(AF) 12} and the most ruthless of foreign nations^(AG) cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;^(AH) its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.^{(AI) 13} All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.^{(AJ) 14} Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined^(AK) for death,^(AL) for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.^(AM)

¹⁵ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.^{(AN) 16} I made the nations tremble^(AO) at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees^(AP) of Eden,^(AQ) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled^(AR) in the earth below.^{(AS) 17} They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,^(AT) along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.

¹⁸ “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised,^(AU) with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

A Lament Over Pharaoh

32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(AV) 2} “Son of man, take up a lament^(AW) concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:

³ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

¹⁶ “This is the lament^(BT) they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Egypt’s Descent Into the Realm of the Dead

¹⁷ In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(BU) 18} “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign^(BV) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.^{(BW) 19} Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’^{(BX) 20} They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged^(BY) off with all her hordes.^{(BZ) 21} From within the realm of the dead^(CA) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,^(CB) with those killed by the sword.’

²² “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. ²³ Their graves are in the depths of the pit^(CC) and her army lies around her grave.^(CD) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

²⁴ “Elam^(CE) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.^(CF) All who had spread terror in the land of the living^(CG) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^{(CH) 25} A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,^(CI) killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.

²⁶ “Meshek and Tubal^(CJ) are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. ²⁷ But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old,^[b](CK) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields^[c] resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.

²⁸ “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

²⁹ “Edom^(CL) is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.^(CM)

³⁰ “All the princes of the north^(CN) and all the Sidonians^(CO) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised^(CP) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^(CQ)

³¹ “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled^(CR) for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. ³² Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh^(CS) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”^(CT)