Jeremiah 44:20-30

New International Version

²⁰ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, ²¹ “Did not the Lord remember^(A) and call to mind the incense^(B) burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem^(C) by you and your ancestors,^(D) your kings and your officials and the people of the land?^{(E) 22} When the Lord could no longer endure^(F) your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse^(G) and a desolate waste^(H) without inhabitants, as it is today.^{(I) 23} Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed^(J) his law or his decrees^(K) or his stipulations, this disaster^(L) has come upon you, as you now see.”^(M)

²⁴ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,^(N) “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.^{(O) 25} This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives^(P) 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.’^(Q)

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!^{(R) 26} But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt:^(S) ‘I swear^(T) 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^(U) Lord lives.”^{(V) 27} For I am watching^(W) over them for harm,^(X) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish^(Y) by sword and famine^(Z) until they are all destroyed.^{(AA) 28} Those who escape the sword^(AB) and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.^(AC) Then the whole remnant^(AD) of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand^(AE)—mine or theirs.^(AF)

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