הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּמִגְדֹּל   44:1                    וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵס וּבְנֹף וּבְאֶרֶץ פַּתְרֹוס לֵאמֹר׃

Jere. 44:1   The word that occurred to Jeremiah about all the Jews dwelling in the land of Egypt, dwelling in Migdal, and in Tahpanhes, and in Noph, and in the region of Pathros, saying,

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר הֵבֵאתִי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְעַל   44:2 כָּל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְהִנָּם חָרְבָּה הַיֹּום הַזֶּה וְאֵין בָּהֶם יֹושֵׁב׃

Jere. 44:2   “Thus says the Lord of hosts, God of Israel:  ‘You have seen all the evil that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah that, behold, they are a wasteland this day and there is not an inhabitant in them,

מִפְּנֵי רָעָתָמ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לְהַכְעִסֵנִי לָלֶכֶת לְקַטֵּר לַעֲבֹד לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּם הֵמָּה   44:3      אַתֶּם וַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם׃

Jere. 44:3   because of their evil that they had done to provoke Me, going to make sacrifices to do service to other gods whom they did not know, they, you, and your fathers.’

וָאֶשְׁלַח אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים הַשְׁכֵּים וְשָׁלֹחַ לֵאמֹר אַל־נָא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת דְּבַר־הַתֹּעֵבָה   44:4        הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵאתִי׃

Jere. 44:4   ‘Yet I have sent all My servants, the prophets, to you early and often, saying, ‘Now you must not do this abominable thing that I ‘hate.’

וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ וְלֹא־הִטּוּ אֶת־אָזְנָם לָשׁוּב מֵרָעָתָם לְבִלְתִּי קַטֵּר לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים׃   44:5

Jere. 44:5   ‘But they did not listen, even extend their ear, to turn away from their evil, to not sacrifice to other gods.’

תִּתַּךְ חֲמָתִי וְאַפִּי וַתִּבְעַר בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצֹות יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַתִּהְיֶינָה לְחָרְבָּה לִשְׁמָמָה כַּיֹּום הַזֶּה׃   44:6

Jere. 44:6   ‘So My ‘rage’ poured forth, and My ‘anger,’ and it was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became for a wasteland, a desolation, as this day.’”

וְעַתָּה כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָה אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים רָעָה גְדֹולָה אֶל־נַפְשֹׁתֵכֶם   44:7 לְהַכְרִית לָכֶם אִישׁ־וְאִשָּׁה עֹולֵל וְיֹונֵק מִתֹּוךְ יְהוּדָה לְבִלְתִּי הֹותִיר לָכֶם שְׁאֵרִית׃

Jere. 44:7   “So now thus says the Lord, God of hosts, God of Israel:  ‘Why are you doing such a great evil to your own souls to cut yourselves off, man and woman, child and suckling, from the midst of Judah, to not be leaving for yourselves a residue,

לְהַכְעִסֵנִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂי יְדֵיכֶם לְקַטֵּר לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם בָּאִים לָגוּר שָׁם לְמַעַן   44:8 הַכְרִית לָכֶם וּלְמַעַן הֱיֹותְכֶם לִקְלָלָה וּלְחֶרְפָּה בְּכֹל גֹּויֵי הָאָרֶץ׃

Jere. 44:8   to provoke Me by the works of your hands, to sacrifice to other gods in the land of Egypt where you are going to stay there, so that you be cut off, and so that you become for a curse and for a reproach among all the nations of the earth?’

הַשְׁכַחְתֶּם אֶת־רָעֹות אֲבֹותֵיכֶם וְאֶת־רָעֹות מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וְאֵת רָעֹות נָשָׁיו וְאֵת רָעֹתֵכֶם וְאֵת רָעֹת   44:9    נְשֵׁיכֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצֹות יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃

Jere. 44:9   ‘Have you forgotten the evil deeds of your ancestors and the evil deeds of the kings of Judah and the evil deeds of its women and your evil deeds and the evil deeds of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?’

לֹא דֻכְּאוּ עַד הַיֹּום הַזֶּה וְלֹא יָרְאוּ וְלֹא־הָלְכוּ בְתֹורָתִי וּבְחֻקֹּתַי אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיכֶם וְלִפְנֵי   44:10            אֲבֹותֵיכֶם׃

Jere. 44:10   ‘They have not been contrite up to this day and they have not feared and they have not walked in My Torah or in My statutes that I set before you and before your ancestors.’”

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי שָׂם פָּנַי בָּכֶם לְרָעָה וּלְהַכְרִית אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָה׃   44:11

Jere. 44:11   “Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, God of Israel:  ‘Behold, I am setting My ‘face’ against you for evil and to cut off all of Judah.’

וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶת־שְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׂמוּ פְנֵיהֶם לָבֹוא אֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם לָגוּר שָׁם וְתַמּוּ כֹל בְּאֶרֶץ   44:12       מִצְרַיִם יִפֹּלוּ בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב יִתַּמּוּ מִקָּטֹן וְעַד־גָּדֹול בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב יָמֻתוּ וְהָיוּ לְאָלָה לְשַׁמָּה וְלִקְלָלָה      וּלְחֶרְפָּה׃

Jere. 44:12   ‘And I will take the remnant of Judah, who have set their faces to enter the land of Egypt to stay there, and they shall all be consumed in the land of Egypt.  They shall fall by the sword; by famine they shall be consumed; from the least and up to the greatest, by the sword and by famine they shall die, and they shall become for a loathing, for a horror, and for a curse, and for a reproach.’

וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל הַיֹּושְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּקַדְתִּי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר׃   44:13

Jere. 44:13   ‘Thus I will attend to those who dwell in the land of Egypt as I attended to Jerusalem, with sword, with famine, and with pestilence,

The two words in this verse (the first and seventh) that I translate as Thus I will attend and I attended are normally translated as something like So I will punish and I punished.  As I am convinced that the Lord does not punish -- He disciplines in order to teach -- I don’t use that word.  I see it as misleading and not giving proper glory to the name of the Lord.

וְלֹא יִהְיֶה פָּלִיט וְשָׂרִיד לִשְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים לָגוּר־שָׁם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְלָשׁוּב אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה   44:14      אֲשֶׁר־הֵמָּה מְנַשְּׂאִים אֶת־נַפְשָׁם לָשׁוּב לָשֶׁבֶת שָׁם כִּי לֹא־יָשׁוּבוּ כִּי אִם־פְּלֵטִים׃

Jere. 44:14   that a refugee or a survivor will not be for a remnant of Judah of those entering to stay there in the land of Egypt or returning to the land of Judah, that they might be desiring their souls to return to dwell there, for they shall not return, because there would be none escaping.’”

וַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת־יִרְמְיָהוּ כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים הַיֹּדְעִים כִּי־מְקַטְּרֹות נְשֵׁיהֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְכָל־הַנָּשִׁים   44:15               הָעֹמְדֹות קָהָל גָּדֹול וְכָל־הָעָם הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם בְּפַתְרֹוס לֵאמֹר׃

Jere. 44:15   Then all the men answered Jeremiah, knowing that their wives were sacrificing to other gods, and all the women standing by, a great assembly, and all the people dwelling in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, saying,

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתָּ אֵלֵינוּ בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁמְעִים אֵלֶיךָ׃   44:16

Jere. 44:16   “Of the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, none of us are listening to you.”

כִּי עָשֹׂה נַעֲשֶׂה אֶת־כָּל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־יָצָא מִפִּינוּ לְקַטֵּר לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהַסֵּיךְ־לָהּ נְסָכִים כַּאֲשֶׁר   44:17 עָשִׂינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ וַאֲבֹתֵינוּ מְלָכֵינוּ וְשָׂרֵינוּ בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצֹות יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַנִּשְׂבַּע־לֶחֶם וַנִּהְיֶה טֹובִים          וְרָעָה לֹא רָאִינוּ׃

Jere. 44:17   “Instead we will deliberately do every thing that was issued from our mouths, to sacrifice to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; then we had much bread and were prosperous and we did not see evil.”

וּמִן־אָז חָדַלְנוּ לְקַטֵּר לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהַסֵּךְ־לָהּ נְסָכִים חָסַרְנוּ כֹל וּבַחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב תָּמְנוּ׃   44:18

Jere. 44:18   “But since the time we stopped sacrificing to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything, and by sword and by famine we have been consumed.”

וְכִי־אֲנַחְנוּ מְקַטְּרִים לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְהַסֵּךְ לָהּ נְסָכִים הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵי אֲנָשֵׁינוּ עָשִׂינוּ לָהּ כַּוָּנִים   44:19         לְהַעֲצִבָה וְהַסֵּךְ לָהּ נְסָכִים׃

Jere. 44:19   “And was it only we sacrificing to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her?  Did we make cakes in her image for her and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands?”

This verse seems to indicate a peculiar change in the speaker(s) from men to women.  But notice that in v. 44:15 above, we are told that both men and women were in the crowd.  Because of this verse, which has to have been spoken by women, I conclude that all the dialogue from v. 44:16 to this one came from the mouth of the women, not that of the men.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם עַל־הַגְּבָרִים וְעַל־הַנָּשִׁים וְעַל־כָּל־הָעָם הָעֹנִים אֹתֹו דָּבָר לֵאמֹר׃   44:20

Jere. 44:20   Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people, to the men and to the women, and to all the people telling him the thing, saying,

הֲלֹוא אֶת־הַקִּטֵּר אֲשֶׁר קִטַּרְתֶּם בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצֹות יְרוּשָׁלִַם אַתֶּם וַאֲבֹותֵיכֶם מַלְכֵיכֶם וְשָׂרֵיכֶם   44:21 וְעַם הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם זָכַר יְהוָה וַתַּעֲלֶה עַל־לִבֹּו׃

Jere. 44:21   “The offering that you sacrificed in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them and they come up on His ‘mind,’

וְלֹא־יוּכַל יְהוָה עֹוד לָשֵׂאת מִפְּנֵי רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם מִפְּנֵי הַתֹּועֵבֹת אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם וַתְּהִי אַרְצְכֶם   44:22      לְחָרְבָּה וּלְשַׁמָּה וְלִקְלָלָה מֵאֵין יֹושֵׁב כְּהַיֹּום הַזֶּה׃

Jere. 44:22   that the Lord was not able any more to ‘bear,’ because of the evil of your practices, because of your abominations that you committed?  So your land became for a wasteland and for a horror and for a curse, without an inhabitant like this day.”

מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר קִטַּרְתֶּם וַאֲשֶׁר חֲטָאתֶם לַיהוָה וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקֹול יְהוָה וּבְתֹרָתֹו וּבְחֻקֹּתָיו וּבְעֵדְוֹתָיו   44:23 לֹא הֲלַכְתֶּם עַל־כֵּן קָרָאת אֶתְכֶם הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת כַּיֹּום הַזֶּה׃

Jere. 44:23   For the reason that you sacrificed, and that you sinned to the Lord, and you did not listen to the voice of the Lord and you did not walk with His Torah and with His statutes and with His testimonies, therefore this evil has befallen you like at this day.”

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם וְאֶל כָּל־הַנָּשִׁים שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־יְהוָה כָּל־יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃   44:24

Jere. 44:24   And Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all of Judah who are in the land of Egypt!”

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה־צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אַתֶּם וּנְשֵׁיכֶם וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה בְּפִיכֶם וּבִידֵיכֶם מִלֵּאתֶם   44:25

לֵאמֹר עָשֹׂה נַעֲשֶׂה אֶת־נְדָרֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְנוּ לְקַטֵּר לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְהַסֵּךְ לָהּ נְסָכִים הָקֵים

 תָּקִימְנָה אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶם וְעָשֹׂה תַעֲשֶׂינָה אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶם׃

Jere. 44:25   “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saying, ‘You, and your wives also, have spoken with your mouths and have fulfilled with your hands, saying, ‘We will deliberately accomplish our vows that we vowed, to sacrifice to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’  Surely you shall confirm your vows and deliberately perform your vows.’”

לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהוָה כָּל־יְהוּדָה הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם הִנְנִי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי בִּשְׁמִי הַגָּדֹול אָמַר יְהוָה   44:26 אִם־יִהְיֶה עֹוד שְׁמִי נִקְרָא בְּפִי כָּל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה אֹמֵר חַי־אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃

Jere. 44:26   “Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all of Judah dwelling in the land of Egypt:  ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall not be called again by the mouth of any man of Judah saying, ‘As my Lord, the Lord, lives,’ in all the land of Egypt.’

הִנְנִי שֹׁקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לְרָעָה וְלֹא לְטֹובָה וְתַמּוּ כָל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב   44:27    עַד־כְּלֹותָם׃

Jere. 44:27   ‘Behold, I am watchful over them for evil and not for good, that all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine until they are gone.’

וּפְלִיטֵי חֶרֶב יְשֻׁבוּן מִן־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה מְתֵי מִסְפָּר וְיָדְעוּ כָּל־שְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים   44:28 לְאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם לָגוּר שָׁם דְּבַר־מִי יָקוּם מִמֶּנִּי וּמֵהֶם׃

Jere. 44:28   ‘And the survivors of the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number, and all the remnant of Judah going to the land of Egypt to stay there shall realize whose word shall stand, Mine or theirs.’

וְזֹאת־לָכֶם הָאֹות נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי־פֹקֵד אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם בַּמָּקֹום הַזֶּה לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ כִּי קֹום יָקוּמוּ דְבָרַי   44:29 עֲלֵיכֶם לְרָעָה׃

Jere. 44:29   ‘And this shall be the sign for you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I am attending to you in this place so that you shall know that My words shall surely stand against you for evil:’”

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־פַּרְעֹה חָפְרַע מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם בְּיַד אֹיְבָיו וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשֹׁו כַּאֲשֶׁר   44:30          נָתַתִּי אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֹיְבֹו וּמְבַקֵּשׁ נַפְשֹׁו׃

Jere. 44:30   “Thus says the Lord:  ‘Behold, I am giving Pharoah Hophra, king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of the seekers of his life, as I gave Zedekiah, king of Judah, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, his enemy, and a seeker of his life.’”

[Return to Jeremiah Chapters]   [Prev.:  Jere. 43]   [Next:  Jere. 45]