Jeremiah 42

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 42

1¶ Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

2And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, [even] for all this remnant; (for we are left [but] a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

3That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

4Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard [you]; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, [that] whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare [it] unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

5Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

6Whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

7¶ And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

8Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which [were] with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

9And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

10If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull [you] down, and I will plant you, and not pluck [you] up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

11Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I [am] with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

12And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

13But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,

14Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:

15And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

16Then it shall come to pass, [that] the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

17So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

18For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

19The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

20For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do [it].

21And [now] I have this day declared [it] to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any [thing] for the which he hath sent me unto you.

22Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go [and] to sojourn.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

After Jerusalem's fall, a remnant of Judah, led by Johanan, seeks Jeremiah's prayer for divine guidance on where to settle, promising obedience. The LORD, through Jeremiah, commands them to remain in Judah, assuring protection from Babylon and restoration. However, He warns that going to Egypt, driven by fear of war and famine, will result in their death by those very evils, as His wrath will pursue them there. The LORD reveals their hearts were dissembling, as they had already intended to disobey.

Medium Summary

Following the destruction of Jerusalem, the remaining captains and people, including Johanan, approach Jeremiah, earnestly requesting him to intercede with the LORD for direction. They pledge unwavering obedience to whatever divine counsel is revealed, whether it be favorable or adverse. After ten days, the LORD's word comes to Jeremiah, instructing the people to remain in the land of Judah. The LORD promises to build and plant them, assuring them protection from the king of Babylon and expressing a change of heart regarding the past evils. Conversely, the LORD sternly warns that if they choose to flee to Egypt, seeking refuge from war and famine, those very calamities will pursue and consume them there. He declares that His fury will be poured out upon them in Egypt, just as it was upon Jerusalem, because they dissembled in their hearts, intending to disobey from the start.

Long Summary

After the fall of Jerusalem and the subsequent events, a significant remnant of the people, including the captains of the forces like Johanan, approach the prophet Jeremiah. They humbly request him to pray to the LORD their God on their behalf, seeking divine guidance on the path they should take and the actions they should perform, acknowledging their diminished numbers. Jeremiah agrees to present their supplication and solemnly promises to declare the LORD's entire response without reservation. In turn, the people swear a binding oath, calling the LORD as a witness, that they will faithfully obey all the LORD's commands, regardless of whether the message is perceived as good or evil, believing that obedience will ensure their well-being. After a waiting period of ten days, the word of the LORD is revealed to Jeremiah. He then gathers the leaders and the people to deliver the divine message. The LORD instructs them to remain in the land of Judah, promising to build them up and plant them securely, and not to pull them down or pluck them up, for He expresses a change of heart regarding the past afflictions. He explicitly tells them not to fear the king of Babylon, assuring them of His presence to save and deliver them, and that He will show them mercy, which will lead the king of Babylon to also show them mercy and allow them to return to their homes. However, the LORD issues a severe warning: if they disregard His command and choose to go to Egypt, seeking to escape war, the sound of the trumpet, and hunger, then the very sword and famine they dread will relentlessly pursue them there. They will die in Egypt by sword, famine, and pestilence, with none escaping the evil He will bring upon them. The LORD declares that His anger and fury will be poured out upon them in Egypt, just as it was upon Jerusalem, making them an execration and a reproach. He reveals that they were deceitful in their hearts when they initially sought His counsel, for they had already intended to go to Egypt. Therefore, having declared His will, He warns them that disobedience will lead to their certain death in Egypt.

Core Concepts

  • Seeking Divine CounselThe remnant of Judah, in their distress, approaches Jeremiah to pray for them and seek the LORD's direction on their future actions and dwelling place, acknowledging their small numbers.
  • Promise of ObedienceThe people solemnly vow to obey whatever the LORD commands through Jeremiah, whether the message is favorable or adverse, believing that such obedience will bring them well-being.
  • Divine Command to RemainThe LORD instructs the remnant to stay in the land of Judah, promising protection, restoration, and deliverance from the king of Babylon if they obey His voice.
  • Warning Against DisobedienceThe LORD explicitly forbids them from going to Egypt, warning that if they do, the very calamities they seek to avoid (sword, famine, pestilence) will surely overtake them there, leading to their death.
  • Consequences of DissemblingThe LORD reveals that the people's initial request for guidance was insincere, as they had already decided in their hearts to go to Egypt, thus incurring His wrath and certain destruction for their deceit.
  • Divine Repentance/ReliefThe LORD states, "for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you," indicating a willingness to cease His punitive actions and restore them if they choose to obey and remain in the land.
  • Fear of BabylonThe people's underlying fear of the king of Babylon is acknowledged by the LORD, who promises His presence and protection to save and deliver them from his hand if they abide in Judah.