Jeremiah 44

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 44

1¶ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

2Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they [are] a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,

3Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, [and] to serve other gods, whom they knew not, [neither] they, ye, nor your fathers.

4Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them], saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

5But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

6Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted [and] desolate, as at this day.

7Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye [this] great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;

8In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

9Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10They are not humbled [even] unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.

11Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.

12And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, [and] fall in the land of Egypt; they shall [even] be consumed by the sword [and] by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, [and] an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

13For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:

14So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.

15¶ Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

16[As for] the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

17But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for [then] had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

18But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all [things], and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

19And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

20¶ Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him [that] answer, saying,

21The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it [not] into his mind?

22So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, [and] because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.

23Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.

24Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt:

25Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.

26Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.

27Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

28Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.

29And this [shall be] a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

30Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah delivers God's word to the Jews in Egypt, reminding them of Judah's desolation due to their idolatry and warning against continuing this sin. Despite the warning, the people defiantly vow to continue worshipping the "queen of heaven," attributing past prosperity to it. Consequently, God declares that those who remain in Egypt and persist in idolatry will be consumed by sword and famine, with only a small remnant escaping.

Medium Summary

The word of the LORD comes to Jeremiah concerning the Jews dwelling in Egypt, reminding them of the desolation of Jerusalem and Judah due to their fathers' and their own wickedness in burning incense to other gods. God warns them against repeating these abominations in Egypt, lest they bring complete destruction upon themselves and become a curse among nations. However, the people, including men and women, defiantly declare their intention to continue worshipping the "queen of heaven," asserting that they prospered when they did so and suffered when they ceased. Jeremiah then refutes their claim, stating that God remembered their past idolatry in Judah, which led to the land's desolation. He reiterates God's solemn oath to set His face against them for evil, promising that those who remain in Egypt will be consumed by sword and famine. Only a very small number will escape to return to Judah, proving whose words stand, and a sign of this judgment will be the defeat of Pharaoh-hophra.

Long Summary

Jeremiah delivers the word of the LORD to all the Jews residing in various parts of Egypt, including Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and Pathros. God reminds them that the desolation of Jerusalem and the cities of Judah was a direct consequence of their ancestors' and their own wickedness, particularly their idolatry in burning incense to other gods despite repeated warnings from His prophets. He questions why they continue this "great evil" against their own souls in Egypt, provoking Him to wrath and ensuring their complete destruction and a curse among nations. God declares that He will set His face against the remnant of Judah who chose to dwell in Egypt, ensuring they will be consumed by sword and famine, becoming an execration and a reproach; none will escape or return to Judah, save a very small number. In response, a great multitude of men and women in Pathros defiantly tell Jeremiah that they will not hearken to the LORD's word. They vow to continue burning incense and pouring out drink offerings to the "queen of heaven," claiming that they had plenty of victuals and saw no evil when they did so in Judah, but suffered greatly since they stopped. Jeremiah then confronts them, asserting that the LORD indeed remembered their past idolatry in Judah, which was the true cause of their land's desolation and their current evil. He reiterates God's solemn oath that His name shall no more be named by any Jew in Egypt, as He will watch over them for evil. All men of Judah in Egypt will be consumed by sword and famine until their end. A small number who escape will return to Judah, confirming whose words, God's or theirs, will stand. As a sign, the LORD promises to deliver Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemies, just as Zedekiah was given to Nebuchadrezzar.

Core Concepts

  • Idolatry in EgyptThe Jewish remnant in Egypt continued the practice of worshipping other gods, specifically the "queen of heaven," despite God's explicit warnings. This persistent idolatry was a direct cause for God's renewed judgment upon them.
  • Divine JudgmentGod pronounces severe punishment, including consumption by sword and famine, upon the Jews in Egypt for their continued disobedience and refusal to abandon their idolatrous practices. This judgment mirrors the destruction previously brought upon Judah.
  • Defiance of God's WordThe people openly reject Jeremiah's prophecy, defiantly declaring their intention to persist in worshipping the "queen of heaven." They attribute past prosperity to this idolatry and current suffering to its cessation.
  • Consequences of DisobedienceThe chapter illustrates that both past and present disobedience to God's law, particularly through idolatry, leads to desolation, suffering, and divine wrath, contrary to the people's erroneous belief that idolatry brought blessing.
  • The Queen of HeavenA pagan deity worshipped by the Jews, to whom they offered incense and drink offerings. The people mistakenly believed that their prosperity in Judah was linked to this worship, and their subsequent suffering to its abandonment.
  • Remnant and EscapeGod declares that only a very small number of the Jews in Egypt will escape the prophesied destruction and return to Judah. This serves to demonstrate the certainty of God's word and judgment.
  • Pharaoh's Downfall as a SignThe defeat of Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemies is given as a tangible sign. This event will confirm to the Jews in Egypt that God's words of judgment against them will surely stand.